The harpsichord's rich evolution from Baroque icon to modern instrument

The harpsichord is more than just an instrument; it's a direct link to how Baroque music actually sounded, and it works differently from a piano in ways that shape how it's taught and practiced.

Image created with AI assistance

How I Teach Harpsichord Online

I hold a master's degree in harpsichord with organ studies from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW), alongside a separate master's in concert accordion from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Lessons run live, one-to-one, over Zoom. Because a harpsichord can't shade dynamics through touch the way a piano can, we spend real time on the two techniques that do that work instead: articulation, how cleanly a note is released, and ornamentation, trills, mordents, appoggiaturas, which is the actual vocabulary of expression in Baroque keyboard music.

You Don't Need a Harpsichord to Start

A one-manual harpsichord with one or two 8' stops is a good instrument to grow into, but for online lessons a digital piano with weighted keys is enough to begin with; the technique transfers once a student is ready for a real instrument. This is one of the most common questions new students ask, and it's the reason cost isn't the barrier to trying a first lesson.

Practice That Actually Improves Your Playing

The fastest progress comes from working scales and ornaments deliberately rather than just running through repertoire. I ask students to focus on even articulation, clean ornament execution, and stylistically appropriate phrasing for the Baroque repertoire we're studying, rather than raw repetition.

Try a Free Trial Lesson

Every new student gets a free trial lesson over Zoom before committing to anything. It's the fastest way to find out whether the harpsichord, or piano, accordion, organ, or melodica, is the right fit for you.

This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Mirco Lieber (MMag.), in line with the EU AI Act (Art. 50).