 Modern autoharp | |
| Classification | Board zither |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Karl August Gütter, Charles F. Zimmermann |
| Related instruments | |
| Zither, marxophone, dolceola | |
An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term autoharp was once a trademark of the Oscar Schmidt company, but has become a generic designation for all such instruments, regardless of manufacturer.[1][2]
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Kelly Williams (May 11, 2003). "Background of the Guitar-Zither". The Guitar-Zither Clearinghouse.
terminology on the "Chorded zither" (referred Autoharp without trademark infringement with Oscar Schmidt Inc.), "Guitar-Zither" (patented by Fred Menzenhauer in 1894), and "Chord zither" (referred Guitar-Zither, appeared in The Oxford Companion to Musical Instruments, and The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments). - ^
Gregg Miner and Kelly Williams (July 2011). "Selecting the Term". Fretless Zithers.
terminology and taxonomy of the "Fretless Zither" family instruments.