Pipe Organ
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Harpsichord |
HARPSICHORD
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The harpsichord is a stringed keyboard instrument, used mainly from the 16th to 18th centuries.
The harpsichord, already centuries old, was probably developed from the desire to have a lute-like instrument where a single player could produce a greater number of notes somewhat louder. During that period, the harpsichord was used as a solo instrument and as a member of an ensemble. In an ensemble, the harpsichord plays the basso continuo or figured bass part.
The notation of the continuo part consisted of the bass line with a short hand system of numbers or figures indicating the chords. The bass line was played by a low instrument such as the cello or bassoon, and the keyboard player improvised the harmony from the figures.
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SOUND PRODUCTION
Although the harpsichord looks similar to the piano, the action, or the way the sound is produced is different. The harpsichord is a plucked instrument. When the key is pushed down, a jack is pushed up. The jack has a quill attached, which plucks the string, producing the sound.
The variety of sound depends on finger pressure, phrasing and articulation. Different tonal colour can be obtained by the choice of registration.
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FEATURES
All harpsichords are hand-built, so each instrument is unique. A harpsichord can be either single manual (i.e. single keyboard) or double manual (i.e. double keyboard). Harpsichords are often made with the distinctive appearance of "reverse" keyboards, where the sharp keys are white and the naturals black wood. For the player, the keys are also shorter and slimmer than those of a piano.
A single manual harpsichord usually has two sets of strings, often with one set tuned an octave higher (a 4-foot register). On later instruments, an additional device called a buff stop can be used to give a pizzicato effect to the unison register.
A double manual harpsichord generally has three sets of strings: a unison choir on each keyboard, and a 4-foot choir on the lower keyboard. The upper keyboard is on all the time, and stop levers control the choice of registers playable from the lower keyboard. The buff stop normally modifies the tone of the lower keyboard unison register. A coupler enables the upper keyboard to be joined to the lower, allowing the maximum three choirs of strings to be played simultaneously from the lower.
The strings of the harpsichord are usually made of iron (or steel) and brass. A rare sub-species of the harpsichord, the lautenwerk (or "lutework") is strung in gut.
The pictures shown on this page are of the Franco-Flemish Harpsichord built for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra by Carey Beebe in Sydney in 2004. |
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