Harpsichord 101 - How It Works
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- Опубликовано: 7 дек 2008
- I describe how both of my harpsichords work and demonstrate the stops. A close look at the inside. I'd be glad to try to answer any questions you have.
Thank you to everyone for your positive feedback. I'm really glad I made this video.
FAQ:
What is the piece/"song" you play at?:
3:11 - 4:12 Bach. Lament from the Capriccio on the Departure of His Favorite Brother. I have a video where I play this.
4:52 - Bach. Prelude from the Partita in C minor. BWV 997.
7:17 - 7:42 Scarlatti Sonata in E Major. K. 380
10:06 - Bach. Prelude in C major from the Well Tempered Clavier. BWV 846
How old are these and who built them?
They are both from the workshop on William Dowd (Boston) and were both made in 1967.
What are the strings made of?
Iron and the deeper strings are brass.
How often do the strings break or need to be replaced?
Since my fingers don't touch the strings (unlike the guitar), the strings can last for a long time (decades). I have only ever broken one string and that comes from turning the wrong tuning peg "Hey, this string isn't getting sharper?...(SNAP TWANG!) opps"
How much did they cost? Quality used harpsichords can be found for about $8,000 for a single manual, to $20,000 for a double.
Where can I find one?
Look online. Just search for harpsichord builder or harpsichord sale. We got ours from a clearing house in Mass.
I've seen a used one for $3,000. Should I buy it?
Be CAREFUL! Some harpsichords were built from kits by amateur woodworkers. Some have major fatal structural flaws. Of course some are good too. If you are going to look at one of those, bring an expert with you. It might not be possible to fix some of these problems and if you are going to need an expert to help you repair a bad harpsichord, you will be spending the same kind of money needed to get a good one.
What is the range of a harpsichord?
Harpsichords vary quite a bit on their number of keys. Some are about 4 octaves. A few (some Italian models for accompanying singers) don't even have all the chromatic bass notes. Those have a "short" octave in the bass. This saves space and cost. You can play the entire Well Tempered Clavier of Bach on a 4 octave instrument.
Mine has quite a wide range (in fact it would be hard to tune any notes above or below the extremes on mine). I wanted this wide range because Scarlatti's Sonata K. 380 requires these high notes (up to G). 
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I've always liked the harpsicord. It needs to come back.
Just get an electric piano with harpsichord mode lol
@@jonathanparnell3175 YES BECAUSE THATS TOTALLY THE SAME THING! .s
I think it's very underrated. Don't get me wrong, I love the piano, but I do get the feeling that if you asked a regular joe they wouldn't know anything about this instrument and compared to the piano there is a woefully tiny pool of folks making music videos on harpsichords. Those who do are usually playing just classical music. Again, not hating, but here's what i mean - If I search youtube for "eagles hotel california piano" there are a lot of results, if I search "eagles hotel california harpsichord" there's ONE video. I did a search of "The Nightmare Begins" Vincent's theme from Final Fantasy 7 which in game sounds like it's being played on a harpsichord, and again, one person has played it on harpsichord while a plethora of folks have covered it on piano and guitar.
It breaks my heart. Because this is a fantastic instrument with such a beautiful sound and yet most people don't seem to know it or care about it or find it intimidating.
What an underrated instrument
Just like Bach's music at the time..
I think the doors might have used one on love me two times, or maybe just a keyboard with a harpsichord instrument
tooooooo much speaking tooooo less sound
Amen !!!
@@lonelypotato520 it's called Honer Clavinet D6, the Electric Clavichord. Was an instrument used in the 60's and 70'. A keyboard with real strings and metallic hammers. The sound was amplified like an electric piano, with pickups. The sound was similar to the sound of a real a 1700's clavichord, but you can activate some rock, funky and blues effects.
I need a harpsichord.
do you have one now?
lmao
basil fawlty lmao this shit had me dead bro
Basil owns a bed a breakfast. Don't mention the war...
I want one
Super interesting. The thing that gets me the most is the tech behind these instruments. A lot of wood, switches and levers. You really get a sense of the hand made quality-- it's quite a marvel of how it's all put together. Especially the double manual model with all its features.
