clavatura

Clavatura is the Italian term used to describe the keyboard mechanism or action of early keyboard instruments, especially the clavichord, harpsichord, and virginal, as distinct from the general keyboard layout (tasti) itself. The clavatura comprises the keys, the levers or jacks, and the mechanism that communicates key depressions to the sounding device; in harpsichords and virginals the action includes the jacks with the plectra that pluck the strings, while in clavichords it includes the tangent and its return action that strikes the strings. The quality of the clavatura affects touch, response, tone, and articulation, with considerable variation among builders and historical periods. The term derives from Latin clavis 'key' and entered Italian musical vocabulary in the early modern period; it is sometimes used interchangeably with "tastiera" but more precisely refers to the mechanical action rather than the keyboard frame or the strings. In modern scholarship and instrument restoration, clavatura is a focus of study for reproducing period performance practices, and contemporary makers often model new keyboards on historical clavatura designs or adapt them to modern playing styles.