As a harpsichord enthusiast, you likely have a penchant for the past.

The splendor of nobler days gone by was filled with baroque music and elegant performances, but that doesn’t mean that you have to live your life in the 18th century. Why not merge past and present with some great iPhone 4 accessories that can give you the elegance of history with the convenience of modern life?

There are a lot of ways you can use your iPhone to get more involved in the world of harpsichords. Here’s an idea of just some of the iPhone 4 accessories available to harpsichord enthusiasts.

Harpsichord Ringtones for the iPhone

Above all else, the iPhone is a cell phone. When your friends and family want to get a hold of you, you’re going to be alerted by a ringtone—why not make that ringtone a harpsichord performance?

There are a variety of sites that offer harpsichord ringtones for the iPhone, so you’re sure to find something you like. Let your iPhone play “Ave Maria” when your pastor needs to get in touch, or “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” to let you know you need to avoid a phone call from your mother-in-law (just kidding).

From Johann Sebastian Bach to Karl Richter, harpsichord ringtones are everywhere. Most are reasonably priced, and you can even download some for free. Just unlock iPhone 4, sign into the Apple store, and start browsing.

Harpsichord iPhone Covers

The most visible way for an iPhone user to show they care about something is to get a phone case depicting that hobby.

There are a variety of beautiful depictions of the harpsichord, ranging from harpsichord sheet music to depictions of harpsichord performers. If you don’t have an iPhone 4, you can find harpsichord covers for your old model as well.

Sites like Etsy, Zazzle, and CafePress are the best places to look for iPhone covers that fit old model phones, or that showcase fringe interests like the harpsichord.

Harpsichord iPhone Apps

Of course, no list of iPhone recommendations would be complete without mentioning apps. For the harpsichord enthusiast, there is actually a lot to be had.

The Apple App store itself actually designed a harpsichord application that allows you to “play” the harpsichord on your iPhone. A four octave keyboard, this app features multi-touch capability that lets you play with both hands. You can even use glissando mode to slide your fingers along the keyboard to create musical beauty.

The Harpsichord Riddle

Harpsichord apps can also be a little more fun, with something like “The Harpsichord Riddle.” This app designed by Somusar is an interactive musical short story that lets you solve a riddle based on a mysterious melody coming from a harpsichord.

The app features text, video, and “choose your own adventure”-type choices.

Create Your Own Harpischord Themed iPhone Accessory

There is definitely a market out there for harpsichord iPhone gadgets, so if any of these accessories sparked your interest, don’t put out your flame of creativity.

Instead, try your hand at designing an iPhone case or let your programming skills go to work while you create a harpsichord themed app. The harpsichord community is sure to be grateful.

If you are new to the music reading scene then enjoy this quick lesson in music reading. Here are the first three things you must learn before being able to play music.

Find the Clef

The staff (the five lines going across the page) will always have a clef on in. the clef is the first symbol you see on the staff. This will tell you which notes correspond to which line.

The treble clef is written for most soprano voices and instruments. The notes from the bottom line to the top line are E, G, B, D, F and the notes from the bottom to the top space are F, A, C, E.

The base clef has music normally for lower pitched instruments and voices. The notes from the bottom line to the top are G, B, D, F, A and the notes for the spaces from the bottom to the top are A, C, E, G. It may be helpful to memorize a saying or an acronym meaning for each of these clefs.

Determine the Key Signature

Just after the clef symbol there are often sharp or flat symbols. If there is a symbol like this on any of the lines, this means that every note on that line should be played accordingly. If there is no symbol then that line should be played normal. Certain key signatures have distinct sharps that identify them. As you play more, you will learn.

Identify the Time Signature

Right after all of the sharps and flats on the staff will be the time signature. These numbers will look like a fraction and may change throughout the piece. The top number tells you how many beats are in each measure (a measure is the group of notes between each vertical line on the staff). The bottom number will tell you what kind of note gets the “one” beat. For example, it there is a four on the bottom, the quarter note gets the whole count.

Scott Ross is one of those people who can say that he is a famous harpsichordist among the harpsichord following crowd. Here is a little bit of information about Scott Ross.

