ANY DANGERS OF LEARNING THE HARPSICHORD?

[baadshah]

im a lapsed pianist, basically due to a lack of access to a piano.  ???a few years ago i was able to play fairly well several chopin studies, g minor ballade etc. i havent touched a keyboard at all for several years now, but am confident they would come back within a few weeks/months.

to cut a long story short, ive just found out about the possibility of taking up the harpsichord at the local conservatoire, and the possibility to practise there too. im not at all fed up of piano, far from it, but just dont have a way of playing with any sort of regularity.

Im interested to know about the potential difficulties of playing harpischord, what if any damage it could do to my piano playing when i eventually start piano again(in terms of touch etc), and any other advice for a relatively competent pianist starting at the harpsichord.

[lostinidlewonder]

I haven't really studied the harpsichord because I don't have one myself but I have spent time playing on the one at the Univeristy of West Australia (UWA). They have a modern reporduction and an older one!

There are no dangers in playing any instrument. I don't feel it is like how Squash can ruin your Tennis. The harpsichord has no volume control really, nothing that can be controlled with the fingers since the notes are plucked. However the expression of harpsichord music comes from your tempo control and also your detachment of notes. Notes which are written together are not always necessarily played together but detached to produce another sound from the instrument, this is of course used sparingly. You will develop a lot of your Bach who is all encompassing with regards to a solid keyboard technique.

In harpsichord there is really no threat that the tone of your playing will be lost. This is always a danger with the piano because of the variation in sound that can be produced. So this aspect of piano playing will be neglected if you study Harpsichord, and it is something very important.

[maxy]

I think you should be more afraid for the harpsichord... Piano technique is not the nicest thing that could happen to a harpsichord...

[quasimodo]

I have read an interview of a french professional harpsichordist where he states that this instrument gets to your nerves (difficulty of building a proper interpretation) so be careful about yours  .

[pianistimo]

don't try to play a harpsichord fortissimo.
and don't lean over and inspect the action before playing like you do for piano.  if something's broke, don't try to fix it.  just let all the strings flutter flacidly.  don't expect the harpsichord to last more than a day past the warantee period. 

(get the kind that you can pull the notes back up with a little indentation under the key - this really helps on repeated notes).  don't play the walstein on it.  fur elise is ok.

[jeremyjchilds]

There are no dangers in playing any instrument. I don't feel it is like how Squash can ruin your Tennis. The harpsichord has no volume control really, nothing that can be controlled with the fingers since the notes are plucked. However the expression of harpsichord music comes from your tempo control and also your detachment of notes. Notes which are written together are not always necessarily played together but detached to produce another sound from the instrument, this is of course used sparingly. You will develop a lot of your Bach who is all encompassing with regards to a solid keyboard technique.

In harpsichord there is really no threat that the tone of your playing will be lost. This is always a danger with the piano because of the variation in sound that can be produced. So this aspect of piano playing will be neglected if you study Harpsichord, and it is something very important.

I will buck the trend here and caution you about playing the harpsibhord.

In one way, playing the harpsichord alone can diminish proper tone on the pianoforte.

In chords, the harpsichord must be played with an almost vicious attack if one is to have all notes sounded at the exact time. If you get used to this, then on the piano, chords can take on a naturally harsher tone, with the gentleness having to be relearned.

I wanted to play the harpsichord. but my teacher told me I couldent   I was sad for 10 minutes...then I got over it.

[tumababa]

It might not affect you TOO much but on my history teacher's 'arpsichord the keys are slightly smaller.  I don't know enough about the instrument to know if they were all built that way.  Watch yourself....

[jcabraham]

The biggest danger is that you might really like it!  So much for piano!

[jeremyjchilds]

The biggest danger is that you might really like it!  So much for piano!

and that's exactly why...


Chicks dig harpsichordists. 

[whynot]

To answer a question from a few posts back, yes, the keys are (always) narrower than piano keys.  So I would suggest not learning music on harpsichord that you wish to play later on piano.  There are a few performers who play the same pieces back-to-back on both instruments, and if they're super-comfortable on both, sure.  But if you can't play any piano right now, you'll grow accustomed to the spacing of the harpsichord without spending "balance" time on piano.   (Although I'm confused about the access issue, because I assume you'll be studying harpsichord at a school; could you study piano there too?)  So perhaps if you at least keep the repertoire separate (until you've played for a while), maybe it won't feel so weird going back.  Although I have to say that many people on this forum play many instruments quite well, so there is precedent here for just going out there and doing it.  Anyway, have fun!  Best wishes.  Remember to relax and stay loose, because extra pressure isn't absorbed by the instrument but rather by your joints. 
   

[baadshah]

THANK YOU FOR THE HELP. I will bear everything in mind. BTW, the conservatoire doesnt offer piano classes to adults, only harpischord, hence the dilemna!

[rafant]

I find harpsichord a very aristocratic instrument and very interesting to hear. Although for the most part the piano has became the instrument of choice for baroque repertoire (there are more pianos available than harpsichords), it seems to me that certain pieces sound better at the harpsichord.
About the damage to piano playing, well, we all know about musicians able to play at high level organ, clavichord, harpsichord and piano too. I think it's a matter of adaptation: maybe that there would be some difficulties at first when you return to piano, but nothing that the human body couldn't overcome with enough practice, so that train your mind and body to switch from one instrument to another easily.
I only would respect the instrument natural limits as it has been adviced before, so that don't try that the harpsichord sound as a piano, which is vain.
You are very fortunate and there is no doubt that your experience with both instruments will enrich each other.