The harpsichord was the primary keyboard instrument of the Baroque era, flourishing from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Unlike the piano, which produces sound by striking strings with hammers, the harpsichord produces sound by plucking them. When a key is pressed, a mechanism called a 'jack' rises, and a small plectrum (traditionally made of crow quill) plucks the string. Because the strings are plucked with a uniform force, the harpsichord cannot produce a change in volume through touch alone—a key pressed softly sounds exactly the same as one pressed hard. To create variety, some harpsichords have two manuals (keyboards) or 'stops' that engage different sets of strings. Its bright, metallic timbre is synonymous with the music of J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. The instrument eventually fell out of favor following the invention of the piano, which offered dynamic control.