The harpsichord gets its name from Italian words for "harp" and "string" — an instrument whose inability to play softly literally inspired the invention of the piano.
A keyboard instrument in which strings are plucked by quills or plectra when keys are pressed, widely used in European music from the 16th to 18th centuries.
From Italian arpicordo, a compound of arpa (harp) and corda (string), with the initial h- likely influenced by association with English harp. The modern English spelling was further influenced by Latin chorda. Key roots: *harpō (Proto-Germanic: "to pluck, to harvest
Unlike the piano, which strikes strings with hammers, the harpsichord plucks them — meaning a player cannot vary volume by touch. This limitation drove the invention of the pianoforte (literally "soft-loud") in the early 1700s. Harpsichords experienced a major revival in the 20th century when musicians sought authentic performances of Baroque