Harpsichord

E602916

The harpsichord is a historical keyboard instrument that produces a bright, plucked-string sound and was widely used in Baroque and Renaissance music.

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Statements (55)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Baroque-era musical instrument
Keyboard instrument
String instrument
canHaveMultipleChoirsOfStrings Yes
canHaveMultipleManuals Yes
cannotVaryDynamicsByTouch True
declinedInPeriod Classical era
developedInCentury 15th century
experiencedRevivalInCentury 20th century
flourishedInPeriod Baroque
Renaissance NERFINISHED
hasAncestor Clavichord
Psaltery NERFINISHED
hasComponent Bridge
Case
Jack rail
Jacks
Keyboard manual
Pinblock
Plectra
Soundboard
Strings
hasDynamicControl Limited
hasKeyboard Yes
hasMechanism Jacks with plectra plucking strings
hasSoundProduction Plucked strings
hasTimbre Bright
Metallic
hasTypicalRange About four to five octaves
hasVariant Double-manual harpsichord NERFINISHED
Ottavino NERFINISHED
Spinet
Virginal
isAssociatedWithComposer Domenico Scarlatti NERFINISHED
François Couperin NERFINISHED
Jean-Philippe Rameau NERFINISHED
Johann Sebastian Bach NERFINISHED
isClassifiedInHornbostelSachs 314.122-4
isNonPortable Generally true
isTunedUsing Temperament systems such as meantone
Temperament systems such as well temperament
isUsedFor Accompaniment
Opera recitative accompaniment
Solo keyboard music
isUsedInEnsembleType Baroque orchestra
Basso continuo group
Chamber ensemble
isUsedInGenre Baroque music
Early classical music
Renaissance music NERFINISHED
isUsedInHistoricallyInformedPerformance Yes
usesPlectrumMaterial Leather
Quill
usesStopMechanism Yes
wasLargelyReplacedBy Piano NERFINISHED

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Clavichord isQuieterThan Harpsichord
Clavichord isRelatedTo Harpsichord