The harpsichord’s plucking action is much less studied than the piano’s hammer striking action. A theoretical model was first proposed [D. H. Griffel, J. Sound Vib. 175, 289–297 (1994)] treating the plectrum as a rigid body or two rigid bodies connected with a torsional spring. This was later investigated experimentally [N. Giordano and J. P. Winans II, J. Sound Vib. 224, 455–473 (1999)] using a capacitive sensor, resulting in a more refined model based on simple one‐dimensional beam dynamics. In our work, we employ various string position sensors, and a more detailed plucked string trajectory is captured and analyzed. Also aided by high‐speed camera images, studies on the detailed plectrum’s shape of deflection are done. By a more rigorous treatment of elastic beam theory and looking into interactions of the plectrum and string after the initial release, we present a revised model on the plucking mechanism of the harpsichord string that contributes to its characteristic tone quality.
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March 2010
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March 23 2010
Toward the modeling of harpsichord plucking. Free
Chao‐Yu J. Perng;
Chao‐Yu J. Perng
Dept. of Phys., Stanford Univ., 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, [email protected]
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Thomas D. Rossing;
Thomas D. Rossing
Stanford Univ., CA 94305
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Marshall J. Brown;
Marshall J. Brown
Univ. of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148
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Juliette W. Ioup
Juliette W. Ioup
Univ. of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148
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Chao‐Yu J. Perng
Dept. of Phys., Stanford Univ., 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, [email protected]
Thomas D. Rossing
Stanford Univ., CA 94305
Marshall J. Brown
Univ. of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148
Juliette W. Ioup
Univ. of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 1733 (2010)
Citation
Chao‐Yu J. Perng, Thomas D. Rossing, Marshall J. Brown, Juliette W. Ioup; Toward the modeling of harpsichord plucking.. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 March 2010; 127 (3_Supplement): 1733. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3383459
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