We’re Changing The Way People Play…

Private guitar lessons in Burnsville, MN – and a book series that teaches the way guitar actually works

Book a Lesson Explore The Books
Phil Olson: Award winnnig guiter teacher

Catch Phil in his latest interview:

The Minnesota Music Note – Ep 47 – He Gave Up His Corporate Career to Teach Guitar with Phil Olson

Guitar Lessons That
Change How You Play

Playing the guitar can be much more…I’m here to help!

I’m Phil, a guitar teacher with 25 years of teaching and 40+ years on the instrument. I’m also the author of the Awesome Guitar Series, now sold in twelve countries.

Most students come to me able to play a few songs but unable to explain why any of it works. I teach you how the whole fretboard connects, so you stop guessing and start seeing it.

Acoustic · Classical · Jazz · Blues · Rock · Metal

Just starting out?
You’ll build a foundation that actually holds up. Not habits you’ll have to unlearn later.

Stuck at the same level for years?
Plateaus are almost always a gap in understanding, not a lack of practice. We find the gap.

Already advanced?
My advanced students tell me they’re seeing things on the neck no one ever showed them.

Ready to book guitar lessons?

Book a Lesson More About Phil
Phil teaches how to play guitar in such a way that the whole neck of the guitar becomes three dimensional. I can see notes unfold as I play solos. I am playing in a band at least once a month, and playing solo acoustically at least three times a week. Thanks to Phil and his
…
Dale Hartman
I have taken lessons from other instructors and/or friends over the years, and have not learned nearly as much as the (just under) two years under Phil. Phil tailors the lessons to suit my overall needs and also keeps the lessons structured in a way that builds upon previous lessons. He mixes the “mandatory repetitive
…
Mark

Phil does a great job teaching guitar. He is very patient and helpful. Excellent teacher!

TIC
TLDR: On my own I wasn’t able to improve but working with Phil I’ve made more progress in few months than the last ten years.I have played guitar since I was 15-16, I’m 39 you do the math. I seemed to hit a plateau after a few years and honestly I didn’t mind being a
…
Fantastic guitar instruction! Phil takes the student through the guitar, and each lesson continues the building blocks of understanding the guitar neck. Chords, chord shapes, sight reading, theory. . . Phil is very knowledgeable and patient. I would recommend the Oslo Studios approach for any guitarist of any level of skill. I’ve had a great
…
Ron Hedblad
If you are new to the guitar – Oslo Studio’s is excellent! If you are experienced with the guitar – Oslo Studio’s is even better. As an experienced guitarist, he will take you to the next level you have been looking for without trying to change your whole style of playing. This is a rare
…
Brad
When I took lessons as a kid it was memorization and playing the 1st 5 frets on each string. It was so monotonous that I quit. I discovered Phil on a recommendation and signed up my then 9 year-old daughter. In a couple months, she knew more than I had learned in years of lessons.
…
Marty
Phil takes an approach to teaching guitar that is unique to the guitar and not just the traditional approach that is piano based. If you truly want to learn guitar theory and how music works and how to apply it to your playing Phil is your man. I started with Phil when I was almost
…
Tim
I’ve had three of my kids learn guitar from Phil, and they have all loved being his student. Phil is thorough and patient. He passes on the excitement of playing guitar to his students. His answers to their questions are always helpful, detailed, and patiently given. He is intent that they not be dependent on
…
Cathy B.

A Different Way to Learn Guitar

Every lesson is private, one-on-one, and built around you. I blend the songs you're excited to play with the foundational concepts that make you a stronger, more independent musician — because real progress isn't just about playing more songs. It's about finally understanding the instrument underneath them. Pick the style that pulls at you. The fundamentals are the same, and that's what I'll give you. Lessons are conducted in my studio in Burnsville, MN or online with Zoom.

Blues & Funk

Where feel meets the fretboard. Learn to make the guitar sing, cry, and groove.

Learn More

Classical & Acoustic

Melody, bass, and rhythm all under one set of hands. No pick required.

Learn More

Jazz & Fusion

The deepest harmonic vocabulary on the guitar, made approachable from day one.

Learn More

R&R Heavy Metal

From power chords to lead playing — learn to shred with real understanding behind it.

Learn More
A very humble and well-written book for beginners who are looking to learn theory and get good at the instrument fast! Additionally, an excellent reference for players of all levels. I have known Phil, the author of this series, for years and took lessons from him. In fact, I was one of his first students
…
Victor Wright
Victor Wright Volume I is a great book for beginners who are looking to learn, understand, and get good at the guitar fast! Additionally, a great reference for experienced players at well. I have known Phil since the mid-2000s and was one of his students. Not only is Phil an excellent musician, he is very
…
V. Wright
I had taken a few lessons with other guitar teachers but never really felt a strong teacher/student connection. I began taking guitar lessons with Phil and could immediately see that his teaching curriculum was nothing that I had been exposed to. Phil’s approach allows you to completely unlock the fret board. Not only will you
…
Charles Perreault

The first two volumes in this series are a great foundation, and after reviewing this and volume 4 there is definitely more to learn. So excited to dig in!

The Awesome Guitar Series

Most guitarists hit the same wall. You learn a handful of chords, memorize a few songs and then stall. The neck still feels like a mystery. The Awesome Guitar Series is a four-volume method built on a simple truth: the guitar is full of repeating patterns, and once you can see them, the entire fretboard opens up. No piano-based theory. No disconnected tips. Just the guitar, taught the way it's actually built, so the whole neck finally makes sense.

