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- The wing-shaped spinet may have originated in Italy during the 16th century; later it became known in France and England.
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Spinet, small form of the harpsichord, generally wing-shaped, with a single set of strings placed at an oblique angle to the keyboard. The wing-shaped spinet may have originated in Italy during the 16th century; later it became known in France and England.
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Origins. The wing-shape, or leg-of-mutton, spinet was invented around 1700 as a smaller and cheaper version of the harpsichord, intended for domestic use. Classification. Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings.
Jun 4, 2024 · The sound of the wing-shaped harpsichord and its smaller rectangular, triangular, or polygonal relatives, the spinet and virginal, is produced by plucking their strings. The plucking mechanism, called a jack , rests on the key and consists of a narrow slip of wood with two slots cut into its top.
The name spinet may derive from the Latin spinae (“thorns”), perhaps reflecting the shape of the tiny quills or leather wedges that pluck the strings. The spinet piano produced its sound by a similar plucking method to the harpsichord and sounds similar if slightly thinner.
Jun 7, 2022 · Most experts trace the spinet’s history back to the 1500s in Italy. These first spinets were most likely wing-shaped and similar in design to harpsichords. However, the compact spinet was a welcome substitute for the bulkier and more expensive harpsichords.
Spinet built in 1765 by Johann Heinrich Silbermann. Bachhaus, Eisenach, Germany. Click for a more detailed view, revealing the use of bookmatched veneering. A spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ.
In eighteenth-century France, the word 'spinet' was applied to any quilled instrument, regardless of size or design. The true spinet is a wing-shaped instrument, with a compass ranging from four to five octaves.