Early Facts

Scott Ross, often known as Scott ‘Stonebreaker” Ross was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 1, 1951. One interesting fact about Mr. Ross is that he was almost totally crippled by severe scoliosis during his early years. This forced him to wear a brace for much of his youth.

Education and Career

While in Pittsburgh, Ross studied the piano and organ. In 1964, he and his mother moved to France where his study of the harpsichord began. He enrolled at the Conservatoire de Nice. After completing his studies here, he enrolled in the Conservatoire National Superieur in Paris.

When his schooling was finished, he began teaching at the School of Music, Universite Laval, Quebec. In 1983, Ross took and indefinite sabbatical from his teaching to create and record music.

Musical Influences

Ross enjoyed the music of Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Nina Hagen, Glen Gould, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Schubert Lieder.

Final Years

Ross spent many years creating music and recording hundreds of sonatas. In 1984, while working on broadcasting the sonatas of Domineico Scarlatti, Ross contracted a fatal illness. Ross died at the age of 38 due to unattended pneumonia related to AIDS on June 13, 1989 in Assas, France.

Harpsichord

This is a grand-piano, triangular shaped instrument that most people probably think of when they think of the harpsichord. This member of the family has the longer bass strings on the left side and the shorter treble strings on the right side.

Virginals

This family member is a smaller and simpler form of the harpsichord. It is more rectangular in shape and only has one string per key unlike the harpsichord that has multiple.

Spinet

This instrument has strings that are set at about a 30 degree angle. These strings are very close together. In order to compensate for the tight space, two jacks are placed between every two strings facing opposite directions.

Clavicytherium

This instrument uses the same space saving design as the upright piano does. In the Clavicytherium, the strings are vertically facing the player. Because this instrument’s jack cannot use gravity to help it move, its movements are more complex and less reliable.

Ottavino

This family member is just a smaller version of the spinet or virginal that is set at a four foot pitch. This instrument can be placed on top of the larger virginal creating a dual instrument.

Which is Which?

Around most people, you are probably safe calling any of the instruments listed above a harpsichord – most people do anyway. If you want to appear super sophisticated though, then learning the difference between the different instruments and being able to tell them apart is key.

This film festival is very significant because it was at this film festival where people like Spielberg, Lucas, David Lynck, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, the Coen Brothers, Brian De Palma, Randal Kleiser, and many others received their first honors.

Filmmakers from almost 40 countries participate in this film festival. There are so many entries that only about 15-20% of the entries are good enough to win awards.

Award Winners

So what does this film festival have to do with the Harpsichord? Harpsichord Unlimited, the non-profit organization founded in 1978, submitted some entries to the 44th annual WorldFest. Harpsichord Unlimited is a group that decided that the popularity of their instrument, the harpsichord, needed to be expanded. They created this group in order to do that.

The films that Harpsichord Unlimited entered into WorldFest were titled Into the Light and Concertio Cubano. These two films actually got awards! The film titled Into the Light won a silver Remi and the film titled Concertino Cubano won a bronze Remi.

This is a very significant award because, as noted on WorldFest’s website, only about 10% of entries actually win a Remi award.

Founder/Director Elaine Comparone said of the award, “I feel deeply honored by these awards. They represent not only a tremendous artistic achievement for the Queen’s Chamber Band, but also to the brilliance of Jose Raul Bernardo’s music.” They also announces that you can view these films on YouTube.

About the Player

According to Ray Attard, CEO of Teatru Manoel, “Beatrice is a truly outstanding harpsichordist recognized for her huge talent and we are very proud to host her on stage at Teatru manoel for an evening of baroque music which will surely give our audience the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the harpsichord.

Born in Annecy, Beatrice began her musical studies at the age of six, and as her musical career progressed, she was able to study under legendary harpsichordists such as Christian Jaccottet, Kenneth Gilbert, and Christophe Rousset. Personally advised by Huguette Dreyfus, Ton Koopman, and Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Beatrice Martin was able to complete a post-graduate perfecting course, taking her skills to new levels.