I love that metallic sound.
that's the most I ever learned about a harpsichord, it was a joy to hear it's variations. thank you.
Bach then when they haven't got synthesizers.
What that a pun?
Wow!! I never knew there were so many different ways to configure a harpsichord. Thanks so much for all the details!
Great video, very clear explanations! Thanks for making it.
Thanks for taking the time to educate us laymen with these beautiful instruments. The unique sound really is fun, and the mechanical wizardry in their construction is a testament to the musical engineers who originally invented and produced them.
Thank you for taking the time to show us this.
There is something so enchanting about the harpsichord .. it has a historical whine that , to me, portrays such elegance and class.. love it!
Thank you for this. I have always wondered how these beautiful sounding instruments made those sounds.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and instruments. I love these instruments and have been making plucked string keyboards myself for almost 50 yrs. Never tire of them.
When he was playing the eighths on the double keyboard, I kept thinking he was about to start playing Prelude No.1 in C Major.
Thank you.
For years I had heard the strings were plucked, but I never understood how it was done.
This video is very instructive, thank you. The world of antique instruments is so fascinating!
Not sure why anyone has given this video thumbs down, great intro to the instrument that I'm sharing with my elementary music students! Thank you!
I just love the term "plastic jack". Should be a comic book character.
Thank you for sharing this, the video illuminates the workings of the harpsichord in a way that verbal descriptions cannot. Simple and elegant.
you actually got me tear-eyed at the end. very beautiful.
9 years later still a great educational video. thank you for creating and sharing it.
This was an amazing lesson and demonstration. Thank you for the enlightenment! These are beautiful sounding instruments.
This helps me understand better on why the Harpsichord sounds so unique. Thank you.
Wow, very helpful! I was curious about harpsichords and how they work and your video was spot on! Thanks for making and posting this video!
Excellent. Video orientation. A sound so evocative demands clarity and nuance and contrast in performance .Also great questions.Thanks so much.
What a wonderful intro to the workings of a harpsichord. Beautifully done... thank you.
Looking again and learning again...EXCELLENT video demo video...
Thanks again
Such a beautiful instrument. Especially the double. When you have all the sets of strings switched on it just produces a full majestic sound. Makes me wish i'd stuck with Piano as a child so i'd at least get something to come out of one of these one day.
Fascinating! Thanks so much for the demonstration!
FINALLY!!! Now I understand the mechanics. Thank you for this video. It shows that advances in technology occurred much earlier than we give credit for.
I've always enjoyed the tone a harpsichord makes, but just this week decided to learn more about how it makes that sound. Great video! Very informative.
This is a better explanation than I have found literally anywhere.
wow, thanks for sharing that. the one with two tones sounds so rich i'm impressed by it.
And now I understand why they sound so amazing. Thanks!
Thank you so much for introducing the harpsichords!
This is a nice instructional video. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you very much for showing the working mechanism of the harpsichord + the different stops etc.
Thanks for posting! I’m really into harpsichords! I love you to the moon and back!!!! You should come out with some merchandise.
This has always been one of my favorite instruments. The sounds are incredible. Your explanation of the various workings of this instrument reveal your live for it. Well done.
I wasn't sure about the exact mechanics at first but this video gave a great demonstration.
Thank you so much, this has been really helpful :D
This is by far the best demonstration of the harpsichord I've seen! Thanks for posting!
many thanks for posting this. going to start harpsichord lessons and this is helping clear up my confusion in reading various books about the structure and function of the instrument
What a fantastic instrument! Thanks for the excellent explanation!
Alright. Thank you for the beautiful instruments music and video with great explanations.God bless you for this excellent video.
This was really quite fascinating! Thank you.
Very informative. Always have loved how the harpsichord sounds...now I better understand why
that's an intense number of different settings. really interesting. thank you for posting.
thanks so much :D k 380 is also one of my favorites I was so happy when you started playing it. Now I know a lot more about harpsichords! I'm gonna buy one someday.
Nice demo, Christo! Love those close-up shots of the jacks. And the sound of that Dowd Italian---wow!!
Awesome! Love the Lute effect!
