[CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings

[Jim Busby]

Oui.

Thanks!
jim

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Doremus
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:22 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Harpsichord popping strings

  Hi Jim,

I don't know if three way transposing is the norm now or not, I remember 
two as being more common. The idea is that the instruments were 
originally scaled to a lower pitch and weaker wire so to get them in 
tune with modern instruments the keyboard was simply shifted to the 
treble one or two notes. To keep the full range that modern players 
like, this requires adding a couple of notes at the top, or losing notes 
if the scale is kept original. Does that make sense? It's just a way of 
playing the instrument a half or whole step higher while preserving the 
original scale length and string tensions. Don't think of it as moving 
down, think of it as moving up to accommodate modern pitch. Upper and 
lower manuals are the same at 8' pitch, an octave higher at 4' pitch. 
Did I help at all, or is it just more mud in the water?

--Dave

On 10/11/10 4:58 PM, Jim Busby wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'll show my ignorance here because I only have 4 harpsichords, and 
> only one transposes, but don't all "transposing" harpsichords go from 
> A440 down to A415, and then also to A392? I've always thought that 
> A415 was basically to accommodate German period instruments and the 
> A392 to accommodate French composers and the corresponding instruments 
> . (Lully, Couperin, etc.) Do most transposing keyboards only go down 
> one note? What about the French? (Please don't answer that <G>) And is 
> the "upper" always A440? You harpsichord guys cut me some slack here. 
> This is certainly something a CAUT should know.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jim
>
>

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