Comments on: Name the boxy harp-like thing.

Question: Name the boxy harp-like thing.

popcassady — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:36:51 -0800

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?

By: iconomy

iconomy — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:41:03 -0800

Was it an autoharp?

By: iconomy

iconomy — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:42:18 -0800

(or chorded zither, as it says there in the link. It also says that Billy Connolly plays one)

By: pmbuko

pmbuko — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:19:09 -0800

definitely an autoharp

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:07:19 -0800

Thirding autoharp.

By: wsg

wsg — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:15:02 -0800

Billy Connolly is even listed as an autoharp player at iconomy's link.

By: popcassady

popcassady — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:18:19 -0800

Yep, autoharp.

By: brautigan

brautigan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:03:55 -0800

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.