Admit I
Oscar Schmidt OS21C 21 chord autoharp
Folk players who want 21 chords and a maple body
| Chords | 21, three rows of buttons |
|---|---|
| Body | Maple, gloss sunburst |
| Pin block | Rock maple |
| Listed as | Oscar Schmidt’s most popular model |
Chords by the bar, strictly acoustic
Autoharp:15 and 21chord models
An autoharp is a zither whose chord bars mute every string you do not want, which makes strumming oddly forgiving. Stock of the Oscar Schmidt models below is scarce on Amazon, so check availability before falling in love.
By Rhys Entwistle, updated 4 November 2026
Act I
What an autoharp is, and what it is not
An autoharp is a chorded zither: a flat wooden soundbox strung across, with a set of bars that sit over the strings. Press a bar and it damps every string outside the chord, so one strum across the lot sounds one clean chord.
Charles Zimmermann patented the idea in 1882, and Oscar Schmidt’s company built it into a folk standard, where the Carter Family put it on country records. The name began life as a trade mark, which is why descriptions still say “chorded zither”.
The autoharp is acoustic, and it has no connection with the Omnichord, an electronic instrument that only borrows the chord-first idea. The Omnichord review on this site covers that one.
How an autoharp sounds
The sound is a ringing wash of strings, closer to a harp than to a guitar, and a plain strum fills a small room. In a village hall on a good evening, it is exactly what the occasion calls for.
Act II
Which autoharp to choose from the Oscar Schmidt range
All three models below come from Oscar Schmidt, so the choice is about chords and tuning rather than brand. Stock of every autoharp here is scarce on Amazon: check availability before anything else.
Admit II
Oscar Schmidt OS15B 15 chord autoharp
First autoharp players who want a simple layout
| Chords | 15 |
|---|---|
| Body | Berkshire maple, sunburst |
| Pin block | Rock maple |
| In the box | Gig bag, picks, tuning wrench |
Admit III
Oscar Schmidt OS11021AE autoharp
Players who expect to retune their autoharp often
| Chords | 21 |
|---|---|
| Top | Ovankol |
| Back | Solid spruce |
| Tuning | Built-in FT600 fine tuning system |
The 21 chord autoharp
The OS21C is listed as Oscar Schmidt’s most popular autoharp, with a maple body, a rock maple pin block and a chromatic bar of three rows of buttons. Twenty-one chords give more keys to play in than fifteen, which matters once a singer joins in.
The 15 chord autoharp
The OS15B has fewer chords, a “Berkshire” maple body and a rock maple pin block, and the listing includes a gig bag, picks and a tuning wrench. Fewer buttons means fewer keys, but also a simpler layout for a first instrument.
The fine tuning model
The OS11021AE also has twenty-one chords, with an ovankol top, a solid spruce back and a built-in FT600 fine tuning system. That tuning system is its selling point, so it suits anyone who expects to be tuning often.
Act III
Playing an autoharp for the first hour
Tune before you play, because an autoharp has a great many strings and every one of them is audible. After that, the technique is mostly a matter of pressing, strumming and letting go.
- Tune the strings with a wrench, working steadily from one end to the other.
- Press a single chord bar firmly and strum across all the strings.
- Lift the bar, press the next, and keep the strum going.
- Learn two or three chords in one key before adding more bars.
Strum or pluck
A thumb pick or a fingertip will strum across all the strings, which is the place to start. Plucking single notes while a bar is held is the traditional way to play a melody, and it comes later, once the changes feel easy.
The wrench and the method book
The Oscar Schmidt tuning wrench has a square socket, a wooden handle and an L shape, and the listing says it suits most modern models from 2012 onwards. Hal Leonard’s Autoharp Method is the sensible book to keep beside it.
Admit I
Oscar Schmidt autoharp tuning wrench
Autoharp owners who need to tune their strings
| Socket | Square |
|---|---|
| Handle | Wood |
| Shape | L-shaped |
| Suits | Most models from 2012 onwards |
Admit II
Hal Leonard Autoharp Method
Beginners who want a printed course beside them
| Publisher | Hal Leonard |
|---|---|
| Format | Book |
| Size | 30.5 × 22.9 cm |
| Weight | 1.05 kg |
4.7/5 on Amazon from 49 ratings
See it on AmazonAct IV
Looking after an autoharp
- Keep it in a bag or case between sessions. The OS15B listing includes a gig bag.
- Wood dislikes radiators and damp, so choose its corner of the room with care.
- Retune after any journey, and keep the wrench in the same bag.
- Check that every bar returns freely before you start a session.
Act V
Who should buy an autoharp
- Singers who want to accompany themselves without learning chord shapes.
- Folk and country players who like their instruments made of wood.
- Anyone happy to tune an instrument before every session.
Anyone after a lap instrument that plugs in should read about the Omnichord instead, and anyone who wants something plucked and pocketable might prefer a kalimba. If you would like to try the chord-first idea before buying, our online omnichord strip is free.
Oscar Schmidt OS21C 21 chord autoharpFolk players who want 21 chords and a maple body
See it on AmazonEncore
Asked from the back row about the autoharp
- Is an autoharp easy to play?
The first hour is gentler than most stringed instruments, because the bars choose the chords for you. Smooth changes and a steady strum take longer, as they do on anything.
- What is another name for an autoharp?
Chorded zither is the plain description. Chromaharp turns up on some older instruments and books, which is a reminder of how many names this one has collected.
- Is an autoharp the same as an Omnichord?
No. The autoharp is acoustic, with strings and wooden bars, and the Omnichord is an electronic instrument that borrows the chord-first idea. The Omnichord review on this site explains the difference.
- Does an autoharp need tuning?
Yes, and often. The Oscar Schmidt wrench in our list has a square socket and suits most modern models from 2012 onwards, and one of the models has a fine tuning system built in.
- Why is stock so scarce?
We cannot see the stockroom, but every autoharp here was listed as scarce at the time of writing. Read the seller’s name as carefully as the price of a second-hand car.