Bebung

thumb|right|260px|A clavichord thumb|280px|Clavichord action Bebung (German: a trembling; ) is a type of vibrato executed on the clavichord.

When a clavichord key is pressed, a small metal tangent strikes a string and remains in contact with it for as long as the key is held down. By applying a rocking pressure up and down the key with the finger, a performer can slightly alter the tension of the string itself, producing the vibrato quality known as bebung. While the vibrato on fretless string instruments such as the violin typically oscillates in pitch both above and below the nominal note, clavichord bebung can only produce pitches above the note.