Whats an ultratonic autoharp?
This is an uncommon, one-key diatonic autoharp whose chords are downright strange, including pentatonic scales and sixth chords for starters. The ultratonic autoharp was developed by the late Marty Schuman, a creative fellow with a imaginative mind who knew how to make the autoharp wail and laugh. And this autoharp does both as well! When you hear it, you can’t get your ear off of it; its harmonies really swirl. My monograph, How to Create and Play the Ultratonic Autoharp, offers complete conversion instructions plus a playing section to get you started. The conversion is easy, although it will take a few hours to complete, because the ultratonic autoharp is tuned in one key. After that, once you know which tones are damped in each chord bar, the bars are felted just like they are for any other autoharp. For further inspiration, listen to my CD, Thus Sings My Soul, where you’ll hear three selections played on a Bb ultratonic autoharp.
