The harpsichord turned the plucking of a string into a brilliant, precisely articulated voice that supported the basso continuo and flourished in the solo repertory of the Baroque. 🏷️ INSTRUMENT PROFILE Organological family Keyboard chordophone with plucked strings Sound production The keys raise jacks fitted with small plectra that pluck the strings Manuals One or two, depending on the instrument and its building tradition Representative range Variable; many historical instruments span approximately four to five octaves Principal parts Keyboard, jacks, tongues, plectra, dampers, strings, and soundboard Musical roles Solo performance, basso continuo, chamber music, and concerto Characteristic tone Brilliant and clearly defined, with a crisp attack and subtle changes of color The harpsichord is a stringed keyboard instrument in which each key sets a small mecha...