A split sharp is a kind of key found in some early keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord, clavichord, or organ. It is a musical key divided in two, with separately depressible front and back sections, each sounding its own pitch. The particular keys that were split were those that play the sharps and flats on the standard musical keyboard (the "black keys" on a modern piano).
Notes
References
- ↑ Ripin, Edwin M. (1989). Early Keyboard Instruments, p.243. W. W. Norton. ISBN 9780393305159.
- ↑ Donahue, Thomas (2005). A Guide to Musical Temperament, p.36. Scarecrow. ISBN 9780810854383.
- ↑ Bond, Ann (2001). A Guide to the Harpsichord, p.37. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781574670639.
- ↑ See: www.n-ism.org. "Historically, 19-tone keyboards have been constructed...with the rear of the divided black keys often raised."
Further reading
- Kottick, Edward L.; Lucktenberg, George (1997-05-22). Early Keyboard Instruments in European Museums. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-33239-4.