Why did I get harpsichord ?
(Appendix : What is "Basso Continuo" ?)

Now, I am playing harpsichord mainly in amateur string orchestra or orchestra. I think people playing harpsichord are not so many. I will write the reason why I started to play harpsichord.

I learned piano and originally played piano. Probably piano was only instrument which I could play. When I was in institute of technology, I learned cello in amateur orchestra in this institute. The period of learning cello was short, and I could not get enough technique to enjoy to play cello. But the experience of ensemble in this period was very precious for me. After stopping to learn cello, I longed to perform ensemble.

After I graduated the institute and started to work, I invited to the amateur chorus group as accompany pianist. I was not so keen on playing at first, but I was gradually attracted to "making conversation with chorus ". Piano accompaniment of chorus is, sometime playing like soloist with accompaniment of chorus, the other time, playing the roll of backup of the chorus and controlling the tempo, expression or the other elements of music. In addition this was the first experience of "ensemble with keyboard instrument" for me. Of course, I did not have the knowledge of chorus or singing. So I analyzed the intonation, rhythm, location of the breath etc.of chorus part, and tried to imitate or synchronize on piano.

But I could not continue the accompaniment. In continuing piano accompaniment, I became to feel the difference between instrumental ensemble and chorus and feel to be deadlocked. I stopped piano accompaniment of chorus. I felt like playing in the instrumental ensemble.

Considering piano in instrumental ensemble, there are serious(?) problems as following.

• Instrumental ensemble including piano always technically too difficult for me ! (Laugh!) In ensemble including piano, the firstly considered is "piano concerto (Of course it is always very difficult !)" and the 2nd is chamber music. The 2nd was established in latter half of classical period and became popular in romantic study. So the 2nd always requires technique in high-level !
• My favorite tune is classical or baroque music. But in this period, piano was not used in orchestra. In modern period, it cannot say that piano is always used in all of orchestral music !
• There are MANY pianists even in countryside which I live in. Of course there are MANY pianists who can play better than me ! So even if there is a orchestral piece which needs piano, the "better" pianist is called and I cannot join it ! (Laugh!)

These serious(??) problems are solved with trying harpsichord as following!

• Piano in instrumental ensemble always difficult.---> Harpsichord part in ensemble seems to be easier than piano in the ensemble pieces in romantic study period. (<---- stupid thinking...)
• Piano cannot join orchestra. ---> Music of baroque and pre-classic period, harpsichord is necessarily used. Even J. Haydn's later symphony, there was record of performance including harpsichord. So harpsichord player can get opportunity to join string ensemble or orchestra ! Umm this is very nice for me ! :-).
• There are many pianists who can play better than me even in countryside which I live in. ---> There are few harpsichord player in countryside where I live in.(Laugh)

... and I bought a harpsichord.

This is spinet type. It is the most cheep type but it is more expensive than twice of my monthly salary. I immediately thoughted myself to the string ensemble in neighborhood and it was succeeded...:-P.

The motivation seems bad... ,but once I became the member of ensemble, I have been making good ( and hard ) activity in this ensemble. It is very interesting and I feel that I found very good position in my life of music. The interests of playing harpsichord are following. All of these are my arbitrary thinking.

• The sound of harpsichord is completely different from other instruments in string ensemble and it stands out. So harpsichord player often should be "pacemaker" in string ensemble. This means harpsichord player can control ensemble if his playing is appropriate.
• There are wide range of improvisation named with Basso Continuo (through bass). In Basso Continuo, it is important to make appropriate improvisation. This means that Basso Continuo player should develop such as "real-time composition". It seems difficult. But once I was accustomed to this, I become to feel that it is OK to develop easy pattern to play if it is appropriate. So it is not necessary to treat technically difficult passage in Basso Continuo. On the other hand, harpsichord can sometimes determine the chord in the situation where only 2 or 3 instruments are used. Of course it is bad that improvisation destroy the atmosphere of music, but I think that this improvisation is very creative and free performance.
• Religious Music is taken up in baroque music. This music is the combination of orchestra and chorus. I can make good use of my experiences of ensemble in orchestra and piano accompaniment of chorus for such music.

Also. I have thought ; "With playing harpsichord, I can stand out more than playing piano ! And, I may hit with other person !"(Bomb!)......

Now I would like to explain what is "Basso Continuo".
(Like other termninology of music, the word "Basso Continuo" came from Italian. It is also called "through bass" or "figured bass" in English, "Generalbaß" in German, "basse continue" in French, and "Tsû-sô-tei-on" in Japanese.)

Please look at the following score.

This is the 2nd movement of the 10-th violin sonata by Arcangelo Corelli, a composer of baroque music in Italy. The upper part (in C-clef) is for solo violin. But the lower part (in F-clef) is appointed "Basso Continuo" and this part has many small numbers.

On score, this Basso Continuo is only one kind of instrument. But this part is for these two types of instrument.

(1) Instruments usually playing bass part. (For example, Cello, Viola da gamba or Bassoon.) (2) Instruments to play chords. ( Keyboard instruments (Harpsichord, Organ) or Bass Lute )

And instrument in (2) should add chords based on bass note and number. These number indicates the way to add chords. For example, the above music is played like the following.

So harpsichord player should select or develop most appropriate chords with improvisation based on numbered bass part, conferring other parts. This is very important subject in playing Basso Continuo. If you would like to know more, please refer the more detailed explanation of Basso Continuo. It is one of the pages of FAQ in newgroup "alt.music.j-s-bach".