Autoharp
From This Might Be A Wiki
An Oscar Schmidt autoharp, the company credited for the creation of the instrument.
The autoharp is a type of zither that has been used on a few occasions throughout They Might Be Giants’ discography.
The autoharp is played by pushing down on buttons that correspond to specific chords. Each specific button presses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord.
John Linnell first played the autoharp on Lincoln in 1988 on the tracks “Ana Ng” and “Pencil Rain.” The autoharp reappeared 17 years later on Linnell’s home demo of “The Mesopotamians.” John Flansburgh is credited for playing the autoharp on “All Alone.”
External links[edit]
- Watch it on
- Listen to the prominent autoharp part on the demo of “The Mesopotamians.” - Article on Wikipedia
