"Travis" picking: beginner strum. SWA Stalking the Wild Autoharp

[@lindaberg1695]

I've come for a refresher...you are just the best teacher Hal!

[@jillbrandush8712]

I can’t even tell you how helpful these lessons are for a beginner (albeit ardent!!) autoharp player. Thank you so much!!!!

[@seabrook2009]

Called "Travis picking" after Merl Travis. Also called "double-thumb", Cotton picking" after Elizabeth Cotton and used by many other people. You do the melody with your fingers.

[@c_farther5208]

I learn something everytime I watch these videos. I wish you didn't put so much emphasis on words for rhythm rather than repetition for finger positioning. I'm already brain washed on "hamburger." Also, what about the lap autoharp such as, OS30c and Rhythm Band portaharp, Welty, what is the key there with this travis picking? Thank you for posting these lessons; you are a great teacher and very knowledgeable. Obviously, you are a natural talent.

[@funnyfarm2000]

Hal… are you right handed? And do you know of any left handed players? Wondering if it’s ambidextrous instrument…🤔

[@wildautoharp]

Complicated question, and one I need to make several videos about. I am a native left hander, but learned to play right handed, and really was right hand dominant in many things. (If you are a lefty, you might have that experience as well...) For example, in playing piano, my right hand fine motor was always better than my left. That's why autoharp was the perfect solution since most of it's complex moves are in the right hand...picking hand. About 5 years ago I learned that I could write very very well with my right hand...and now I mainly wright with my right hand. As far as autoharps go...the "standard" instrument is IDEAL for the left hander....if played on a lap or tabletop. If you MUST play upright as a lefty, then you need a mirror-image body (what you are calling a left handed harp). We build them at Daigle Autoharps all the time...but not for stock...not yet. Recently we've seen a rash of left handed orders here...like a lot of them. But there are many reasons for playing down flat....when a right handed person plays down flat they have to cross hands...a lefty does not...so if a rightie wants to play flat, (without crossing hands) they have to get a LEFT HANDED harp (which isn't really a lefty harp anymore). It's also a matter of which side your button hand addresses the buttons from...the treble side (upright) or the bass side (down flat) and that all has to be changed depending on your handedness and how you want to play. As I said, it's complicated!