action
The mechanism of a pf., org., or similar instr. which connects the kbd. and str., or the pipes and stops.
clavichord
Small kbd. instr. developed in 14th cent. from the monochord and sometimes called clarichord or manichord or chekker. The early clavichord used the same str. to produce 2, 3, or 4 notes by stopping ...
damper
The device which stops (‘damps’) the vibration of strings on keyboard instruments or of the membrane of a drum. On harpsichords it is a cloth flag in the top of ...
double
1 (Fr.). A variation, especially one with elaborate ornamentation. Similar to Eng. ‘division’.2 Indicates a lower octave, e.g. double bassoon plays an octave below bassoon.3 Singers who perform two ...
keyboard instrument
Large group of musical instruments played by pressing keys on a keyboard. Notes are sounded by hitting or plucking a string (as in the piano or harpsichord), passing air through ...
musical instruments
Took a lead from the natural distribution of sound amongst human voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) and were organized into families with the same instrument appearing in different sizes (e.g. ...
p
Abbreviation of piano (It., soft), hence pp, ppp, and sometimes even quieter (Verdi optimistically uses pppp in his Requiem, also Elgar in Enigma Variations).
piano
The piano, or pianoforte, is a musical instrument with a keyboard which is struck by the fingers, each key being connected to a hammer which strikes a tuned string and ...
plectrum
Small thin piece of horn, wood, tortoiseshell, metal, ivory, or other material used to pluck the str. of certain str. instrs. such as zither, mandolin, lyre, lute, banjo, etc. On the hpd. it is a ...
quills
Small tongues made from goose quill, leather, or plastic, set in harpsichord jacks to pluck the strings. See harpsichord; plectrum.
soundboard
The thin sheet of wood under the strings of a harpsichord, pianoforte, zither, etc., which converts the vibrations of the strings, transmitted via one or more bridges, into audible sound waves.[...]
spinet
(Fr. Épinette; It. spinetta).Small type of early kbd. instr. of hpd. family in which str. ran diagonally in front of player or more or less parallel to kbd. as on virginals. Often made in uneven ...
virginal
This word (not of Eng. origin) was used in Eng. as generic term for all types of plucked kbd. instr., but also had specific meaning. First mentioned c.1460, name being used in Fr. and Ger. Typical ...
Wanda Landowska
(b Warsaw, 1877; d Lakeville, Conn., 1959).Polish‐born harpsichordist and pianist. Settled in Paris 1900, touring Europe and USA in recitals of baroque mus. on pf. and hpd. Head of hpd. class, Berlin ...
zither
Folk instr., descendant of medieval psaltery, prevalent in Austrian Tyrol and Bavaria. Consists of flat wooden soundbox over which are stretched 4 or 5 melody str. and up to 37 acc. str. Melody str., ...
