The harpsichord generates sound by plucking strings when keys are depressed, in contrast to the piano which strikes them.

By adding keyboards and other devices to modify the sound, the harpsichord had become more versatile, but composers and performers were increasingly looking for ways to derive more expression in ...

Listen to this effect in J.S. Bach's 'Badinerie' from Suite No. 2. The harpsichord made a short, staccato sound as the strings were plucked inside the instrument. If a Baroque composer wanted a ...

At first glance, the instrument looks similar to a piano, but instead of deploying a hammer that strikes a string to produce a sound, the harpsichord is fit with feathers that pluck the string.