The bound clavichord

Bound clavichords are among the oldest keyboard instruments in a still playable condition. Their basic construction is simple, the individual components relatively indestructible, and the instrument itself is both space-saving and economical in terms of maintenance and tuning effort. This is because certain tones that are not used simultaneously in music were "bound" to one set of strings (such as C and C-sharp or B and H), so when tuning one set of strings, several tones were adjusted at once. This also allowed the instruments to be built relatively small and light, thus somewhat mitigating the "deficiency" of all clavichords: their very quiet sound.

They were the ideal instruments for domestic, private music-making and thus also for practice. So quiet that no one in the vicinity was really disturbed, yet the direct touch allows for very sensitive playing and audible control over the activity of the fingers. The clavichord forgives nothing: if you strike too hard, you press too strongly on the strings, causing them to rise in pitch—a distinctly audible "whining" of the tone would signal the need to refine one's touch in the future.

However, as early as the 16th century, it became apparent that in some countries where piano music was highly "audience-oriented"—for instance, when it was explicitly embedded in a larger social context, such as dance or entertainment music, or to accompany singers or instrumentalists—the use of the clavichord declined. It was simply too quiet for such purposes, and by design, it couldn't be made loud enough to fill even a larger room.

Therefore, the instrument was hardly known in Western Europe; in France, England, or Spain, and later in Italy, it disappeared from music life between about 1550 and 1650. In contrast, it remained in use in Germany and Scandinavia until the early 19th century.