Harpsichord

Harpsichord, keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked by quills rather than hit by felt hammers as in a piano. The harpsichord was very popular from the 14th to the 16th century, and much great music was written for it, notably by J.S. Bach, François Couperin, and Domenico Scarlatti. Its popularity declined with the development of the piano.