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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.
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The spinet piano was first introduced in the 17th century as a harpsichord with shortened keys and drop action operation. 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.
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.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jun 7, 2022 · 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. It became a popular instrument and made its way to England and other countries during the 1600 and 1700s.
Mar 8, 2024 · Spinet pianos are a small type of upright piano that were very popular in the mid 20th century. They get their name perhaps from the way piano strings are arranged, with the longer bass strings on the bottom and the shorter treble strings on the top, resembling a spine.
Sep 12, 2019 · Smaller than the harpsichord and slightly odd-looking, as its strings sit at an oblique angle to the keyboard, the spinet probably had its origins in 16 th Century Italy. A gentleman known as Giovanni Spinetti who was an instrument manufacturer could have given his name to the spinet.
First mentioned 1496. A theory is that it was named after Giovanni Spina, an instr.-maker active in late 15th cent., another that the name derives from its thorn-like plectra, spinetta being diminutive of spina, a thorn. The 19th-cent. square pf. is often incorrectly called a spinet.