Now in the hands of players in 12 countries

The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Guide to the Guitar – Volume I: A Non-Traditional Guide to Help Guitarists Gain Insight of Neck Repetition
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Guide to the Guitar – Volume I: A Non-Traditional Guide to Help Guitarists Gain Insight of Neck Repetition
Where everything starts and where most guitar methods fall short. You'll learn the real fundamentals: how the neck works, how notes repeat across the fretboard, and how scales, keys, and chords are actually built. No music-reading required.
See Amazon for the Latest Price
More Information
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume II: Beginning Insights to Chordal Structure and Shapes
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume II: Beginning Insights to Chordal Structure and Shapes
Volume II is where the method clicks into place. You'll map chord shapes across the entire neck using the D-C-A-G-F-E system, work through major and minor structures string by string, and start seeing the fretboard as a connected whole rather than a collection of memorized positions.
See Amazon for the Latest Price
More Information
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume III: An In-Depth Study on Major/Minor Shapes & Patterns
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume III: An In-Depth Study on Major/Minor Shapes & Patterns
Volume III puts everything from the first two volumes to work. Every major and minor three-string shape, the scale patterns surrounding them, chord progressions in every key, and the full connection of the neck into one unified system. This is where it all opens up.
See Amazon for the Latest Price
More Information
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume III: An In-Depth Study on Major/Minor Shapes & Patterns
The Awesome Guitar Series: A Complete Method for the Guitar – Volume III: An In-Depth Study on Major/Minor Shapes & Patterns
It all comes together. The series concludes the study of major and minor shapes and patterns, leaving you able to move across the whole neck with real confidence and command.
See Amazon for the Latest Price
More Information

300+ Free Lessons on YouTube

Phil's YouTube channel is where the teaching never stops. With over 300 videos covering lesson material, original compositions, and solo jazz performance, it's a free resource that runs parallel to everything on this site. Whether you're a current student reinforcing what you've learned or a first-time visitor curious about Phil's approach before booking a lesson, the channel gives you a real look at how he teaches and plays. Subscribe and you'll never run out of things to work on.

Watch Free Lessons

Visit Our Blog

Questions We Hear a Lot

This is exactly who I love working with. Most experienced players I meet can play just fine - they’re just tired of being in the dark about why the guitar works the way it does. They’ve memorized shapes and songs but the neck still feels like a guessing game. My approach pulls back that curtain. We take what you already know and finally connect it, so the whole fretboard makes sense and you stop feeling lost and begin to learn the entire neck as a complete organic whole.

All lessons are taught in the Oslo Studio located in Burnsville, MN. We have students that come from all around Burnsville and as far as Minneapolis. We also offer online lessons via Zoom to students across the US and Canada.

Not at all. Some students want to learn to read, and I’m glad to teach it. Others want to learn by ear and feel, and that works too. My books and lessons include tablature alongside standard notation, so you can dive in either way and grow from there.

Most methods borrow their theory from the piano and leave you stitching together random tips from videos. I teach the guitar the way the instrument is actually built, around the repeating patterns that live all over the neck.

At the center is my D-C-A-G-F-E system, an expansion of the traditional CAGED approach, which ties chords, scales, and shapes together so the whole neck becomes one connected map instead of a pile of disconnected pieces.

Every lesson is private, one-on-one, and built around your personal goals. I blend the songs you’re excited to play with the foundational concepts that make you a stronger, more independent musician. My goal isn’t to keep you dependent on me, it’s to teach you the instrument so well that you can keep growing long after our lessons end.

Honestly, as much as you can enjoy. Just picking the guitar up every day is what counts – Your developing a habit - consistency beats marathon sessions. Even just 5 minutes – or 20 to 30 focused minutes a day will move you forward faster than an occasional long stretch. I’ll help you practice the right things so your time actually pays off, instead of repeating the same mistakes.

Plenty - rock, blues, funk, jazz, fusion, metal, classical and acoustic fingerstyle among them. Whatever style pulls at you, the underlying understanding of the neck is the same, and that’s what I’ll give you so you can play the music you actually want to play. The fundamentals of the neck apply to all styles. What you do with it is up to you and that’s where this gets to be fun. I’ve found that my students leave excited to continue to experiment with what they’ve learned here as a significant tool for the rest of their life playing the guitar.

Yes. I teach both guitar and bass, (even the Ukulele) and the same approach to understanding the neck applies to any stringed instrument.

The best first step is an introductory lesson. It's a real, full lesson at my regular rate of $40 per half hour, not a sales pitch, and there's nothing to sign and no package to buy. We'll talk about where you are, what's been frustrating you, and where you want to go, and then we'll start working on it right away. I’ll also share my own personal experience and how I discovered things that completely changed my insights on the guitar. Most students leave that first half hour already seeing the guitar a little differently. Reach out today and let's set it up.

No, and you never will. I don't do contracts, and I don't sell packages. Every lesson is $40 per half hour, one lesson at a time, whether it's your first or your one hundredth. I've built my studio on a simple belief: if you're finding real value in our lessons, you'll keep coming back, and if you're not, you shouldn't be locked into paying me. After 25 years of teaching, that approach has never let me down. You stay because your playing is growing, not because a contract says you have to.

Ready To Get Started?