Name the boxy harp-like thing.

November 27, 2007 4:36 PM

What was the harp-like instrument I saw Billy Connolly play?

It was on an episode of Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia.

He was in the outback. It was daytime. He'd set a campfire burning. He played a small harp-like thing.

To describe the device crudely: it was no bigger than his head; it had perhaps twenty to thirty strings strung across a resonator box; he held it up to his shoulder and plucked the strings with one hand whilst fingering chords on what looked like some sort of keyboard at the bottom of the instrument.

I can't remember much else about the episode apart from his visit to Dingo Fence.

Does anyone know the name of this strange device? Anyone played one?

posted by popcassady to media & arts (7 comments total)

Was it an autoharp?
posted by iconomy at 4:41 PM on November 27, 2007

(or chorded zither, as it says there in the link. It also says that Billy Connolly plays one)
posted by iconomy at 4:42 PM on November 27, 2007

definitely an autoharp
posted by pmbuko at 5:19 PM on November 27, 2007

Thirding autoharp.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:07 PM on November 27, 2007

Billy Connolly is even listed as an autoharp player at iconomy's link.
posted by wsg at 12:15 AM on November 28, 2007

Yep, autoharp.
posted by popcassady at 12:18 AM on November 28, 2007

I saw the episode and all the good folk above are correct! He had it out in another episode also, playing Waltzing Matilda and singing it in French.
posted by brautigan at 12:03 PM on November 28, 2007