Workshop...

Double Manual Dogs

Many people know that you can play the upper keyboard of a two manual harpsichord by playing on the lower keyboard keys. How the upper manual keys move up and down without anyone touching them is always a question that is asked. Shown in this photo is the rear end of a two manual keyboard. Someone has pushed down on a lower keyboard key, and the rear end of the key rises up. There is a small round dowel with a screw on top. The dowel has been glued onto the surface of the lower keyboard's key. That dowel/screw is called a dog. The dog clears the bottom of the upper keyboard key directly above it. The upper manual keyboard is built so that it can be slid forward or backward about 1/2". In this photo the upper keyboard is in its rear-most (towards the player) position and the dog misses the upper keyboard key. When the upper keyboard is slid forward, the rear ends of the upper keyboard keys sit directly over the dogs in the lower keyboard. When a lower keyboard key is played, the dog pushes up on the upper keyboard key and "plays" it. And that's how it's done!