How a Harpsichord Key Plucks a String
Inside a harpsichord, each key works like a small lever. Pressing it lifts a narrow wooden part called a jack, which carries a tiny plectrum—traditionally made from bird quill, though modern instruments often use plastic. The plectrum catches a string and pulls it sideways. As it slips past, the string springs back and vibrates, producing the note.
When the player releases the key, the jack drops. A small tongue lets the plectrum pivot out of the way, so it can pass the string without plucking it again. A soft piece of felt then rests against the string to stop its vibration. This reset lets the same key sound cleanly the next time it is played.
Why Touch Changes the Sound Less
A piano hammer strikes its string with more force when the player presses a key harder, making a louder note. A harpsichord’s plectrum, by contrast, plucks with a motion set largely by the instrument’s mechanism. Pressing harder generally does not make that pluck much stronger, so the note’s loudness changes little.
Players shape musical lines in other ways: by changing timing, articulation, and how notes overlap. Some harpsichords also have more than one set of strings or a mechanism that switches between them, allowing a broader change in volume or tone. But the intimate, relatively even sound comes from the basic tradeoff built into the instrument: the key releases a pluck rather than controlling the strength of a blow.
