CLAVICYTHERIUM

harpsichord in which the soundboard and the plane of the strings are vertical, perpendicular to the keyboard, as in an upright piano (instead of horizontal and parallel to the keyboard, as is usual). By means of this design, the amount of floor space required for the instrument is greatly reduced, while the strings may be made as long as necessary for a full tone. The plucking mechanism, being now horizontal rather than vertical, is returned to a rest position by means of springs rather than by gravity. Most clavicytheria have one keyboard and one or two sets of strings. Examples survive from the 15th through the 18th century, but the instrument was never common.