In all honesty I would be far more forgiving of the Archer/Bard if they didn't give us this frustratingly bad transforming bow. If archers could equip an instrument off hand and switch between using a bow and an instrument I would not be as angry as I am.

This contraption is unforgivably awkward and pointless... Even with anonymoose's diagram... There is no conceivable reason anyone who understood the physics behind bows... and the physics behind harps... would ever create an item like this.

And I'm sorry but Magical Fantasy Land doesn't excuse bad design. I'd wager Akihiko Yoshida has diagrams on functionality for all the other devices and contraptions he's designed for this game.