AUTOHARP

The autoharp is a zither-like musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers which, when depressed, mute all the strings other than those that form the desired chord. With the initial "a" capitalized, it is a registered trademark of the Oscar Schmidt Company.

Autoharps were first produced in Germany in 1890. They are have been commonly used in the United States as bluegrass and folk instruments.