By 1998, Beatrice won first Prize at the Brugge International Harpsichord competition, and many an admiring crowd singled her out as a personal favorite. By 2000, Ms. Martin founded the ensemble Les Folies Françoises, and by 2001, she was appointed a permanent teaching position at Escola Superior de Music de Catalynya in Barcelona.

About the Instrument

If you’ve specialized in Harpsichord music, then you’d know that no two instruments sounds precisely the same. Beatrice Martin will be playing on a 1998 Jacques Braux harpsichord, purchased from Paris specifically to play for Teatru Manoel. We shall see whether or not this instrument deserves Fimbank’s financial backing when we see it in its first official performance tomorrow night.

Additional Information

There will be a Harpsichord Harmony for children between the ages of 8 and 14 that will take place today, at 5 pm. This unique performance is completely free and will provide a great opportunity for our youth to understand the magic and beauty of the harpsichord. However, booking closes by February 10.

As for the Valentine’s Day concert, Beatrice Martin will be performing at 8pm and tickets are sold through Teatru Manoel’s booking office. Don’t wait last minute, or you’ll miss out on possibly one of the best Valentine’s Day performances ever.

Compared to the piano, the harpsichord feels almost “crunchy.” It doesn’t resonate throughout the room like a piano, nor does it tolerate the use of excess force while playing. Instead, the harpsichord player must overcome the resistance the plectrum is exerting on the string rather than simply striking the keys and hoping something good comes of it. Too much force or too little force will cause the Harpsichord to sound out of tune.

Tips for Playing the Harpsichord for the first time:
• Most harpsichords are only 4 or 41/2 octaves rather than your typical 7. This means your range is much smaller.
• Expect the keys to be slimmer than a piano. While this makes it easier for the hand to stretch and reach the various keys, it can also make for a difficult transition between the two instruments.
• Many harpsichord keys are made of wood rather than ivory. The texture may seem odd to your fingertips at first, but you may find you like the difference.
• Some harpsichords keyboards are in reverse, with the naturals in black and the sharps in white, so find out which type of harpsichord you will be playing on in advance.
• The key dip is more shallow than on a piano, which makes it easier to perform trills on certain pieces of music, but it also means that you cannot simply “throw” your fingers into the keyboard and expect to have the same crisp sound.
• There are no dynamics on the harpsichord. To make it lowuder, you have to add another set of strings, or to make it softer, eliminate notes in a chord or do not play octaves in the bass.
• Each note needs to be articulated carefully in order to sound in tune.
• Fingers must be held high and should be curved

When played correctly, the Harpsichord can produce a lively, crisp sound that is perfect for playing music from the Baroque era. Although different from the piano, a harpsichord can be no less enjoyable or beautiful to listen to and to play.

The very first harpsichord was probably built back in the 1300s (and may have looked similar to the one pictured above) as a variation to an ancient instrument called the psaltery, which was actually a harp with steel strings.

Within 200 years and by the 1500s/Baroque era, the harpsichord had become an extremely popular instrument in Europe, and thus, spread to multiple countries. With its spread and popularity came several schools of harpsichord building – each with their own woodworking techniques and styles.

In this post, we’ll give you a general overview of each of these early schools of harpsichord building.

German Harpsichords

Harpsichord building actually differed in Germany, depending on whether you were from the Northern or Southern part of the country. The northern builders often modeled their harpsichords with two or three keyboards and multiple handstops – much like the French and Flemish styles.

Most of the northern German harpsichords also included choirs which stretched from 2′ to 16′ in length.

As for the southern style, most builders patterned their harpsichords after the Italian model – that is, one keyboard and shorter strings made of brass. Whereas the northern versions were built for power, these Southern German harpsichords were known for their gentle and sweet tones.

French Harpsichords

Many French-built harpsichords were designed similarly to Flemish harpsichords. Their characteristics included multiple keyboards that included anywhere from four octaves to a fully chromatic range.

French harpsichords also had three choirs that could be combined through the means of a knee-lever. Lastly, all French harpsichords were created out of oak or poplar wood, with the soundboard usually being made from pine.

