Seattle Guitar Teacher

I’ve been taking lessons with Pascal for 6 months (usually 1 every 2 weeks).
I am amazed at the progress I’ve made. I’ve gone from badly strumming a few songs to being able to do some simple guitar solos. Pascal focuses on fundamentals and technique, and it pays off, and really helps you learn faster.
There were some lessons where I didn’t feel like I made progress, but a month later I’d be playing something new that I would have had no chance teaching myself to play. The lessons are a lot of fun, they’re something I look forward to a lot.

Great guy to work with. If you have been playing for a while and the playing is getting no where. See Pascal! He has tips that will make you a better player.

I have been studying with Pascal for just about 2 months. But that’s enough for me to say he is an awesome guitar teacher. I think his teaching experience and method is a huge advantage for people who need professional guidance.
I was self-​teaching for about a year before I came to Pascal. It worked out just fine. I learned something. But I started to get confused at a point where I don’t know how to move forward. I like a very specific group of guitarist (mostly Japanese fingerstyle players). And I wanted to learn how to master songs from those guitarist. And there is no such website or book that would teach me how to do that. Most of the guitar books or websites either give out general informations or put all information together as a mess.
Finally I decided to find a teacher. I found the lesson with Pascal pretty effective. He is an experienced teacher who knows what you need to learn in order to achieve your goal. He has plenty of handouts that really helps me practice. The most important thing I learned from him is the big picture of guitar learning. For example, I learned the connection between scales and chords, why/​how to improvise with these, how to go from there to other relevant things, etc.
When I look back over a year, I realize I have wasted some much time and effort trying to teach myself and wish it could have similar outcome as having a good teacher. Studying with Pascal saves me so much time and effort (because it’s actually easier!)

Pascal is a fantastic teacher, and not just for beginners but for experienced players as well!
I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years, but haven’t taken any formal lessons in the past 15 of those. I felt like I was in a rut with my playing so I started taking lessons with Pascal a few months ago. He was able to immediately help me improve my technique and help me correct some inefficiencies that I didn’t even notice I was doing. The word «inefficiencies» in the last sentence was chosen very deliberately because Pascal has a great way of showing that there are multiple ways to play the instrument and not one specific «right» and «wrong» way.
I feel like I’ve made more progress in the last 4 months than I had in years.

Pascal Louvel is a master guitar teacher. Every lesson I feel like he’s sharing the shortcuts to playing how I want.
I’ve been playing guitar and keyboards for many years, so I’ve been somewhat cautious about approaching a professional instructor to help me «get serious» about the guitar. Like other players, I’ve run into overly pedantic instructors who take every player back to the beginning and teach the «right» way to play the instrument, but also the loose instructors who have no structure and can’t deeply answer theory or technique questions.
Pascal has managed to build a rigorous teaching methodology while still being fun and really engaged in what the student wants to learn. He’s has compiled drawers and drawers full of prepared exercises and explanations, but he’s looking to help me find the most helpful topics to work on rather than disregard what I already know.
I have a great time learning with Pascal, because he knows an amazing amount about music, the guitar, performance, and recording. I throw questions about him about frets, intonation, tuning, chord naming, pick angle, string gauges, fingering, chord voicing. He’s consistently humble about his knowledge, and then tells me everything I could want to know on the subject. When I ask about players I like, he’s completely familiar with how those players play. It seems like half the time he’s had my favorite players as his own instructors.
Best of all, Pascal really loves music. He’s genuinely thrilled at my improvement, and is very respectful of what I already know and how I already play. I’ve been playing the guitar for a long time, but Pascal’s got me excited about making music.

Pascal Louvel is incredible! I could tell from day one he was going to make a huge difference in my guitar playing. His lessons are prepared in advance so very little time is spent penciling out lesson material. His recording/​teaching studio is a very clean and professional, and his super well organized library of teaching materials allows us to maximize our learning time. I love playing his teaching material! None of the guys I took lessons from before had such an effective approach. I have so much fun with it! His lessons have introduced me to various pop, rock, country, metal, and jazz concepts from very popular musicians. He has a unique way of teaching rhythm that has helped me capture phrasing and keep songs in time. Recently I’ve started taking his harmony classes. These classes have given me the knowledge to confidently play with other musicians and create great music. I would highly recommend Pascal for anyone that desires to learn more about the guitar. I am moving back to Arizona for work (and sun!). I wish I could take him with me!

