One of the rarest specialisms in online teaching. Baroque ornamentation, continuo playing, Baroque fingering, and period-authentic interpretation — Bach, Scarlatti, Couperin, Händel.
By Mirco Lieber, MMag. · Concert musician, 30+ years teaching · Updated August 2026
Book a Session →A glimpse of Mirco Lieber performing J. S. Bach's Toccata in E minor, BWV 914, on harpsichord — more of the Baroque repertoire lives on his concert site.
Mirco Lieber is a trained concert harpsichordist with deep expertise in historical performance practice. He holds a MMag. from MDW University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Academy of Music Ljubljana, with a specialisation in concert accordion, harpsichord, organ, and piano — and over 30 years of teaching experience.
Lessons cover Baroque ornamentation, continuo realisation, Baroque fingering, and period-authentic interpretation drawn directly from original sources — not modern editions. Repertoire centres on Bach, Scarlatti, Couperin, and Händel.
Unlike the piano, where hammers strike the strings, a harpsichord's strings are plucked by small quills (plectra) when a key is pressed. The result is a clear, silvery tone with no true touch-dynamics — you cannot make a note louder simply by pressing harder. That is exactly what makes the harpsichord fascinating: expression comes entirely from timing, articulation, phrasing, and ornamentation rather than force. It is an instrument that demands, and rewards, musicality in its purest form.
For pianists, switching to harpsichord is often revelatory. With no sustain pedal and no touch-dynamics, every connection between notes has to be shaped deliberately with the fingers — a skill that noticeably refines piano playing too. Many students begin with a combination of piano and harpsichord lessons to develop both techniques side by side.
Yes — and Mirco Lieber is one of the rarest specialists worldwide offering it. Harpsichord technique depends heavily on precise finger control, articulation, and ornamentation that a teacher needs to see and hear in real time, which is exactly what a well-run video lesson delivers: Mirco watches your hand position and finger movement over Zoom just as closely as he would in person, and listens for the subtle timing and touch details that shape Baroque phrasing. As a trained concert harpsichordist with a MMag. from MDW Vienna and the Academy of Music Ljubljana, and expertise in Baroque ornamentation, continuo playing, and historical performance practice, he offers 1-on-1 harpsichord coaching covering Bach, Scarlatti, Couperin, and Händel — built entirely around your current level and repertoire goals, whether you're starting from scratch or refining an already-serious technique.
No. Many students begin on a weighted digital keyboard or piano and transfer their technique once they're ready to move to a real harpsichord — the plucking mechanism itself is what the physical instrument adds, but the finger independence, phrasing, and touch control that make Baroque music sound convincing can all be built beforehand. Mirco Lieber will guide you on touch, ornamentation, and articulation that translate directly once you do sit down at an actual harpsichord or a well-voiced digital replica with a plucked-string sample set (several affordable options exist). If you're a pianist curious about the instrument, this is often the easiest way to explore it seriously before committing to purchasing or renting one — you can test whether the Baroque repertoire and playing style genuinely suit you first.
Lessons focus on core Baroque repertoire — Bach, Scarlatti, Couperin, and Händel — the composers whose keyboard works define the harpsichord's historical voice and remain the foundation of any serious harpsichord education. Beyond individual pieces, Mirco Lieber teaches the skills that make that repertoire sound authentic rather than just correct: basso continuo realisation (improvising a harmonic accompaniment from a figured bass line, a core Baroque-era skill), Baroque fingering patterns (which differ meaningfully from modern piano fingering), ornamentation (trills, mordents, and other decorations, written or improvised), and period-authentic interpretation drawn directly from original manuscript sources rather than modern edited scores. Repertoire is adapted to your level and interests within this tradition, from early introductory dances and preludes through to advanced toccatas and suites.
On piano, hammers strike the strings, which allows touch-dynamics — play a key harder and it sounds louder, softer and it sounds quieter. On harpsichord, the strings are plucked by a small plectrum, so every note sounds at essentially the same volume no matter how hard or soft you press the key — there's no touch-based dynamic control at all. Expression instead comes entirely from timing, articulation (how notes connect or separate), ornamentation (trills, mordents, and other decorations written or improvised into the melodic line), and registration on instruments with more than one set of strings. This is a fundamentally different musical skill from volume-shaping, closer to the phrasing a singer or wind player uses. Players who study both instruments often say harpsichord sharpens their sense of rhythm and articulation on piano too, since they can no longer rely on dynamics to create shape and have to build it through timing instead.
Pianists with solid foundational technique can often play their first stylistically convincing Baroque pieces within a few months, since finger technique transfers directly from piano to harpsichord — you're not starting from zero, you're adapting an existing skill to a new touch and a new stylistic vocabulary. The real learning curve lies elsewhere: ornamentation, continuo realisation, and the stylistic understanding needed to make a piece sound genuinely Baroque rather than just technically accurate. Those skills develop over years, the same way they would on any instrument at a professional level — there's no shortcut, but steady progress is very achievable with structured lessons. Complete beginners without any prior keyboard experience will need longer to build the underlying finger technique first, typically starting on simpler pieces before tackling ornamentation and continuo work.
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