AFter you change the pitch from 415 to 392, for example, you would tune your harpsichord again and the temperment would be 'back' where you want it. I don't think there is an intention to change pitch in the middle of a concert, for example, without re-tuning.
As I mentioned below, your original temperament remains on the strings which were tuned. When you transpose the keyboard—depending how radical your temperament was—your good keys quite likely become bad. With Equal Temperament, this is not a problem, because every key was equally out of tune to begin.
I just occurred to me that the original Ruckers transposing harpsichord with 8'4' could not only transpose down a fourth but also up a fourth from upper manual 8' to lower manual 4'
There may not be a simple answer for that. (Check the book by Bruce Haynes: A History of Performing Pitch: The Story of “A”.) And sadly, describing the frequency of the A above middle c' in Hz is the only scientific and sure way of showing how high or low it really is, hence A440, or A415. An Equal-tempered semitone below A440 is A415.3 and so-called “baroque pitch” was probably established at A415 for pure convenience to enable keyboards to transpose like this.
@hpschdnu nice :o) I wonder if all this does prevent us making discoveries of things like stretched octave tunings or the acceptability and enjoyment of being a bit out of tune.
Not at all. There are many considerations as to what might make a performance sound “in tune”, especially if disparate instruments are used in ensemble. The octaves on a modern piano are tuned so they sound in tune: They must be stretched or else the upper note sounds flat because of the phenomenon of inharmonicity. Of course, with Equal Temperament, every key on the piano is actually already (equally) out of tune.
Many harpsichords and other early keyboard instruments built today have transposing keyboards. This feature makes them more useful to players to accommodate some of the various pitches used for earlier music.
Wowsers!!! This is amazing to me. For years I have preferred listening to harpsichord music via MIDI (electronic music) so that I could transpose music to better suit my ear. But I had no idea that this was possible with a real one! Thank you very much for showing this clip.
Ruckers tuned his braces to very precise intervals,which are not here.This has only the external sonorous qualities of a Ruckers,but without the internal focus and clarity that comes from precisely pitch- tuning the parts.
Ah, the miracle of the internet! A discerning comment ostensibly based merely on hearing the five notes in my humble vid—thank you. Even moreso, when the mono sound was captured in mp1 by the tiny built-in microphone on the Sony DSC-P150 Cyber-shot placed behind the player below soundboard level, demuxed to aiff, resynced to the video, exported to mp4 with aac sound @ 22kHz and finally stuffed by YouTube processing and delivered through computer speakers on the other side of the world!
Your original temperament remains on the strings which were tuned. When you transpose the keyboard—depending how radical your temperament was—your good keys quite likely become bad. With Equal Temperament, this is not a problem, because every key was equally out of tune to begin.
No, the registration is not changed. By sliding the keyboard up the exact thickness of the rear of the end of a key, all the keys are effectively now sitting under what were the jacks for the previously adjacent keys, ie the b' key is now operating the c'' jacks sounding a semitone higher.
I can't believe! What a genious have invented this modular keyboard? I mean, just remove a piece a wood in the right corner and set the keyboard position...
Very nice instrument.
Joaquin6646 8 months ago
AFter you change the pitch from 415 to 392, for example, you would tune your harpsichord again and the temperment would be 'back' where you want it. I don't think there is an intention to change pitch in the middle of a concert, for example, without re-tuning.
rustydog1236 9 months ago
this works only for equal temperament, but in fact shifting the key only cannot produce the exact baroque sound
au2gyg 11 months ago
As I mentioned below, your original temperament remains on the strings which were tuned. When you transpose the keyboard—depending how radical your temperament was—your good keys quite likely become bad. With Equal Temperament, this is not a problem, because every key was equally out of tune to begin.
hpschdnu 11 months ago
I just occurred to me that the original Ruckers transposing harpsichord with 8'4' could not only transpose down a fourth but also up a fourth from upper manual 8' to lower manual 4'
LeithMusic 11 months ago
No, sorry: The interval of fourth inverted is a fifth, so I think the lower manual 4´ would sound a fifth above the upper manual 8´, not a fourth.
hpschdnu 11 months ago
who invented "baroque pitch"? its such an offense to music history to base the pitch by Hz numbers
LeithMusic 11 months ago
There may not be a simple answer for that. (Check the book by Bruce Haynes: A History of Performing Pitch: The Story of “A”.) And sadly, describing the frequency of the A above middle c' in Hz is the only scientific and sure way of showing how high or low it really is, hence A440, or A415. An Equal-tempered semitone below A440 is A415.3 and so-called “baroque pitch” was probably established at A415 for pure convenience to enable keyboards to transpose like this.
hpschdnu 11 months ago
@hpschdnu nice :o) I wonder if all this does prevent us making discoveries of things like stretched octave tunings or the acceptability and enjoyment of being a bit out of tune.
LeithMusic 11 months ago
Not at all. There are many considerations as to what might make a performance sound “in tune”, especially if disparate instruments are used in ensemble. The octaves on a modern piano are tuned so they sound in tune: They must be stretched or else the upper note sounds flat because of the phenomenon of inharmonicity. Of course, with Equal Temperament, every key on the piano is actually already (equally) out of tune.
hpschdnu 11 months ago
Love your videos, you make eveything look so easy. Are you supposed to take the jacks out before transposing?
kswytak 3 years ago
All harpichords do this transposing?
Cheesetubes 3 years ago
Many harpsichords and other early keyboard instruments built today have transposing keyboards. This feature makes them more useful to players to accommodate some of the various pitches used for earlier music.
hpschdnu 3 years ago
Wowsers!!! This is amazing to me. For years I have preferred listening to harpsichord music via MIDI (electronic music) so that I could transpose music to better suit my ear. But I had no idea that this was possible with a real one! Thank you very much for showing this clip.
peterwilson69 3 years ago
Devilishly clever!
A440Hzzz 3 years ago
Cool... didnt know that was possible...
thejonlord 3 years ago
so??????????
1905gsgs 4 years ago
Ruckers tuned his braces to very precise intervals,which are not here.This has only the external sonorous qualities of a Ruckers,but without the internal focus and clarity that comes from precisely pitch- tuning the parts.
smithsherman 4 years ago
Ah, the miracle of the internet! A discerning comment ostensibly based merely on hearing the five notes in my humble vid—thank you. Even moreso, when the mono sound was captured in mp1 by the tiny built-in microphone on the Sony DSC-P150 Cyber-shot placed behind the player below soundboard level, demuxed to aiff, resynced to the video, exported to mp4 with aac sound @ 22kHz and finally stuffed by YouTube processing and delivered through computer speakers on the other side of the world!
hpschdnu 4 years ago
Sharp. lol!
sk8nruff 3 years ago
hmm but that would work only for equal temperament, wouldn't it?
Nerdimtar 4 years ago
Your original temperament remains on the strings which were tuned. When you transpose the keyboard—depending how radical your temperament was—your good keys quite likely become bad. With Equal Temperament, this is not a problem, because every key was equally out of tune to begin.
hpschdnu 4 years ago
Does moving the keyboard activate a different rank of jacks?
wolfgang7445 4 years ago
No, the registration is not changed. By sliding the keyboard up the exact thickness of the rear of the end of a key, all the keys are effectively now sitting under what were the jacks for the previously adjacent keys, ie the b' key is now operating the c'' jacks sounding a semitone higher.
hpschdnu 4 years ago
Fantastic¡
enriquem90 4 years ago
I can't believe! What a genious have invented this modular keyboard? I mean, just remove a piece a wood in the right corner and set the keyboard position...
jackreneee 4 years ago