Was there a pre-existing instrument before the piano?

The piano was preceded by several earlier keyboard instruments. The earliest of these was the clavichord, which originated in the 14th century. The clavichord produces sound when a brass tangent strikes a string, causing it to vibrate. Another early keyboard instrument was the harpsichord, which was invented in the 16th century. The harpsichord produced sound when a quill plucked a string. Both the clavichord and the harpsichord were popular instruments during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but they were eventually replaced by the piano in the 18th century.