Fretted Clavichord, about 1700; maker unknown, Germany Unfretted Clavichord, 18th century; maker unknown, Germany
The clavichord was usually housed in a rectangular case which rested upon a simple stand. The range of the earlier instruments was about four octaves. By the 18th century the range had been expanded to five octaves.
The larger, later clavichords had separate strings for each key and were unfretted or bundfrei. Many smaller and earlier clavichords were fretted (gebunden), having some strings that would produce more than one pitch when struck at different points by adjacent keys.
Figure 32 shows the fretted clavichord keyboard in more detail. Tangents on keys numbered 16 and 17 strike the same strings to produce the notes e♭ and e. Some other fretted notes shown in the picture include: keys 18 and 19 (f and f♯), keys 20 and 21 (g and g♯), keys 23 and 24 (b♭ and b), and keys 25 and 26 (middle c and c♯). Figure 31 is also a detail from this clavichord.
The Smithsonian clavichord shown in Figures 35 and 36, in unrestored condition, is typical of the large unfretted instruments that became standard in Germany by the mid-18th century and for which Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach wrote many solo keyboard compositions.
32. Fretted clavichord: Detail of fretting. Photo: Robert Lautman.