Yes, Pascal is an effective guitar teacher. He also charges about 50% more ($ 90 per hour vs. the $ 60 — $ 65 per hour average) than many other equally good Seattle area guitar teachers.
I notice some other reviewers referr to his «Studio» for their practice sessions– it is in fact just his personal apartment, which is insanely cluttered, chaotic and flat-​out unsanitary.
For a lot less money you can find an equally good teacher in a clean and professional working environment, such as a public music store or a studio. I’m not sure about the timeliness or accuracy of his claim to be the «Guitar Teacher of Choice» recommended by all 3 local Guitar Center stores — but if in fact those store managers have recommended him, I suggest they make an unannounced visit to this location, and then decide if it really meets their standards.

Pascal Louvel is an excellent guitar teacher. I have been taking lessons from Pascal at his studio in North Seattle for several months now and I’m continually impressed with Pascal and very pleased with my progress on the guitar.
Pascal has a relaxed and friendly attitude, but it’s clear that he’s exceptionally good at his trade. He has years of experience and teaching materials on hand, and I enjoy that Pascal customizes what he teaches to each student’s skill level and goals. He has developed a very effective teaching method that works well for me. I’ve had plenty of music education previously in my life and Pascal quickly recognized that we could move quickly over the basics of reading music, rhythm notation, etc. and he’s always prepared with an exercise or two for me to take home and practice to expand my skills further.
I found Pascal via his web site and called him and he was very professional and courteous leading up to our first appointment. He’s got his teaching down to a science and Pascal is very efficient with his administrative matters. I’m grateful for this because it leaves a lot more time for the guitar lesson itself.
Pascal charges a reasonable fee for his service and I’m looking forward to learning from Pascal for a long time to come.

Pascal is an amazing teacher to say the least! I’ve playing guitar for years with never a full grasp of harmony, and within a few short hours he caught me up on some of the most vital information I was missing. A true expert teacher. Give him a chance… You won’t be disappointed!!!

I work in a guitar store and get the chance to refer teachers to students regularly. I have been sending students to Pascal since the mid 90’s. He Has an amazing system of teaching that really works. If you want to really learn to play and have fun at the same time then go to Pascal!

I was fortunate enough to take lessons from Pascal for a number of months last summer. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to continue due to personal reasons, but my experience with him was wonderful and very fruitful.
I’ve been playing for a very long time, and sometimes in my position its hard to recognize your weaknesses and figure out where to make progress. Pascal was able to talk to me openly and honestly about where my deficiencies were without making me feel bad in any way. He was encouraging and had a plan! I was able to make immediate progress on some very fundamental aspects of guitar that had been holding me back for a long time.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more organized and efficient instructor, and it really helps in making incremental progress over the short term, and taking major strides over the long term. I’d highly recommend Pascal to anyone looking for guitar lessons with disciplined and well-​thought-​out lesson plans. His focus on technique and fundamentals can help anyone through any style.

