Harpsichord or Piano?

[chopinfrederic]

Which one is more difficult to play? I mean, if you're good at piano, can you play harpsichord easily, and vice versa?

[theholygideons]

Which one is more difficult to play? I mean, if you're good at piano, can you play harpsichord easily, and vice versa?

From my experience, it's piss easy. I've played on plucked instruments that have keys 3/4 the width of piano keys, and i did fine

[pianoman53]

Obviously it's easy to read the music and to play the right notes, but it's still a different instrument and you can't use the same technique. The same goes with period instruments.

[awesom_o]

Which one is more difficult to play? I mean, if you're good at piano, can you play harpsichord easily, and vice versa?

Depends how good you are on piano.

[iansinclair]

This is one of those booby traps.  And I do mean booby, as in the unsuspecting keyboard artist who thinks that because it has keys it's just like anything else with keys.

It's not.  It is, as pianoman3 notes, easy enough to play the notes -- one gets used to the different key size and spacing pretty quickly.  However, the technique for harpsichord is quite different  Not harder, just different.  In order to bring out different voices one can't use differences in volume!  There aren't any.  One uses subtle differences in degree of legato, or slight variations in timing.  Also the fingerings used can be, and often are, quite different, since there are combinations which can be used on harpsichord (or organ) which don't work well on piano, but which are very handy.

Same thing is true of transferring to or from organ.

Or synthesizers.

Never mind piano accordion!

[justharmony]

Completely agree with Ian.  It's not difficult to play harpsichord physically (though it does take different physical awareness and technique), but it is a completely different instrument that uses a musical "language" that is very different from the way we are accustomed to play on a modern piano.  This includes everything he already mentioned, as well as tuning - something I would add as an important aspect of the musical language of the harpsichord. 

Tuning may or may not be something that is under someone's direct control - though it once would have been under the control of the player and really "should" be still -but in realistic terms, not many people are accustomed to tuning their own keyboard instrument I think.  Anyway - if someone begins playing the harpsichord, I would recommend looking into styles of playing, as well as tunings appropriate to whatever music is being played.

Harpsichord is a very satisfying and wonderfully beautiful instrument when played, well, like a harpsichord (not like some compromise of a modern piano), and with the music written with harpsichord in mind. 

JH

[chopinfrederic]

Depends how good you are on piano.

Currently Grade 7 ABRSM.

[awesom_o]

Currently Grade 7 ABRSM.

How deeply have you studied the Baroque literature? If you can play many pieces by composers like Rameau or Couperin really well on the modern piano, you  should be able to adapt to the harpsichord without much difficulty.

The way nuance is created is somewhat different from on the piano, as others have pointed out. But if your command of articulation and counterpoint on the piano is absolutely top-notch, you should be able to adapt intuitively to the period instruments.

[justharmony]

How deeply have you studied the Baroque literature? If you can play many pieces by composers like Rameau or Couperin really well on the modern piano, you  should be able to adapt to the harpsichord without much difficulty.

The way nuance is created is somewhat different from on the piano, as others have pointed out. But if your command of articulation and counterpoint on the piano is absolutely top-notch, you should be able to adapt intuitively to the period instruments.

I disagree.  You can play the NOTES of a Baroque or earlier piece on the modern piano, but I would argue that you cannot truly play the music as intended on a modern instrument - for several reasons.  Actually, now that I think about that statement, you cannot even play the NOTES on a modern piano, because most modern pianos are tuned in equal temperament. 

Equal temperament is a far cry from the meantone temperaments favored in Couperin's time, and the notes are, quite literally, different than those we play today on the modern grand.  In my opinion, equal temperament sterilizes these pieces and takes away an essential part of the musical language of the time. 

I would argue that musical tension and release (resolution) was often created, emphasized, or prolonged via the TUNING and adherence to (or NOT) beautiful close-to-just harmonies.  Believe me, if you are playing along in C major - which would have been a sweet key back then - and suddenly - even for moment - dip into the likes of Ab or Db or some such (just go with me here)... you will will be thrown into harmonic disarray.  Which only means resolving back to C major becomes that much more welcome, peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful. 

Composers knew well the issues of tuning (this is why they tended to stick to keys with fewer sharps or flats - more harmonious), and so when they departed from these nearly perfect harmonies, it was (I believe) with complete awareness and intent.

