Editing Autoharp (section)

{{Short description|Musical string instrument}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name                  = Autoharp
| image                 = Autoharp today.jpg
| image_size            = 120px
| alt                   =
| caption               = Modern autoharp
| background            =
| names                 =
| classification        = [[Musical instrument classification|Board zither]]
| hornbostel_sachs      =
| hornbostel_sachs_desc =
| inventors             = Karl August Gütter, Charles F. Zimmermann
| developed             =
| timbre                =
| volume                =
| attack                =
| decay                 =
| range                 =
| pitch                 =
| related               = [[Zither]], [[marxophone]], [[dolceola]]
| musicians             =
| builders              =
| articles              =
}}
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 Inc.|Oscar Schmidt]] company, but has become a [[Generic trademark|generic designation]] for all such instruments, regardless of manufacturer.<ref>
{{cite web
 |author    = Kelly Williams
 |date      = May 11, 2003
 |title     = Background of the Guitar-Zither
 |url       = http://www.fretlesszithers.net/gz_back.htm
 |work      = The Guitar-Zither Clearinghouse
}} <br/>terminology on the "Chorded zither" (referred Autoharp without trademark infringement with Oscar Schmidt Inc.), "[[Guitar zither|Guitar-Zither]]" (patented by Fred Menzenhauer in 1894), and "Chord zither" (referred Guitar-Zither, appeared in ''The [[Oxford Companions|Oxford Companion]] to Musical Instruments'', and ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|The New Grove Dictionary]] of Musical Instruments'').
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
 |author    = Gregg Miner and Kelly Williams
 |date      = July 2011<!-- (originally published in May, 2003) -->
 |title     = Selecting the Term
 |url       = http://www.minermusic.com/dolceola/fretless_zithers.htm
 |work      = Fretless Zithers
}} <br/>terminology and taxonomy of the "Fretless Zither" family instruments.
</ref>