Auto Harp.

[Nodrog]

Hi there everyone,

I am in the process of delving into the world of recording. I have recently dug out my Boss BR600, touched up on the basics from the manual and I've been experimenting with recording African style music, ( so far just on my own).

Anyway, something else I had to brush the dust off, an Auto Harp which I bought for my wife a few years back as a backing instrument to my Greek Bouzouki. Decided to try it as a backing instrument to African guitar and although it's early stages, it seems to work pretty well. The idea is to use it as kind of a background blanket or atmosphere. I suppose a little like a slow string section in a classical orchestra. The guitar, (or bouzouki I guess), will thread in and out of the Auto Harp chords. That's all I'll be using it for at this stage, no fancy picking yet. ( Of course, all this stuff is played over a djembe rhythm track which I put down first. None of these recordings are intended to be finished pieces of anything, more like a musical sketch pad used as a learning tool).

I know there are various harp style African instruments but from what I've heard they all seem to use individually plucked strings. Is there any use of chords used on a trad African instrument ? A balafon would be using chords sometimes I guess but without any sustain.

I spent about three hours messing around with this Auto Harp and finally got a reasonable sounding piece of music down. I then in the space of about 5 seconds managed to delete the whole thing by accident. Well, maybe I didn't spend enough time on the instructions. Who knows ? It might turn out better next time.....

Gordon.