I started out trying to teach myself to play the guitar using beginner books and free online lessons. At first I was enthused to be taking the plunge and learning some chords. What was missing was an understanding of the structure behind what I was learning. For example, I didn’t want to just learn the chords to popular songs but rather why those chords could be used together and why. I soon realized that trying to teach myself was going to be a long and potentially error prone process so I decided to seek out private instruction. I wanted to be able to ask «why» and get an answer and not have to guess or poke around in the dark and hope to stumble on understanding. I needed a guide.
Having spent a fair amount of my adult life in various universities I knew that mileage can vary when it to comes to instruction. After spending some time looking over various local online search results I found Pascal’s site. I was immediately struck by the difference in his presentation from the rest of the offerings. Instead of a bio and picture there was a complete presentation of his approach to guitar instruction. The emphasis on an understanding of harmony struck home with me and I gave him a call.
I’ve been taking weekly one hour lessons with Pascal for four months. If I had to find another teacher it would be like having my world turned upside down. In the first few minutes of my first lesson, Pascal identified what was my biggest fear, rhythm and timing. Pascal immediately recognized that I didn’t play to any particular tempo and how crucial that is to making music. I’ve come to expect Pascal’s keen attention to how I am playing my exercises. There is no indifference or laziness here, he watches, assesses, then instructs. Pascal writes his own lessons, he doesn’t borrow pages from books or other sources (each page has an idea or purpose that is clearly defined, each a building block of understanding). His energy to embellish his own written material with written impromptu notes and clarifications are the norm for each lesson.
My curiosity about music theory was met with much enthusiasm. Even though I have only been playing for a few months my understanding of harmony and how it relates to the guitar fingerboard still astonishes me. Granted, I ask a lot of questions and because of my math background I can absorb concepts quickly, but regardless, Pascal has the answers and you can sense his excitement when he shares ideas that open up your understanding about music and especially the guitar. Looking back at the last few months I realize I take Pascal’s knowledge for granted, he never has to look something up in a book or get back to you on some idea. Some of my favorite lessons have been when my head was full of questions and getting access to Pascal for an hour.
If there is a rhythm I just can’t get down or an idea that is foggy for me Pascal has the patience and experience to present the material in a way that makes it seem easy. Pascal is great at sensing when something is shaky in my playing or my understanding and quickly focuses on solving the problem. He places a lot of emphasis on the importance of the fundamentals and how that will ultimately lead to real enjoyment as I grow as a guitarist. Pascal has made me aware of how important it is to learn something correctly the first time rather than trying to retrain yourself down the road (I honestly feel I will be saving countless wasted hours by learning material in an order that makes sense for my experience and by learning good technique from the start).
I feel so fortunate that Pascal is available in this time and this place to take lessons from. I feel that Pascal has a real talent for teaching. I feel it is something he is both talented at and genuinely loves to do. I look forward to my lesson each week with excitement, knowing that I am steadily growing as a guitarist. I always leave my lessons with a smile on my face and looking forward to the days ahead with a guitar in my lap.

I started taking lessons with Pascal over 5 years ago as a wee beginner. Looking back at where I started, I’m surprised at how much progress I have made and have learned more than I ever expected to.
You’re probably reading this review because you’re looking for a guitar teacher. At the time I was looking for a teacher, I was most impressed with Pascal’s website, the content of which demonstrated a care and attention to detail that gave me the feeling that the person behind it would have a similar attitude towards teaching. If you don’t have an instrument yet, don’t worry, Pascal will give you all the advice you need on choosing the right one.
It is obvious from the start that Pascal is not only an phenomenal guitar player, but also, and more importantly, displays a strong passion and dedication for teaching. Each lesson is carefully designed and structured to build off of techniques previously learned and Pascal has a knack for making even difficult concepts easy to digest. He imparts simple tips and tricks, mined from years of experience, that have helped me master techniques and avoid tedious memorization exercises which would have made the learning process agonizingly painful. Having one-​on-​one lessons also allows Pascal to give me the personal attention needed to provide feedback, positive and negative, and nip bad habits in the bud before they become ingrained. Additionally, each lesson comes with handouts which are handy to practice with and use as a reference (I have 400+ pages of material so it’s important to keep it all organized).
Pascal has a diverse set of musical tastes and a secondary benefit of taking lessons with him is that he’s exposed me to a plethora of great music that I would not otherwise have discovered on my own. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or think you can rival Joe Satriani, there’s something for you to learn from Pascal. Also, I’ve found that lessons are very motivating in terms of encouraging me to keep practice because, yes, I do get lazy sometimes. With Pascal, if you put in the time and effort, you will be rewarded greatly with the freedom to be as creative as your heart desires and you will have more fun playing the guitar than a mouse running loose in a cheese factory.
Oh, and Pascal’s a super cool guy too.

I picked up the guitar a few of months ago and found a teacher in West Seattle; by the time I left I was very frustrated, but did not want to give up. I felt as though that teacher was throwing too many things at me all at once.
I decided to try another teacher, and I am so glad I did. Pascal is a wonderful, talented and most all, patient teacher. My friends have commented on how much I have learned in such a short period of time.
The nice thing about Pascal, is that he moves at a pace that he knows you can handle, and being from a family of musicians and teachers, I knew after my first lesson that he knew what he was doing. I practice everyday because he makes learning fun and easy for me.
I would definitely recommend Pascal if you want to have fun learning the guitar.

