How to Play Carter Scratch: Beginning Autoharp tutorial

[@swiftman1232]

How delightful. I just found my autoharp in the back of the closet, and I am going to start playing again. Thank you.

[@kategordon5631]

Thank you so much for teaching all of us out here. God bless you.

[@clawhammer704]

A type of clawhammer strum. Sounds great Hal...this is coming from an old time banjo player.

[@bethlikestosingandmakemusi2749]

Reason I want To play this instrument!

[@Wonderwomantam]

Thank you for sharing. 🌸

[@Gonefishing185]

I’ll mention Mississippi Fred McDowell because I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how he makes his sound, unaware that auto harp players and clawhammer banjo players used the same technique that he did!

[@Phoenixhunter157]

Silly question, can you play this style with the autoharp flat on a table. I should mention comfortable strumming and chording with either hand. I’m left handed but I play banjo right handed. So if there’s one hand that works better for playing this style flat, I’m open to that suggestion as well. Thank you so much. You’ve explained this in a way I finally understand. I will go to your patreon for sure. You’re amazing 👏👏👏

[@wildautoharp]

I'm a lefty too. But (as you know) there are many many things that we lefties are forced to do right handed, that I'm closer to being ambidextrous, which is a very very good thing. I play autoharp right handed, but if I were going to play down flat (which is, I think, the best way to play, even though I haven't made that change yet) I'd get a left handed autoharp, and then play it right handed, down flat, so the long strings were to the right of the chord bars/buttons, with the bass strings toward me. That's because I play right handed. If you can play left handed, then playing down flat on the standard right handed autoharp is perfect. You won't have to cross hands. And yes, this technique works perfectly that way.

[@Popcorn_Kernel]

its like clawhammer on banjo

[@beautifuldreamer3991]

How ADORABLE!!!!!

[@arachne8x]

Question on the angle of the finger - I assume you mean that the angle should be 45 in the same plane as the strings? Basically so that instead of crossing a string like a T, you cross it like an Xm

[@wildautoharp]

Okay i suppose thats a way of putting it.

[@arachne8x]

@@wildautoharp Sorry, I'm a mathematician by training. When you said 90 degrees to the strings I wasn't sure if you meant the angle of the pick to the strings or the line of the strum. It seemed based on your description and visuals that you meant the line of the strum but I wanted to make sure before I put more practicing time in.

[@wildautoharp]

@@arachne8x It's actually a litte of both. You have to find the sweet spot. That's dependent on your picks, how you have them adjusted, how loud you are playing, velocity, all that...but it's not a calculation, its an adjustment your body will learn to make, just like learning to walk.

[@arachne8x]

@@wildautoharp oh I know I need to figure out the muscle memory and I've been playing with the scratch. Just wanted to know where to start from, you know? Now I know that playing with both does make sense - I'll find a reliable scratch, I'm sure.

[@fairyconomy7856]

what kind of autoharp? I like seeing wooden chord bars, instead of the sad plastic coffin of the Oscar Schmidts over 15 chords. Thanks

[@wildautoharp]

www.autoharp.com