Thank you all for kind comments. Soft sounds from hitting it as lightly as I can with plastic picks on quiet passages since, on the louder ones, I bear down harder. Consequently, volume of clip is fairly low at the beginning and you might want to adjust your computer level. The chromatic autoharp was built by Tom Fladmark and has completely standard body and strings(except extra lower d#)- and completely non-standard chord bars with felts cut to accommodate various combinations of notes
Listening to this again today, I noticed I made a remark four years ago that still illustrates how impressed I am with your ability. Videos like this make me thankful for youtube.
I just inherited an autoharp - still trying to get the darn thing tuned! To hear playing like this is inspiring - I was wondering if I could play classical on it! Looking forward to learning.... Did you know that many "popular tunes" have been based on Classical music? Like Elvis' 'Falling in Love with You" is based on an Italian "Neopolitan" song (similar to German Lieder, but Italian style).
Get the 3 chord books by Hal Leonard Mel Bay to begin. Get a digital tuner or a cheap/free app on a smart phone, and look at Hal Weeks and Jo Ann Smith classes. I don't know if Will Smith teaches??? Great performer, Will Smith is!
He is playing by ear/air/heart. The autoharp has chord bars and anyone can read chords and strum or pluck. Will also is picking out the melody. Who started picking melody in the history of autoharp? A wonderful magazine to get is Autoharp Quarterly. Many questions are answered in the magazine and there are always songs. Has Will Smith ever been the focus of Autoharp Quarterly's interviews?
It has chromatic scale from middle octave up, but chord bars are re-engineered to create different combinations of notes than standard bars. See willsmithmusic.com
Thank you all for kind comments. Soft sounds from hitting it as lightly as I can with plastic picks on quiet passages since, on the louder ones, I bear down harder. Consequently, volume of clip is fairly low at the beginning and you might want to adjust your computer level. The chromatic autoharp was built by Tom Fladmark and has completely standard body and strings(except extra lower d#)- and completely non-standard chord bars with felts cut to accommodate various combinations of notes
This is extremely beautiful, so particular art playing in the autoharp.
Ten years later, I’d love to see your composition
Listening to this again today, I noticed I made a remark four years ago that still illustrates how impressed I am with your ability. Videos like this make me thankful for youtube.
Meant to add: most melody notes struck with middle finger which has a metal pick, which changes tone and adds volume
I play this on the piano but could not even begin to attempt it on my auto harp. Unimaginably beautiful. Thanks for posting.
You could attempt and one day maybe reach this level. Will was not born with an autoharp? He had to practice too. Maybe even take lessons?
Undoubtably the best autoharp player in the world!
Time you put some more on Will.
This is really beautiful - I found the section near the end especially breathtaking!
EXQUISITELY beautiful!
My favorite instrument and my favorite artist!! Very very beautiful!!
loved thisssssss. id forsure put this in the romantic era tho. u adapted this so well. its amazing. love this.
Wonderful, Wonderful. No doubt you are the best autoharp player.
Beautiful.
Very nice!
this is so incredibly beautiful! simply dreamy ♥️ thank you so much!
I think I"m in love............
Nice. Really nice.
Lovely, much enjoyed. Thank You.
so well man, congratulations
I just inherited an autoharp - still trying to get the darn thing tuned! To hear playing like this is inspiring - I was wondering if I could play classical on it! Looking forward to learning....
Did you know that many "popular tunes" have been based on Classical music? Like Elvis' 'Falling in Love with You" is based on an Italian "Neopolitan" song (similar to German Lieder, but Italian style).
Get the 3 chord books by Hal Leonard Mel Bay to begin. Get a digital tuner or a cheap/free app on a smart phone, and look at Hal Weeks and Jo Ann Smith classes. I don't know if Will Smith teaches??? Great performer, Will Smith is!
Oh my that is lovely! How do you get such soft sounds?
😢❤️
Nice job man
this is really impressive. how did you figure out how to do this? are you able to more or less sight read songs on the autoharp?
He is playing by ear/air/heart. The autoharp has chord bars and anyone can read chords and strum or pluck. Will also is picking out the melody. Who started picking melody in the history of autoharp? A wonderful magazine to get is Autoharp Quarterly. Many questions are answered in the magazine and there are always songs. Has Will Smith ever been the focus of Autoharp Quarterly's interviews?
Is this a chromatic?
It has chromatic scale from middle octave up, but chord bars are re-engineered to create different combinations of notes than standard bars. See willsmithmusic.com
Diatonic or Chromatic?
Chromatic do not sound as sweet. The chromatic has an edge the diatonic does not have (unless it is out of tune! lol)!!