I have been taking lessons from Pascal for nearly a year now.
Pascal is a fantastic guitar player, but more importantly to me he is an experienced and effective teacher.
From the first lesson he has been clear, concise, encouraging, motivating and serious about my progress on the guitar.
Pascal displays a strong passion for guitar playing and teaching and his in depth understanding of the subject comes across in his lessons.
His lessons are very well thought out. Over weeks of teaching, you can look back and see that each lesson has clearly built on the last, and nearly every week I have been amazed at the things that I can play and how easy it has been by taking incremental steps to improve.
The one on one time with Pascal has been a great help. He pays very close attention to every little thing I do to make sure I am doing things the right way all with the intention of making sure that I avoid any roadblocks or technical issues that can lead to plateaus.
Pascal’s clear gift for teaching and his amazing talent on guitar are a killer combination for a guitar teacher. I would highly recommend anyone who is serious about improving on guitar both technically and harmonically look to Pascal.
You definitely get the impression that he can teach just about anything.

I started taking classes with Pascal Louvel about 18 months and have made steady progress on my technique as well as my understanding of music in general. Outside of being an outstanding guitar player, Pascal has developed a truly effective teaching method that can accommodate students at any level of expertise. Good for me since I was a beginner when I started. So we started with the basics of rhythm & timing and I got the help I needed there. So eventually we moved into lead guitar techniques and harmony in general. I should note that I am in my early forties and thus have limited time to practice. Because of Pascal’s approach, I have been able to maximize my practice time by focusing on the exercises and techniques that are most important. I would also like to mention that Pascal is very patient with me and easy to work with. It’s been a blast working with Pascal, I really enjoy practicing the material and experiencing steady improvement in my playing.

I strongly recommend Pascal Louvel as a guitar teacher for all skill levels. I have studied with Pascal since February 2010, and am highly satisfied with the music content and his clear, accessible teaching style. I also play clarinet and piano for the fun of it, and can read music, but the guitar has its own unique rewards and challenges. I love anything that has to do with the guitar, and Pascal thoughtfully passes on information about players, recordings, gear, and websites that he feels might be of interest or use to me. Pascal customizes each of my biweekly lessons to my current level of understanding and practice. As a result, I have steadily made progress. So far, we have covered basic rhythms and playing technique, scale patterns in preparation for playing lead and eventual improvisation, chord forms, including barre chords, and songs that are challenging to play, but in a motivating, not discouraging, way. Two things that struck me right off in studying with Pascal is that, one, he really emphasizes practicing and playing music in proper time, which is crucial to playing well with other musicians, amateur or professional. The other thing is that he strongly urges students to practice in between lessons, which leads without fail to better playing and musicianship. With Pascal, I am motivated to practice at least 15 – 20 minutes per day, 3 or more days per week. Also, he is quite patient with questions or challenges I may have with a lesson, and thoroughly addresses them before we move on. I’ll close with how impressed I am with Pascal’s musical knowledge and guitar mastery, Over the years, he has developed an extremely comprehensive system of teaching harmony, and for me, it is the perfect approach to advancing my understanding of chords, scales, and the art of improvisation.

I have been working with Pascal for about a year and half, and can state that we are fortunate to have access to a consummate musician that has a genuine enthusiasm and passion for teaching. In some cases professionals of this caliber do not have the patience to work with novices like me, this is not the case with Pascal. Pascal’s broad musical influences, training, and many years of experience as an instructor have allowed him to develop a systematic approach that provides the necessary structure for students to grow and improve as both guitar players and musicians. For those of you out there wanting to take your knowledge of music to a higher level, Pascal’s knowledge of harmony/​theory is equally impressive, and available to students
who wish to develop their knowledge in this area. In summary I would not
hesitate to recommend Pascal as a teacher to any person regardless of their skill level or musical interests; Pascal has the depth, breadth, and
enthusiasm to help you achieve your musical goals.