Which autoharp chord layout should you use?
A 21-chord autoharp has 21 chord bars in three rows, but which chords go on those bars isn't fixed. Players can move bars around or swap the felts underneath, and over the years a few arrangements have become common. Llamaharp includes three of them. They all have the same 21 buttons in the same places, so switching layouts only changes which chord each button plays.
The short answer: pick Standard for flat keys and band music, Americana for folk and bluegrass in sharp keys, and Jo Ann Smith if you want a minor chord for every key and the same hand shape everywhere.
The three layouts at a glance
| Layout | Top row | Middle row | Bottom row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | E♭ B♭ F C G D A | F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 B7 | A♭ B♭7 Cm Gm Dm Am Em |
| Americana | E♭ F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 | B♭ F C G D A E | Gm Dm Am Em Bm F♯m B7 |
| Jo Ann Smith | E♭ B♭ F C G D A | F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 B7 | Gm Dm Am Em Bm F♯m C♯m |
Which keys each layout covers
Most folk, country, and church songs get by on three chords: the key chord (I), the chord a fourth up (IV), and the dominant seventh (V7). Many also use the relative minor (vi). Here's where each layout has all three of I, IV, and V7, and where it also has the vi chord.
| Layout | Major keys with I, IV, V7 | …and the vi chord too | Minor keys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B♭ | C, E♭, F, G, B♭ | Dm, Em, Gm, Am |
| Americana | C, D, E, F, G, A, B♭ | C, D, F, G, A, B♭ | Dm, Em, Am |
| Jo Ann Smith | C, D, F, G, A, B♭ | C, D, F, G, A, B♭ | Dm, Em, Am |
The minor keys column counts keys where the layout has the minor chord, the minor IV, and the V7.
Standard
This is the arrangement found on many factory-made 21-chord autoharps. Major chords run along the top row, dominant sevenths along the middle, and the bottom row is a mix: A♭, B♭7, and Cm for the flat keys, plus four minor chords.
Good for: flat keys like B♭ and E♭, which are common in band, brass, and hymnal music. It's the only one of the three that can play in E♭ and G minor.
Missing: Bm and F♯m, so songs in D and A have no relative minor, and there's no E major chord.
Hand shape: find your key on the top row. The IV chord is the button just to its left, and the V7 is on the middle row, tucked under the gap between them. The one exception is E♭, whose IV chord (A♭) sits on the bottom row.
Americana
A folk-oriented arrangement. The major chords move to the middle row, the sevenths go on top, and the bottom row trades the flat-key chords for minors in the sharp keys: Bm and F♯m, plus a B7.
Good for: folk, bluegrass, old-time, and sing-alongs in G, D, A, and E, the keys fiddles and guitars favor. It's the only one of the three with an E major chord, so it can play in E.
Missing: A♭, B♭7, and Cm, so E♭ is out, and there's no Gm key.
Hand shape: find your key on the middle row. The IV is just to its left, the V7 is up and to the right on the top row, and the relative minor is just below. Two keys break the pattern at the ends of the row: in B♭ the IV (E♭) is in the top-left corner, and in E the V7 (B7) is at the bottom right.
Jo Ann Smith
Named for autoharpist Jo Ann Smith, this layout keeps the Standard top two rows and replaces the bottom row with a clean line of minor chords, each one diagonally below its relative major.
Good for: songs that move between a major key and its relative minor, and players who like to transpose. Every key from B♭ to A uses the same shape, so once you learn a song in one key you can move it by sliding your hand along the rows.
Missing: A♭, B♭7, and Cm like Americana, and no E major, so E♭ and E are both out.
Hand shape: find your key on the top row. The IV is just to its left, and the V7 and the relative minor stack diagonally below it, on the middle and bottom rows.
How to choose
If you own an autoharp, pick the layout that matches your chord bars, so what you practice here carries over. Most factory 21-chord models start out close to Standard.
If you're playing along with a recording or other musicians, find out the key first. Flat keys like B♭ and E♭ point to Standard. Sharp keys like D, A, and E point to Americana.
If you're just starting out, try Jo Ann Smith. One hand shape works in every key it covers, and having a minor chord for every major makes it easy to find the sad-sounding chord in a song.
In Llamaharp, switch layouts with the Layout menu below the chord bars. Your choice is saved for next time.