I use an Autoharp at school two days a week, but that sucker keeps going flat after I tune it. Is this normal? Is it some kind of condition in the environment we keep the instrument in? I get tired of tuning that thing because it takes forever. I thought they stayed in tune longer than the guitar. Is this usual for all autoharps?
sleepycatz1972
Favorite Answer
no, mine stays in tune for years. your pegs may be too worn, in which case they'd need replacing, although i can't imagine they'd ALL be going out if it was that. it could be weather conditions - most pegs are wooden and will react to heat, humidity and cold. winter will dry the pegs out a bit, making them prone to slipping. try to keep it in a cool dry place (but not cold). this was a suggestion i found on a website about slipping pegs in instruments:
"...Remove the peg and buff it lightly with 150 grit or so sandpaper. At your local violin shop, buy some “peg dope” made for violin pegs and apply a small amount of this to the parts of the peg that contact the peg box. The peg dope has both a gritty and a lubricating quality to it. The old-timers used to use a mixture of chalk and soap. This should help. If problems persist, contact your 'dulcimer doctor.'..."
http://www.dulcimersessions.com/aug05/understanding.html
if they're metal, then you'll probably need to go to a repair shop and have them checked.
Fun51
It's possible that your strings are either too new or too old. Either of those things will cause your strings to rapidly go out of tune.
Bearcat
Ms. Chick, here is a site that covers tuning for autoharp:
http://www.autoharpworks.com/pages/Post/Documents/Tuning/TuningGuide.htm
I hope it is what you need.
Musician, composer, teacher.