“Austin has been teaching my 7-year-old daughter and myself for about 6 months, and we could not be happier. He has been super patient throughout and accommodating to adjusting lessons to fit in our schedule. If your little one, or you have an interest in picking up the guitar I would highly recommend Austin as a teacher.”
— Mike E.

“I've been playing on and off casually for years but never made any real progress past strumming through some songs and playing the same 4 chords. I tried to follow books and YouTube videos on my own but never really got anywhere. Finally I decided to get serious instruction and I'm glad I went with Austin. His gentle teaching style made me instantly comfortable. I started with the intention of simply learning to do some basic fingerpicking country/folk songs but through his instruction he's brought out a passion for music theory I didn't know that I had!
I truly value Austin's flexibility. His expert knowledge is clear but won't bog you down in specifics you don't care about. Our lessons cover everything from transcribing and working through individual songs, to developing my hand position and picking techniques, to basic music theory and music reading, to introductory ear training depending on how I feel or what material we're working on. The different topics keep me interested and excited for my weekly lesson.
In the last year I've made exponential improvements in my playing and understanding of music. I'd strongly recommend Austin to anyone ready to make serious improvement in their playing or learn more about "the why" behind what they're playing.”
— Kevin K.

“‘Austin is really nice and helps you choose songs you want to learn. He is patient, talented and helps you understand everything about guitar.’ - Elliott, age 10.
Austin is indeed a wonderful teacher. Elliott has been learning virtually and after just 20 hours of instruction, has gone from knowing nothing about guitar to playing a song. Austin really works on getting to know your child’s best way to learn and adapts to their learning style and personality. He is really patient and communicates really well. This has helped Elliott commit to a practice, which can be difficult to do. He is learning guitar and also the value of practice and the joy of music.”
— Elliott and Dorothy

“Austin French is both a bona fide musician and everything a music teacher should be. Patient, knowledgeable, professional, and always constructive. So glad I found him. His style of teaching allowed me to pick up guitar as an adult much faster than I had anticipated!”
— Uma V.

“We are so grateful for Austin French and his kindness, care, and willingness to share his knowledge! I had reached out to him because my 4 year old son is very interested in music. Austin went out of his way to help us do a trial lesson, as well as provide us with many resources for my young son's interest in music. Though the guitar wasn't the right fit yet at this young age for my son, Austin was genuine and honest in our conversations, kind, and very giving of his time and wisdom for the musical space as he helped point us to additional resources. We hope to have lessons with him soon as our kids get older!”
— Alessandra A.

“I have been taking lessons with Austin, both online and in person, for an entire year, and I can confidently say that my progress in playing classical guitar has been nothing short of exponential. Previously, I had only relied on guitar tabs and never knew how to read sheet music, but Austin has been instrumental in helping me bridge that gap. His patience and dedication during our lessons have been exceptional, and he consistently provides constructive feedback on important aspects such as dynamics and ergonomics for the pieces I practice throughout the week.
One aspect that sets Austin apart is his ability to tailor exercises specifically to my needs, which has greatly enhanced my skills. Thanks to his guidance, I can now confidently sight read sheet music from renowned composers like Bach and Sor. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Austin as a guitar teacher for anyone looking to learn the guitar and evolve as a musician.”
— Chuyang K.

“Austin is a gifted teacher. He is extremely knowledgeable and has the patience to explain concepts to a beginner. He is willing to teach any song I want to learn and can very quickly come up with a version that's at my level and sounds great. I have become much more comfortable reading tablature since I started taking lessons with Austin, which is opening up different kinds of playing. I look forward to my lesson every week.”
— Kelly P.

“It was by mere happenstance that we found ourselves lucky enough to hire Austin as our 15 year old son's guitar teacher about a year ago. I'll admit that I didn't know what to expect, as we randomly and somewhat desperately chose him after seeing a flyer in our neighborhood. Our son's former guitar teacher of 3+years unexpectedly moved out of state, leaving us high and dry!
With that said, I have been wholly impressed with every aspect of Austin's guitar instruction. He was able to handily pick up where the old teacher left off, but also, being a university educated musician, he brings a wealth of music theory and knowledge to our kid, the likes of which he hadn't been exposed to in the previous few years. I also appreciate the fact that, while Austin will teach all of the fundamentals of music, he wholeheartedly listens to his students and meets them where they are at, both philosophically and practically. For example, instead of being given specific songs of Austin's choosing, our son is able to guide his music education in the direction of his own tastes. If you want to play Taylor Swift or Imagine Dragons, Austin can do that. If you want to play classical guitar, Austin can do that, too.
Austin is a gifted musician of his own accord, and he has an intrinsic knack for sharing his gifts and empowering his students to dig deep and find the grit to discover their own abilities. One thing I have also appreciated about Austin is that he supports the musical journey, whatever that might look like for you. Our kid has struggled with committing to the practice, and instead of being belittled for his shortcomings, he is encouraged to develop better habits and acknowledged for his humanness. Austin's been there too! After all, he's a former teenager. I appreciate the fact that Austin is such a calm, caring, centered, articulate and incredibly professional instructor. If you've seen the signs around your neighborhood, don't hesitate to begin your guitar journey with Austin. He's worth every cent--and on that note, he's quite affordable, too!”
— Stephanie G.

