Just by touching the clavichord keys, sounds can be any of the following: piano, crescendo, forte, or diminuendo. Independent strings on clavichord are called unfretted.

The clavichord features fretted, which is the term used to describe shared strings for adjacent keys.

The octave for some of the larger harpsichords is 5 octaves, and 4 octaves for some of the smaller harpsichords. In terms of octaves, the usual compass of the clavichord is from 3 1/2 to 5 octaves. It is also widely known that the harmonic sound of the harpsichord is one of its most important features. This mutes the sound and makes it sound a lot like a plucked lute. Some harpsichords can be equipped with a buff stop which is buff leather, or something similar, which makes contact with the strings. When a harpsichord is mechanically plucked and then muted, the result is a sound that is less like a piano and more formal and rigid than the clavichord. The harpsichord served as a model for today’s piano, but all 3 instruments have very unique, distinct sounds. The clavichord has a much gentler, softer sound than the harpsichord.īecause the sound produced on the harpsichord is mechanically produced, some think the harpsichord sound is more formal and less intimate than either the clavichord or the piano. Which is More Popular: The Clavichord or the Harpsichord?.How Easy Is It To Play the Clavichord and Harpsichord?.With a harpsichord, the strings are plucked by the plectrum and then muted. This plectrum is similar in function to a guitar pick used to play the guitar. In a harpsichord, the sound is made primarily by a plectrum plucking a tuned string while the keys on the keyboard are pressed.

When you consider the clavichord and harpsichord, you will find that the music played on a clavichord is done by striking tangents, or small metal bars, that are attached to the inner ends of the strings. The harpsichord resembles a piano with its tuned strings and keyboard. Since it is smaller and more compact, it can be moved more easily than the harpsichord. It is used mostly for composing music and practicing. Since the sound the clavichord makes is softer and more delicate, it cannot be used in front of large audiences or concert halls.

Small handheld harp