Seattle Guitar Lessons
Intermediate Through Advanced Guitar Lessons in Seattle, WA

Testimonials from Former and Current Seattle Guitar Students 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Testimonials

 

"Nick is a gifted teacher. He understands the guitar and music inside out, but equally important he understands the individual needs and personalities of his students. He tailors the pace and subject matter depending on each student’s interest. When I began the guitar I was a stumbling player, but Nick offered a safe space to learn – offering encouragement and helping give the confidence to advance week by week, and even try out some new things. If you’re looking for a teacher who knows his discipline and has the people skills to guide you along and open you to the world of the guitar, Nick’s your man."

 

John K. South Freeport, Maine

 

 

"Nick's knowledge of the guitar is truly an inspiration. What makes his teaching style work for me is his ability to go back to basics, regardless of his expertise, to help me learn the fundamentals of playing. He allows me to lead the lessons based on my comfort level while also challenging me each week with new material. Nick has already increased my confidence in my guitar playing abilities."

 

Stefani A. Portland, ME

 

 

"I returned to the study of guitar after a 20 year absence.  What has made my time with Nick so rewarding is his uncanny ability to discern precisely what I need to move from one plateau to the next.  Nick is a superb guitarist, a solid music theorist, and a patient instructor.  But more than anything else, it’s his talent for recognizing what you need, coupled with the knowledge of how to give it to you, that produces forward progress.  And whether you’re studying guitar or tennis or geometry, it’s the forward progress—the awareness that you’re seeing or hearing steady, incremental improvement in your ability week by week—that keeps you studying to attain your goal.  Nick will assess your skills, create a program to develop and supplement them, and through positive reinforcement encourage you to take your playing to the next level.  It’s this subtle, yet vitally important quality that sets him apart from so many other music teachers who are merely competent."     

 

 

Jon G. Kennebunk, ME

 

 

"Nick has an intuitive approach to teaching. This intuition helps him to know just when to emphasize technique versus theory according to the students wants and needs. His "teacher's patience" is evident in his natural approach to know his student by listening and understanding them on a personal as well as musical level. A teacher's success is measured through the student's success. I noticed an almost immediate improvement in my playing ability and confidence when playing my guitar. I think more than anything, Nick has helped me to confidently apply what I know in my head to my instrument."

 

Dave B. Portland, ME

 

 

"As a beginning guitar player, I was not having much success trying to teach myself. I knew I needed direction, and was fearful lessons would teach me nothing but "Mary Had a Little Lamb". During my first lesson with Nick, I was very happy to learn a few chords and some typical blues progressions. This approach was key for me as it made practicing fun! In addition to the right approach, it was easy to see that Nick is a professional AND a teacher. There were many times when he used musical terminology to explain concepts, but instead of me being confused and losing the message, Nick was always successful in translating his thoughts into lay-person wording. I always left the session feeling like I learned something! I would recommend Nick to any other aspiring guitarist!"

 

Justin S. Portland, ME

 

 

"Learning Jazz guitar on your own is at best a long and often frustrating journey. That's why at 39 years old I decided to take lessons again. In the two years that I have been taking lessons with Nick I have learned more about playing jazz with all of its complexities than I ever did at college as a jazz music major!!! Nick has guided me through ear training, music theory, chord comping, the mysterious scale and arpeggio choices (and when to use them), guide tones, voice leading, fretboard awareness, and a whole slew of jazz tunes to boot!!! Nick was extremely encouraging at all times, and I could tell that he "tuned into" my playing and progress by his feedback. His enthusiasm fed my own, and that is a rare thing in guitar teachers (let me tell you). I am indeed a better musician, better guitar player, more confident, and have now earned the ability to have fun while playing guitar (rather than anxiety). And I feel that I am a much happier person because of it. I always look forward to my next lesson with Nick"!

 

Jay T. Kennebunk, ME

 

 

"Nick has a friendly, laid back style that creates a positive learning environment. He pays great attention to each student and is very articulate in describing how a person can improve. He is always trying to think of ways he can help his students advance their playing abilities. When I was younger, I was not taught proper technique. I also currently have some vision problems which hinder my ability to advance. Nick patiently helped me to correct my technique. He also presented me with several options for minimizing my sight problems to help me improve my guitar playing. Mr. Rausch’s lessons not only focus on proper guitar-playing basics but also include music theory. In addition, Nick has a great amount of knowledge about prominent musicians and music history which he sprinkles into his lessons. This makes for an informative and interesting experience."

 

Mario C. Portland, ME

 

 

"Taking lessons from Nick was a great decision. He is extremely attentive, intelligent and very personable. He immediately puts someone who has no musical background completely at ease and makes learning a very enjoyable experience."

 

Craig H. Falmouth, ME

 

 

"Nick has a firm grasp on what makes a guitarist better no matter what level they are at or how long they have been playing. He focuses his attention on the basics of music theory, ear training, and playing technique. To help the student apply these concepts he focuses on learning a particular piece until the new concept becomes second nature. Not only does this help the student understand what they are learning but it also allows the student to build up the list of songs "they know and makes every lesson enjoyable."

 

Mark A. Portland, ME

 

 

"After several years of trying to learn to play the guitar on my own I found myself with a lot of useless licks and not much else. I started having lessons with Nick and that changed almost immediately. Within the first few lessons Nick had corrected my technique and my playing ability had increased dramatically. As the lessons continued we covered theory, improvisation, sight reading, and rhythm among many other things. Nicks depth and breadth of knowledge on all things guitar really shows in his ability to make complex ideas understandable. His teaching style is very accessible and he will work with you on something until you fully understand a concept. I would recommend lessons with Nick to anyone looking to improve their playing or overall understanding of the instrument in general".

 

Corie D. Portland, ME 

 

 

"I've taken lessons with Nick for five years. He is extremely personable and has a seemingly infinite musical knowledge, ranging anywhere from hip-hop to jazz. One of the best aspects of taking lessons with Nick is that he essentially creates a "custom fitted" lesson plan. This made the lessons fun because i was learning how to play the way that I wanted to."

 

Nick H. Scarborough, ME

 

 

"Nick is a great teacher and mentor for all levels and ages of guitar players. In my case, being an adult student, Nick was able to very quickly assess my level of skill and we dove right into material that was interesting and challenging. I've had guitar teachers in the past who had questionable skills and liked to spend most of the lesson chatting. This is not the case with Nick. It became obvious in the very first few minutes of our first lesson that Nick is a professional musician with in-depth knowledge of technique and theory. Not everyone has to dive into jazz theory, but if you want to, Nick is a teacher who'll have the knowledge to guide you along. He makes lessons interactive and interesting. Nick is also able to figure out and utilize the teaching methods that work best for his students, whether that's writing up tabs for a song, helping with site-reading or recording melodies that I could use later at home while practicing. I can confidently recommend Nick to students of any age or skill level. You'll have a great time playing and you'll be a better guitarist than you thought you could become".

 

Andras V. Portland, ME

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"Although I didn't get to study with Nick for very long (moved from the area), I feel I gained lessons that will help in the years to come. He gave me very basic but extremely useful tips on finger coordination It was eye opening to have someone sit me down and show me the simple things I could do to help my playing and Nick did it with kindness and ease.  Nick was always attentive, encouraging, honest, kind and helpful. Overall, I walked away with newly gained knowledge and a urge to learn more".

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Monterey, MA (originally)
Portland, ME