Clavichord

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/clavichord

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the instrument type?Stringed keyboard instrument
2. What is the key expressive features?Allows for dynamic control (fretting) and vibrato (Bebung)
3. What is a clavichord and how does it make music?A clavichord is a small keyboard that uses a metal tangent to strike strings when a key is pressed. The tangent stays on the string while the key is held, letting the player control volume and pitch. This gives the instrument a gentle, intimate sound.
4. How can you change the volume or pitch on a clavichord?By pressing a key harder, you make the note louder—a technique called fretting. You can also rock the key slightly while the tangent is on the string to create a tiny vibrato, changing the pitch a little.

Tangent: A metal blade attached to a key lever that strikes the string to produce sound.
Bebung: A form of vibrato produced on a clavichord by rocking the key.
Soundboard: A resonant wooden panel that amplifies the sound produced by the strings.
Fretting: The clavichord's ability to vary volume by striking the string with different force.