Hawaiian Mandolin Harp

Subject: Hawaiian Mandolin Harp
From: GUEST,Wa Ban Zhou
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 06:32 PM

My wife, who loves to get me strange instruments,
gave me a Hawaiian Mandolin Harp, which looks like
an autoharp or a zither, but is played with a slide.
Made in Brooklyn a long time ago, the instructions
appear to me written by someone whose native language
was not English (or Hawiian, either). Does anyone have a clue?

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Mandolin Harp
From: RangerSteve
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 06:07 AM

It's also called a Hawaiian Tremoloa. I don't have one, but I've played them. Unfortunately, I don't think I can describe how to do it. I'll think about it and come back to this thread later.

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Mandolin Harp
From: cobber
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 07:45 AM

It sounds like the instrument that turns up in Australia a lot under a variety of names such as mandolin harp. Thet are like an autoharp without the buttons except the bottom strings are tuned in chords. They were quite big in Australia in the 1920s and 1930s and were sold door-to-door by uni students etc. The price included a course of lessons at a big "academy" in Melbourne (and other cities). They sold thousands but after a while, the people who were running the scheme closed the school and disappeared with the money back to America. It was quite a big scandal at the time. Most of them were relegated to back sheds or wall ornaments and occasionally you even see them in mint condition complete with box and sheet music. Most of the ones I've seen were played with little hammers, like a hammered dulcimer, but I always preferred to play mine with finger picks. There is a French-borm folkie in Melbourne who performs with one a lot and has made a few CDs of the music. Sorry I can't remember his name but maybe someone else can put you on to him.

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Mandolin Harp
From: GUEST,Wa ban Zhou
Date: 23 Nov 03 - 03:01 AM

Yeah,that would be it, even got the little hammer thingie

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Mandolin Harp
From: GUEST,Colchester, Ct.
Date: 20 Jun 12 - 09:33 PM

I have one of these that was played by my grandfather. It was made in Brooklyn, N.Y. I have the mandolin, music book, hammer and steel bar. It has a instruction sheet on how to use the Hawaiian Scale Diagram and the Hawaiian steel bar. Also hints on using the Hawaiian steel bar. It also has the original box it was bought in.
    Does anyone know someone who can help me to play this instrument.
                        Thank you,
                         Claire