鍵盤樂器，以彈奏機械體而振動其弦。後來的大鍵琴包括以鵝毛（有時是羽毛）製成的琴撥（plectra）固定於由鍵盤驅動的垂直木柄上，當演奏者放開鍵盤時，由毛織品製成的制音器（damper）觸碰琴絃。大鍵琴通常有兩水平排列的鍵盤（或手鍵盤〔manual〕），且通常有兩種或兩種以上的琴絃，而能同步發出高8度或低8度的音調更勝於藉由敲擊不同鍵所發出的音色（由不同材質製造的琴撥彈奏琴絃的不同部位所發出的聲音），並可藉由被稱做音栓（stop）的球狀物放開或關閉聲區。音符的音量大小並非是受敲擊鍵盤力量大小的影響，而在放開鍵盤後也無法再維繫音符的聲音。大鍵琴最早出現於15世紀中葉，17～18世紀成為重要的獨奏、伴奏和合奏樂器。約莫自1750年起功能更強的鋼琴（pianoforte）取代了大鍵琴，至1820年大鍵琴大多已消聲匿跡，直至20世紀方由學者、演奏者和琴師將之重現。
harpsichord
Keyboard instrument whose strings are set in vibration by a plucking mechanism. The latter consists of plectra made of quill (or sometimes leather) mounted on vertical wooden jacks that are activated by the keys. A cloth damper touches the string when the player releases the key. It often has two parallel keyboards (or manuals) and generally has two or more sets of strings; these permit the simultaneous sounding of pitches an octave higher or lower than the note struck as well as alternative tone colors (produced by plectra of different material plucking the strings at different points), and can be activated or deactivated by knobs called stops. The notes' loudness is not affected by the power with which the keys are struck, and there is no way to sustain a note after the key is released. Primitive harpsichords existed by the mid-15th century. In the 17th-18th century the harpsichord became a very important solo, accompanimental, and ensemble instrument. From c. 1750 the pianoforte, with its greater dynamic capacity, began to displace it, and by 1820 the harpsichord had largely vanished. It was revived in the 20th century by scholars, performers, and builders.
