Method for Harpsichord

Description

This manual sets out to analyze and tackle the key problems posed by harpsichord technique. Since people often begin to study the harpsichord after spending years learning the piano or the organ and playing music of the 19th and 20th centuries, they invariably come up against all sorts of technical problems. The technique used on the piano and organ is simply not suitable for an instrument in which the strings are plucked. The harpsichord is in fact a totally different instrument, with its own characteristics and requiring a specific technique. A misguided technical approach can have fatal consequences for the quality of the sound produced by the aspiring harpsichordist. The sound cannot be properly calibrated in the service of interpretation, and may well be marred by extraneous mechanical noises. in extreme cases, even when the performer is aiming to be stylistically correct, the technical problems can make for a performance which is at best labored and may simply prove unattainable; it may also result in damage to the instrument. Thus it is vitally important for teacher and student to dedicate time to rethinking and rebuilding the student's technique.