Modeling Harpsichord Plucking: The Plectrum and the String

The harpsichord is a plucked string keyboard instrument that was popular during the Renaissance and Baroque music eras. Although it was later replaced by the more expressive piano, it has mounted a comeback due to the early music movement today. A physical model of the harpsichord's plucking mechanism is presented, detailing the plectrum-string interaction which illustrates many aspects of the harpsichord's characteristic sound.