Final answer:
The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where strings are plucked using a plectrum mechanism. Resonance in its soundboard amplifies these vibrations. Advances in string-making technology influenced string instrument development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than struck. This distinct mechanism differentiates the harpsichord from instruments like the piano, where hammers hit the strings when a key is pressed. Medieval music featured a variety of plucked string instruments such as the lute and psaltery. The harpsichord uses a similar concept by employing a mechanism where a plectrum plucks the string when a key is pressed.
Instruments like the guitar and violin increase the intensity of sound through the use of resonance in their sounding boxes. When the string vibrates, it transmits the vibrations through the bridge to the sounding box, which amplifies the sound. Similarly, the harpsichord has a soundboard that acts to amplify the plucked strings.
The use of metal strings began with innovations in string-making technologies which allowed for more durable and resonant strings. These advances played a role in the evolution of instruments throughout history, including the transition from plucked dulcimers to the struck strings of later instruments.