How a harpsichord works - a look at the plucking mechanism

A short introduction to some of the properties of the harpsichord and how the sound is produced.

[@ShannonKeeler-u3k]

Thank you for sharing! I teach group piano classes, and wanted a short, quick video to share with my classes tomorrow. This is perfect!

[@captaingra]

@@ShannonKeeler-u3k wow that’s great. Am so pleased. I have another longer video contrasting piano and harpsichord

[@hectatusbreakfastus6106]

Well I got curious about how it works, and all the other video's were 10+ minutes long and so I am here. Thank you for sharing this. Super cool!

[@captaingra]

I am happy I was able to explain it without taking up too much of your time. I shot the video very much unscripted and on the spur of the moment, yet it has been my most popular

[@hectatusbreakfastus6106]

@@captaingra Yeah, I can see why. You answered the question quickly without any bs attached. They are really cool instruments.

[@worstplayer9163]

I came across this instrument right now while I was reading some material regarding Jeremy Bentham. I did not knew about this instrument existed until now and was curious about how it sounds, and came acorss your video. I play Spanish Guitar and Mandolin, and recently started learning Piano. This instrument sounds so amazing, it sometimes blows my mind at what humans have built and the different instruments out there. Been discovering some incredible instruments in our state and country alone. Thank you for uploading and detailing on the mechanism. Cheers!

[@captaingra]

@@worstplayer9163 appreciate you tuning in to watch and pls do look up more of my videos on the instrument. Basically it’s mostly for music written before about 1770

[@thelazarous]

Much simpler than what I thought, thank you so much for sharing!

[@PraetorianAU]

Oh how I love the sound of the Harpsichord. Ripleys Game is the one that introduced me to this wonderful instrument. A very under rated movie.

[@captaingra]

That's great, please do check out some of my other posts on this channel.

[@jayare6804]

Wonderful!

[@yetanotherpianist4449]

Thank you for sharing. Can I ask you what the piece is called you played at 0:21 ?

[@captaingra]

That's the start of the second Bouree from Bach's Clavierubung 2 - the French Overture

[@yetanotherpianist4449]

@@captaingra Ah thank you!

[@dudeotis]

I wonder why more rock bands haven't incorporated the Harpsichord ?

[@captaingra]

Particularly in the 1960s, it was a very exotic instrument and still getting re-established. The sound tends to be associated with bizarre and Baroque settings like the Addams Family or the Squire episode of Star Trek. Two Beatles songs that use it are All You Need is Love and Piggies while For No One uses a clavichord.

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

So it's a piano in reverse (or rather, pianos are harpsichords in reverse). Rather than hitting the string, it plucks

[@captaingra]

Yes the harpsichord jack plucks the string on an upward movement and then falls back down brushing the string only slightly as the plucker is pivoted on a spring clip. Perhaps I should do another video comparing piano (in a grand the hammer strikes from below and then a damper stops the string from ringing out) and harpsichord mechanism side by side.

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

@@captaingra That's a great idea. I watched the video because I didn't know the difference between the two. To me they seemed like the same instrument. And they're similar in how you play, but they're different because of how the strings are vibrated. One plucks, the other strikes

[@skyworm8006]

Look at the clavichord (another hammered string keyboard instrument), hammered dulcimer, and other zither-type instruments. The string keyboard instruments are essentially mechanisations of the zither-type instrument.

[@philipbay1548]

Who built this instrument?

[@captaingra]

This was by the late Nikolaus Damm

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hello, why couldn't you Try Remaking A Daddy Grand Piano by putting on 88 Tuning Forks like what you did on an Upright Piano, Please do the Same Thing on a Daddy Grand Piano For Most of us KZbinrs, It will be a much Better Idea For us so we can Try and See and Hear It Thank You.

[@captaingra]

Am not too much of an expert on the working of pianos

[@jadengillies4462]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHWaqZysnbyMh5o

[@DeadBoy665]

It's a higher scale lower scale trying to accommodate for a modern piano.

[@DeadBoy665]

Thanks

[@HowToCube99]

Sounds like a guitar

[@captaingra]

Yes particularly the buff stop as both harpsichord and guitar are plucked instruments

[@charbarmemez5922]

Sus

[@emilioooo9678]

???

[@captaingra]

Many thanks for watching

[@tristanbay]

amogus

[@sirspongadoodle]

Dead meme

[@probindemufhoes42069]

0:33 name of the piece played?

[@captaingra]

That would be the Bouree II from Bach's French Overture in B minor