“As an adult learner, with a very modest background in music, I tried (for years) to teach myself guitar, but it’s only since I started lessons with Austin that my ability with the instrument has leapt forward. His approach is methodical, but he’s consistently able to pivot to new topics or ideas where I have questions. If you are interested in learning the guitar (at any level) you will find a committed and invested teacher in Austin. I cannot recommend him enough.”
— Cody C.

“Austin is great with adult learners of all levels, and given his gentle temperament, I know he’s great with kids and teens too. He is genuinely interested in each student’s goals and incorporates them into the lessons. Austin’s knowledge about musical genres and guitar techniques is vast, he is truly an expert musician and a natural teacher. You won’t regret working with him!”
— Christine H.

“Austin is an excellent guitar instructor. He is very kind, patient, and knowledgeable. My daughter really enjoys every lesson with him. I highly recommend Austin to anyone looking for a guitar teacher.”
— Dima M.

“I started seeing Austin a little less than a year ago, and he's been a great guitar teacher. I'd had previous experience playing guitar, but I wanted to expand my skills -- particularly when it came to fingerpicking. I'm very pleased with the progress I've made. Austin is approachable, friendly, and encouraging. He has suggested good songs for me to learn, and has also taught me songs that I was interested in playing. He has a deep knowledge of music and theory, but I've never felt overwhelmed while talking with him. Whenever I have a question about how to play a certain part of song, he's been able to give me a clear answer. He's also flexible, and has supported my various interests and whims throughout the months. Highly recommended.”
— Ben S.

“Learning the guitar was a bucket list item for me, one driven by COVID and nearing retirement, but I came into it with no musical background beyond elementary school band which was sooo long ago. In about 11 months I've gone from a neophyte to being able to read music and play at a passable level. Austin is a great instructor. He's fantastic at honing in on problem areas and giving good guidance and encouragement. I would highly recommend him as an instructor.”
— Jim M.

“Austin is very organized and has helped me improve by providing structure to my routine. He identifies weak areas quickly and prescribes the right music and exercises for me to fix them, but is also flexible to teach anything I want to focus on. He's an excellent musician while still being approachable and friendly.”
— Vanessa C.

“Austin is an excellent guitar instructor; he is very patient with slow progress with beginners like me. The lessons are always fun, informative, and leave me with good direction on what to focus on for the next week of my practice. It is clear he has a great appreciation for music and passes on that enthusiasm to his students. I highly recommend taking lessons with him regardless of your experience level.”
— Andras P.

“Austin is an amazing instructor! He has a lot of patience and has been really helping me learn the correct posture, hand and finger positions in order to play with ease without hurting my wrist, etc. Austin always spends time to prepare materials that are right for my level and interests, and helped me achieve my goals as a guitar player.”
— Jackie L.

“Austin was my guitar teacher for 3 months while I was in Seattle. I had no music background and it didn’t matter to him because he was able to teach at any level, and work with any student. I am thankful for his lessons where we played guitar but also lessons that we discussed music theory and built a bit of schooling around each lesson that we were learning. I will be moving on with the foundation I’ve built with Austin and I cant say how much I recommend him as a teacher!”
— Trevor S.

“I first started taking lessons with Austin around August of 2020, entirely online due to COVID. I've been very happy with his teaching. He makes exercises tailored just to me of what I need to work on, is very patient and very helpful. We often go slightly overtime to make sure we finish up whatever we're working on and my playing has drastically improved. If I had any friends looking, I'd happily recommend them to him! We've been working together now for about a year and a half, and I am very happy with the progress we have made.”
— Russ M. Seattle guitar lessons, guitar instruction.

All of these reviews and many more can be found on my Google page!