Some people say harpsichord and piano are the same thing. Are they? The answer is no. They are both completely different instruments. What is a harpsichord? How does it work? What do they look like? Watch and find out!
*IMPORTANT THINGS NOT MENTIONED IN VIDEO and FAQ*
First of all, you can't really compare a harpsichord versus a piano. For one, they are both different instruments and also, harpsichords came way before pianos. If someone asked you what a harpsichord was back then, it wouldn't be possible to compare it to a piano.
-Harpsichords have less keys, and are a lot smaller than piano keys and have a different articulation feeling.
-Some instruments contain a "buff stop" (AKA lute stop), which is a switch that moves a bar of tiny leather squares against the strings to give a sound quality of a lute. (The one used in this video did not have one)
-Unlike pianos, harpsichords are light (about 150-200 lbs.) and can be easily shipped with care.
-Styles of harpsichords: Flemish (in this video), French, German, Italian, English.
-What more can a double-manual (2 keyboards) instrument do?: Since dynamics are not possible on just one keyboard, the top keyboard on double manuals usually provide a softer tone, and having the extra keyboard can allow you to "multi-task", such as use the buff stop on the bottom and regular sound on the top.
-Which instrument is more fragile?: Harpsichords are very picky when it comes to weather. Temperature and humidity can mess with them a lot. Exposure to 90%+ humidity can permanently damage the soundboard. Harpsichords are happy around 66-76 degrees F, and a 40%-60% humidity range. Pianos can withstand more exposure.
Which instrument requires more maintenance?- Harpsichords, of course. They must be often tuned, and restrung, re-quilled, and re-voiced to keep a decent sound.
***If you have any questions, please comment or message me and I would be more than happy to answer!***
is it you talking?
bubblegumoctopus 1 month ago
@bubblegumoctopus Yes it is. Thank you for watching!
Tenifus 1 month ago