| Contents |
The harpsichord and its history. How the harpsichord works. Keyboard ; Jacks ; Strings ; Soundboard ; Room ; Listener -- A short history of the harpsichord. Italy ; Flanders ; France ; England ; Germany -- The harpsichord in the twentieth century. The revival harpsichord ; The modern harpsichord -- Buying a harpsichord. What kind of harpsichord should you buy? ; New or used? ; Should you buy a kit instrument? Should you build it yourself or have someone else build it? ; Should you buy from famous makers, even though they may be half a continent away, or should you buy from a local builder? -- Maintenance techniques. The tool kit -- Tools. Tuning fork ; Tuning hammer ; Wire cutter ; Hammer ; Hook or nail ; Voicing knife with spare blades ; Voicing block ; Small, long-nose pliers ; Small scissors ; Medium or large screwdrivers ; Set of jeweler's screwdrivers ; Six- or eight-inch mill bastard file ; Six-inch steel rule ; Small, sharp tweezers ; Stand tool ; Supplies -- The strings. Breaking strings ; Changing a string. Tools and supplies needed ; Making a loop. Nail method ; Hook method ; Winding the string on the tuning pin. Threaded or tapered tuning pins with a hole ; Tapered tuning pins without a hole ; No-tech holeless pin string winding ; Low-tech holeless pin string winding ; Drilling a hole in a tapered tuning pin. Tools and supplies needed -- The jacks. Changing a tongue. Tools and supplies needed ; Changing a Delrin plectrum. Tools and supplies needed ; Voicing a Delrin plectrum. Tools and supplies needed ; Cutting the plectrum to length ; Thinning the plectrum ; Changing and voicing a crow quill. Tools and supplies needed ; Replacing a boar bristle in a wooden jack. Tools and supplies needed ; Regulating the height of the jack -- The action. Removing the keyboard ; Regulating the keyboard. Straightening the keys ; Leveling the keys ; Regulating the dip. Head stop ; Rack stop ; Jackrail stop ; Adjusting the coupler -- The touch. Touch affected by lateral changes ; Touch affected by vertical changes ; Adjusting the stagger -- Troubleshooting the harpsichord. String problems. Strange sounds. Strings that beat ; Strings that are damped ; Strings that buzz ; False strings ; Downbearing ; Slipping strings ; Breaking strings -- Jack problems. Sticking jacks. Dirt ; Humidity ; The shape of the jack itself ; Interference with the operation of the jack ; Two jacks operated by one key ; Weak and inconsistent notes. Plectrum too short ; Register slot too wide ; Poor return of the jack tongue ; Hangers. Interference ; The plectrum ; The tongue and the spring ; Jack height and damper setting ; Crow quill ; Leaking dampers ; Frozen registers -- Action problems. Sticking keys. Sticking at the balance pin ; Sticking at the guide ; Warped keys ; Naturals that catch sharps ; Squeaky, wiggly, and noisy keys. Squeaky keys ; Wiggly keys ; Noisy keys ; Loose and leaking buff pads -- Care of the harpsichord. Tuning, temperaments, and techniques -- Tuning and temperament. Tuning ; Temperament ; A short history of temperament. Pythagorean tuning ; Meantone temperament ; Modified meantone temperament ; Equal temperament ; Tuning techniques ; A tuning and two temperaments. The reference pitch ; Pythagorean tuning ; Quarter-comma meantone temperament ; Modified meantone temperament ; Completing the tuning ; The need for frequent tuning -- The harpsichord as furniture. Location ; Cleaning the soundboard ; Spills on the soundboard ; Cleaning the keys ; Cleaning the case ; Moving the harpsichord. From room to room ; To somewhere else -- Epilogue. The well-regulated harpsichord. |
| Abstract |
The revival of interest in harpsichords has motivated thousands of people to buy, build, and learn how to care for these instruments. Yet few have any idea how the harpsichord operates, how to keep it in good working order, how to make simple repairs, or how to tune it. The author, experienced harpsichord builder, offers the first practical guide to buying, repairing, and maintaining a harpsichord. The opening section describes how the harpsichord produces its sound, discusses the forms and styles of harpsichords, and advises the reader on purchasing decisions. Next, the author instructs the reader in maintenance techniques, including voicing, regulating, and changing strings, tongues, plectra, springs, and dampers. A third section aids the reader in troubleshooting such common problems as sticking jacks, hangers, weak notes, and leaking dampers. In the final section, the author gives detailed instructions on tuning and temperament. The author writes in an engaging and entertaining style, presenting technical information in an accessible way. His book is written for the average harpsichord owner, not the harpsichord technician. It enables the potential buyer to make an informed choice, and it constantly reassures the reader that with a little study the average person is perfectly capable of maintaining, fixing, and tuning a harpsichord. |