3:10, the piece is by Bach, Lament from the Capriccio on the Departure of his Favorite Brother. I have a video of the whole Lament here on youtube.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was just about to ask :))
I always loved the mellow sound of this beautiful instrument...
Thank you! Super interesting and unique no one makes harpsichord overviews, I love harpsichords
Fantastic video! Super helpful
the way jacks and stops works is so cool to me :) i find the harpsichord to have a very peaceful but haunting sound
such a fresh sound
This is a brilliant, brilliant video. Very informative and is helping me alot with course work! Thank you.
Hey,
Thanks for sharing this information. This answered a lot of my questions about harpsichords.
Very interesting, I learned a lot. Thanks for posting this!
thank you,that is a good presentation, it's right what I was looking for
wow! thanks for doing this video!
very instructive and inspiring
This is a cool video. Thanks for sharing this!
thanks a lot! nice sounds and precious info abouts such unique instruments
Very informative, thanks for posting this!
clear as a bell information..I learned more in your video than hours of reading....
and entertaining too!
thanks
Thank you. Very fascinating video.
Excellent video. Very informative and interesting. Thank you!
Thanks for that, it was really interesting and just informative enough so it wasn't boring!
For years I had wondered why some "piano's had what I called a Gothic sound. Now I know they were Harpsichords!
Thanks for taking the trouble to post this video.
I want one, but first I must learn to play!
Thanks for the Awesome video and the FAQ.
Great video, thanks for sharing that. Started to get information overload when you moved onto the second harpsichord and the million different settings :D But very factual and well-presented, made it quite easy for someone like myself who knows almost next to nothing on the mechanics of how they work.
This tutorial was truly facinating! I have always wanted to know how they work being a pianist! Thank you very much!
Buff stop. I always need buff stop. Thanks to the gods for including such in your vid. Very informative!
Pretty nice to know about this beautifull instrument! Nice Bach's ave maria at the end
This is AMAZING! Thank you!
I'm getting ready to convert my Zuckermann from leather to plastic plectrum and change all the strings. Your 101 video was very inspirational! Thanks!
wow, love the harpsichord... thanks for sharing
I just learned more about the harpsichord than in all of my previous 68 years. Many thanks,
Awesome dude this was really useful!!!
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks! This is a great tutorial on the Harpsichord.
Wow, is amazing. Thanks for share this!
I've never seen a harpsichord before and I doubt I would ever learn how to play one, but for some reason, I found this video to be awesome in so many ways.
Lerch played the shit outta one of these back in the day.
Super cool introduction, super cool instrument! thanks!
I was amazed when he first switched on the lute stop. What a heavenly sound it made. I love this instrument. My favourite is Couperin's Book of Harpsichord played by Olivier Baumont. Do listen to that.
That was amazing thanks for sharing!
Boston, 1967? That harpsichord is as old as I am, and made in my state! LOL
Nice work. They are an underrated instrument in today's world. It's nice to see some people still playing them.
My students will love this. Thank you!
Very nice video! I love harpsichords more than pianos. They just are very underrated instruments and still sound phenomenal today!!
I was always interested in exactly how these worked. I really love the idea of having a "stop" (just like organs and accordions have) as well as the two levers (also stops?) to change which strings are plucked. It's such an interesting instrument that sadly time has all but forgotten.
Also I'm from Boston and I love the musical history of my area, so it's cool to learn about the various instrument makers of yesteryear; lots of Dowd surnames around here. A great post! Regards from Massachusetts!
Dude this guy is amazing at playing the Harpsichord
I've always been wondering what a harpsichord is, cause a love the sound it makes.
Now I know how it works!
Thanks for the very informative flick.
Very instructive. Thanks!
I have always loved the harpsichord but didn't know how it worked. great video
Thanks, I enjoyed this video! I knew harpsichord strings were plucked but I had no idea how complex an instrument they were.
Today I learned how a harpsichord works, thanks to you!
Very lovely indeed! Thank you for sharing this video. ^^
a harpsichord.... it has such a great feel... i mean the piano is a wonderful instrument by itself... but i think the harpsichord has such a unique sound.. wonderful video sir.