Flemish Harpsichords

Flemish harpsichords were an entirely separate breed of their own. The most famous harpsichord builders, the Ruckers family, were in fact Flemish and came from the city of Flanders.

The Flems were the first to add a second keyboard to their harpsichords. Also, Flemish harpsichords integrated tighter strings than were 4 inches longer than those found on their Italian counterparts.

Not only that, but the Flems where able to design their models so that the string was plucked further from the nut, which in turn reduced the friction of string against nut, allowing for the Flemish strings to last much longer than the strings found on other versions of the harpsichord.

Most Flemish harpsichords were small, but also very compact and solid.

Italian Harpsichord

Many believe that the Italians were the first to design, create, and use the harpsichord…making their models the oldest. That said, the Italian versions were also the simplest of the various families – with little change seen over the years as well.

Most Italian models included just one keyboard that contained four octaves. Along with this feature, Italian harpsichords were all “unichord,” meaning that each note on the instrument was tied to one string. Speaking of the Italian strings, most were made of brass and strung very loosely and close to the nut.

In terms of weight and material, most Italian harpsichords were light, but large and made of cedar or cypress wood.

Lastly, most Italian harpsichords were mainly used for background accompaniment in plays and productions, and as solo instruments on occasion.

Conclusion

As you can tell, the harpsichord has a rich history. Originating in Italy, its beauty both visually and musically helped it to spread throughout most of Western Europe. With that spread came variations that has only added to the elegance of this instrument.

Harpsichord Players Only

In 1978, a harpsichordist by the name of Elaine Comparone, and some of her fellow harpsichordists decided that their instrument needed a little more publicity.
So, they formed a New York-based organization called, “Harpsichord Unlimited,” with the intentions of bringing the harpsichord to a wider audience around the world and to teach people about the history and music of their beloved instrument.

First Crack

The first concert that “Harpsichord Unlimited” undertook was at the Festival of Chamber Music at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village. The audience loved the concert, and from there, expansion was just a matter of time for the group.

The group soon picked up more members, all of which were highly gifted harpsichord players, raising the prestige of the organization in just a matter of years. As time went on, members of “Harpsichord Unlimited” began receiving commissions to produce new harpsichord works.

Making it Big

As the organization continued to grow and grow, demands for the group to play more concerts and to compose more pieces grew as well. During that time, an annual Sunday afternoon concert and Wednesday evening concert series in New York City was established.

In 2002, the concert series was moved to Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world. On top of their debut and performances at Carnegie Hall, the group also established an upstate concert series called the Hudson Festival Baroque.

Today

“Harpsichord Unlimited,” is still doing well today, albeit with a hiccup. During the 2008 economic crisis, many of the organization’s donors stopped financially supporting them, leaving the organization at the doorsteps of death.

Luckily, new supporters came to the rescue along with smaller contributions, helping the group to regain their financial footing.

Today, “Harpsichord Unlimited,” continues to promote the music of their instrument through concerts, festivals, and new chamber works. They do so with an eye towards showing the public that the harpsichord and its music are still relevant, even in our contemporary setting of 2011.

Then music changed with the rising of the middle class. An artist would write music for the general public and make a living by creating more and more for the masses to enjoy. Even artists not popular with the main-stream could find a loyal niche.

However, there had to be a way to distribute the music to the masses. This is where the production company came in. An artist would prove that they had music that at least some of the masses would enjoy and then the production company would record and publish their music. The music (or artist) would be marketed, and the masses would buy the published music, and the artist and production company would split the earnings.

Then the internet appeared. With the ease of digital music, people can copy music from a friend without paying a penny, not even for a tape or CD to put it on. This is considered stealing from the production company, and they are none-too-happy about that.

However, what if we went back to the “olden ways” of producing music: Sponsors? Say Coca-cola sponsored Lady Ga-Ga. Lady Ga-Ga would get paid to make music, get paid to do concerts and end up just as rich and famous. However, Coke would give away her music for free, and earn every Lady Ga-Ga fan as a loyal customer.

Production companies wouldn’t like this, but it’s time they left anyways. That’s the way of capitalism. In the end customers would be happy, artists would be happy and sponsors would have a new, powerful means of advertising.