How the clavichord works

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Here is a short song on my Sabathil & Sons clavichord which was made in 1975 and I restrung after a bridge repair. Tuned to A-415 and in the Bach Lehman temperament. I am not a professional “keyboard” player but this video is a demonstration to my music students and some friends of how the clavichord works, which is by having a brass “tangent” at the end of a key strike a string when the key is depressed. Unlike the piano, there are no sustain pedals on a clavichord so the string only makes its sound while the key is depressed. The (red) felt cloth dampens the part of the string that you don’t want to hear (the harmonics or upper partials) so that only the fundamental of the note is heard. The volume of the clavichord is very low and it’s the perfect keyboard instrument for apartment living! The clavichord has a very intimate sound and many people like this quality of the instrument.