History of the Piano

The Clavichord

The clavichord was first mentioned in a German poem in 1404. In 1502 the purchase of a clavichord was recorded in the expenses by Henry VII of England for his wife, the queen, Elizabeth of York. The clavichord flourished as a popular home instrument from the 16th century until the 18th, mainly in Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, and Portugal. Clavichords were fairly small, about four feet long, and often had only four octaves, although some later versions had six octaves and were seven feet long. Due to their construction, clavichords were not very loud and were not useful in concert settings. However, they suited home use very well. In the days before Netflix, evening entertainment at home was often gathering around the keyboard and singing together or enjoying instrumental music played by a family member or friend.

Clavichords are still produced. Some musicians enjoy using them to hear what some of their favorite Baroque and Classical pieces would have sounded like on the intended instrument. The clavichord is not only used by classical musicians. Several pop musicians have utilized the clavichord in their recordings to get a unique sound. The Beatles, Tori Amos, and Björk have all recorded songs featuring the clavichord. In the mid-1960s an electronic version, called the Clavinet was invented. When attached to guitar effect pedals, the Clavinet had a funk or disco feel that was popular in 1970s rock. Stevie Wonder played the Clavinet in his songs “Superstition” and “Higher Ground.”

Like other keyboard instruments, the clavichord features strings that are struck to make the sound. In a clavichord, the strings run from a rail on one side to the tuning pegs on the other. When the key is depressed, the other end rises, lifting the brass tangent, a small metal piece similar in size to the head of a flat-headed screwdriver, which then strikes the strings. Usually, the strings are made of brass or a combination of brass and iron and like a mandolin or lute, are arranged in pairs. The tangent doesn’t rebound away from the string but keeps contact with the string for as long as the key is held. The player can control the volume of the note by how hard or soft the keys is struck. Clavichord players can also affect the pitch by varying the force with which the key is struck. When the player releases the key, the tangent moves away from the string and a strip of cloth stops the vibration of the string, ending the sound. The clavichord player has a lot of control over not only the duration of the note, but the volume and pitch as well. Although it is one of the quietest keyboard instruments, it is very expressive.

Another interesting feature of the clavichord is fretting. Since the string vibrates only as far as where the tangent strikes it, multiple tangents can be placed on each string. Most clavichords feature triple- or double-fretting where two or three notes can be played by each string, usually unlikely combinations such as C and C# were placed on the same string. One extreme example was called the monochord, which featured only one string with the ability to play all the notes due to the fretting scheme. There were advantages to the fretting system; it was easier to keep the instruments in tune because there were less strings, it allowed for greater volume, and it produced a clear sound. However, there were difficulties as well; tuning systems were not yet universal and to change the temperament of the instrument to fit in with a different tuning system was time consuming and difficult. Also, since certain notes were shared by the same string, the performer had to take care to allow slight separations in the melody to make sure there wasn’t a dead spot in the line as the strings readjusted.

Much of the music written for harpsichord from 1400-1800 could be successfully performed on clavichord. However, as noted above, due to its volume limitations, clavichord was mostly utilized as a solo instrument, only rarely accompanying a solo flute, recorder, or singer.  One of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous works is the Well-Tempered Clavier, although not expressly written for the clavichord, features sets of preludes and fugues that would have been played by many people at home. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, one of Johann Sebastian’s sons, was a champion of the instrument. Many other German composers of the day utilized clavichord frequently to perform, teach, and compose. The harpsichordist and musicologist Christopher Hogwood believes that many of the great composers, including J.S. Bach, Handel, and Mozart would have had a clavichord at home for their own playing enjoyment.