Things You'll Need:
- Harpsichord
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Step 1
Experiment with a piano before trying to play the harpsichord; it is often easier to pick up the harpsichord with some piano or keyboard experience. Take at least a few private piano instruction lessons so you can learn the basic construction of the piano and familiarize yourself with the notes of the keyboard.
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Step 2
Notice the key resistance on a harpsichord is quite pronounced compared to most pianos. Get accustomed to pressing harder on the keys and giving more force to each phrase, as this will help to differentiate your notes in a harpsichord piece. The harpsichord has a very resonate sound that has a tendency to bleed colors onto itself.
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Step 3
Work on playing each key separately and giving it a proper lift to give more definition to your sound. Concentrate on landing each key and releasing to allow the next key to be played, as it will create the clearest and most proper harpsichord sound. Ensure that the room in which you are playing the instrument is properly constructed for harpsichord acoustics; otherwise you will completely lose the sound.
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Step 4
Play a scale on the piano and then switch to a harpsichord. Notice the tendency for the keys to resonate longer in the harpsichord strings than the piano strings. Take special notice of the fact that on the piano you can monitor your dynamic level by lifting through the keys, whereas on the harpsichord you can generally only play one dynamic level unless you add another set of strings to make it louder.
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Step 5
Practice phrasing on the harpsichord by altering the timing of your lifts. It will create the most noticeable difference in your musicality.