But going beyond tuning, the way one creates nuance on a harpsichord is not just somewhat different - it is completely different.  As I mentioned previously - learning to play the harpsichord involves learning an entirely different musical language - examples have been given previously. 

Can the music of Couperin and Rameau and all the rest be played on a modern piano?  Sure.  But it's not the music that was written.  Try playing a bassoon concerto on a marimba or something.  Same general idea, right?  But completely different instrument, different technique, etc. 
Can it still be beautiful?  Sure.  But it's different music. 

For me, learning about the musical "language" and culture of the Baroque era (and earlier) was extremely illuminating to me, and opened up a whole new world of music that I didn't feel I fully "got" previously.  I would recommend the experience to anyone, any day. 

For what it's worth.

JH

[pianoman53]

I don't agree either, at all. Playing Mozart a lot doesn't mean you'll be able to master a Walter.
Harpsichord is even worse! The legato is different, the tone is different, the touch is different.

[awesom_o]

I disagree.  You can play the NOTES of a Baroque or earlier piece on the modern piano, but I would argue that you cannot truly play the music as intended on a modern instrument - for several reasons.  Actually, now that I think about that statement, you cannot even play the NOTES on a modern piano, because most modern pianos are tuned in equal temperament. 

Equal temperament is a far cry from the meantone temperaments favored in Couperin's time, and the notes are, quite literally, different than those we play today on the modern grand.  In my opinion, equal temperament sterilizes these pieces and takes away an essential part of the musical language of the time. 

I would argue that musical tension and release (resolution) was often created, emphasized, or prolonged via the TUNING and adherence to (or NOT) beautiful close-to-just harmonies.  Believe me, if you are playing along in C major - which would have been a sweet key back then - and suddenly - even for moment - dip into the likes of Ab or Db or some such (just go with me here)... you will will be thrown into harmonic disarray.  Which only means resolving back to C major becomes that much more welcome, peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful. 

Composers knew well the issues of tuning (this is why they tended to stick to keys with fewer sharps or flats - more harmonious), and so when they departed from these nearly perfect harmonies, it was (I believe) with complete awareness and intent.

But going beyond tuning, the way one creates nuance on a harpsichord is not just somewhat different - it is completely different.  As I mentioned previously - learning to play the harpsichord involves learning an entirely different musical language - examples have been given previously. 

Can the music of Couperin and Rameau and all the rest be played on a modern piano?  Sure.  But it's not the music that was written.  Try playing a bassoon concerto on a marimba or something.  Same general idea, right?  But completely different instrument, different technique, etc. 
Can it still be beautiful?  Sure.  But it's different music. 

For me, learning about the musical "language" and culture of the Baroque era (and earlier) was extremely illuminating to me, and opened up a whole new world of music that I didn't feel I fully "got" previously.  I would recommend the experience to anyone, any day. 

For what it's worth.

JH

So what about when I play Bach on my cello?  Is it effectively sterilized because it has a modern fingerboard, modern bridge, steel strings instead of gut, and is tuned to 440 instead of 415?


 

[pianoplayer51]

Piano.   I do not like the harpsichord.  You cannot play dynamics and the keyboard feels too light.  I did try one out for interest.   I went to a harpsichord demonstration and there was a lady playing and a man talking about it.  The only sheet music she had was for piano and since the harpsichord is a different shorter keyboard, what she was attempting to play was hard on a harpsichord.   The man who was giving the talk was very skilled because he said if you only have piano music you can substitute certain keys on the score for keys on the harpsichord.  Obviously a harpsichord does not have 88 keys so when the music indicates that you go down on the lower register, you have to know what key that key on the lower register represents on the harpsichord in order to play the piece correctly.

Too hard for me.  You have to be a genuis to work it out.  I also prefer the sound of a piano.  You cannot play a harpsichord with full heavy forte.   I love that sound on a piano

[j_menz]

So what about when I play Bach on my cello?  Is it effectively sterilized because it has a modern fingerboard, modern bridge, steel strings instead of gut, and is tuned to 440 instead of 415?


 

Not sterilised, but it will be different.

I'm not a member (or even a fan) of the "authentic period performance" brigade, but it is illuminating to listen to good performances of this kind.

Good music transcends the instrument, however. And this is especially true of the Baroque.