There are many studies that demonstrate the value of playing a musical instrument, beyond the music itself. Playing music is excellent mental exercise: simultaneously engaging your brain\u2019s motor, memory, sensory, visual, aural, emotional, and even verbal centers (if you\u2019re singing as well). Playing a musical instrument during adulthood is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment and dementia; it can significantly reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It\u2019s been shown to help sharpen concentration skills and increase memory capacity; it\u2019s one of the most challenging and beneficial activities a human can undertake. <\/p>\n
All excellent reasons to play an instrument\u2026 but musically, I\u02bcm lazy. Very lazy. Though I love music, I had never mastered any instrument, and practicing was always a chore, even with instruments that I loved. I\u02bcve tried clarinet, recorder, guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and folk harp, but even when I managed to reach some level of competency, I couldn\u02bct sing and play correctly at the same time. I felt like my brain needed a RAM upgrade. <\/p>\n
And then I borrowed an autoharp. Right away, I could strum it on my lap and sing along, without screwing up the chords. I was playing, I was singing, I was stunned \u2014 I was hooked. Practicing wasn\u02bct a chore; now I had to force myself to put the thing down<\/em> after playing and singing for 5 hours straight into the wee hours of the night. The point is, almost anybody with an elementary sense of rhythm can make music that sounds good from an autoharp, from the very start…and improve over time, as much as they are inclined to. <\/p>\n It\u2019s so, so very much easier than playing a guitar, though I\u2019ll admit, the tuning is a tad tedious (36 strings). But the chord bars on an autoharp vastly decrease your chances of hitting the wrong note, and there are none of those cramp-inducing finger contortions required for playing guitar. Just hold down a bar, and strum — and there\u2019s your chord! You can take an autoharp as far as you want. In a few hours you can play well enough to chord along with your favorite tunes. In weeks, you can learn to play the harp upright, and pick out tunes or harmonies. Eventually, who knows? You might be attending festivals, entering an autoharp contest, or playing for yourself at home, happy as a clam.<\/p>\n Autoharps can be played in myriad styles: \u201cold-timey\u201d (ala Carter Family, see video below), bluesy, folky, lyrical, Celtic, rocking, classical. They lend themselves to almost any kind of music you can think of. And the autoharp community is remarkably welcoming and inclusive, in my experience. Even the \u201csuperstars\u201d of the autoharp are willing to teach beginners. I recently attended \u201cSeattle Autoharp Week\u201d where participants, in small groups, took lessons from some of the best \u02bbharpists in the world. (Imagine a beginning guitar class taught by Eric Clapton.) <\/p>\n Many people don\u02bct realize how beautiful an autoharp can sound; if they\u02bcve heard one at all, chances are they\u02bcve heard one out of tune \u2014 ghastly. Autoharps do need to be carefully tuned, and this does take time; I recommend getting a \u02bbharp with fine tuners if possible, as well as a good chromatic tuner such as the clip-on Snark HZ-1<\/a> (or a tuning app such as iStroboSoft<\/a>). Fine tuners aren\u02bct cheap (adds about $100), but they\u02bcll save you much time and frustration. Beware of old autoharps that have sat in a closet for years: sometimes their sound quality deteriorates if they are neglected and improperly stored; strings may be \u201cdead\u201d and probably also need replacing for optimal sound. There are some \u201cautoharp doctors\u201d around who can rejuvenate many of the old autoharps — or tell you if that \u02bbharp is probably a lost cause. <\/p>\n New mass-manufactured \u02bbharps should preferably be checked and set up by an autoharp expert — not all new \u02bbharps are ready-to-play straight from the factory. <\/p>\n Autoharp prices range from zip (check your local Freecycle or Craig\u02bcs List page) to over $2,000 for a custom-made luthier \u2018harp. You can pick up a 21-bar Oscar Schmidt<\/a> with fine tuners that has been set up by an autoharp expert for about $400-$450. I bought an Evoharp<\/a> (lighter, prettier, handmade, available in right or left-handed models) for $850. <\/p>\n