Before the piano, two keyboard instruments dominated Europe: the harpsichord and the clavichord. While the harpsichord plucked strings (making it loud enough for halls), the clavichord used a 'tangent'—a small brass blade—to strike and stay in contact with the string. This contact allowed the clavichord to be the only keyboard instrument of its time capable of 'bebung,' a vibrato effect created by wiggling the key while it was held down. However, the clavichord was incredibly quiet, suitable only for small rooms or practice. The harpsichord, though louder, lacked the clavichord's expressive touch. These differences set the stage for Bartolomeo Cristofori’s invention of the 'gravicembalo col piano e forte' (the piano), which combined the loudness of the harpsichord with the expressive, hammer-based touch of the clavichord.