Testimonials

Awesome Guitar Teacher

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

TIC

Oslo Studios

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 experience, and will continue with lessons.

Ron Hedblad

New or Experienced

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 talent most teachers do not possess.

Brad

A New Way to Look at Lessons

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. She is 14 now and writing her own music.I’m so happy with Phil’s method that my 8 year-old son started with him last month, on the guitar we bought for my daughter 5 years ago. I recommend Phil for guitarists of all ages and all skill levels!

Marty

Great Teacher

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 a complete beginner and through his teaching I understand a lot more about how music works than a lot of people that I have played with. You will not be disappointed.

Tim

Oslo Studios Review

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 scales” in with songs and other exercises that helps a person get over the “wall” of learning. The environment Phil provides in excellent and allows you to focus on the lessons without distraction. Clean and friendly.

Mark

I have the confidence to play live now!

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 methodology I understand music and guitar far more than I ever could have learned on my own.
Dale

Dale Hartman

Simply Phenomenal

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 be playing music/solos at a much more accelerated pace, but you will gain a true understanding of why the music you play sounds so good. I have also purchased both of Phil’s recently published books (A Complete Guide To The Guitar Volumes 1/2). These are a “must have” for any new and/or intermediate level guitar player. They are great resources that allow you to practice what you have learned through his lessons while also being exposed to additional guitar instruction & exercises.

Charles Perreault

A Well-Written Book For Beginners

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 when he began teaching from his home studio in the mid 2000s. Not only is Phil an excellent and open-minded musician, he truly cares about his students and loves having the ability to share his knowledge about the instrument with others. The book begins with a discussion about good habits when playing the instrument and is followed by some common guitar and music definitions. Phil then discusses the structure of standard tuning and how it affects certain patterns on the neck. Finally, there is a lot of discussion on fretboard patterns and repetition on the neck as well as the construction of scales and chords. The reason why the book is an excellent choice for beginners is that you don’t need to know how to read music to get started with it! That is developed later on. Phil provides you with tablature and staff as well as sound recordings of the exercises. In fact, if I did not take lessons from Phil and learn theory from him, I would never have achieved what I have in my music career. I have four east coast and two west coast tours in a band called “The Fast Track” beginning at the young age of 21. Our recordings are available for streaming on Spotify. Thanks Phil! Rock on!

Victor Wright

Tablature is included! A+

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 passionate about helping his students succeed on the instrument. This clearly shows in his writings/discussions of various topics covered in this part of the series. This particular book begins with establishing good playing habits followed by common musical definitions/guitar terminology. Phil then discusses the structure of standard tuning on the instrument and how it affects patterns and repetition on the neck of the instrument. Volume one closes with lessons on how scales are built and chords. Again a great book for beginners! Tablature is included! A+

V. Wright

Excited to read more!

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!

Patient and Awesome!

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 him to learn new songs, but that they would be confident in their understanding of the full instrument and how music works. He truly is awesome!

Cathy B.

Phil is a great teacher with a good attitude and an awesome book

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 cowboy chord warrior. Fast forward about five years ago I started playing guitar for my son before he went to bed and that started me wanting to actually improve so I tried and didn’t get better lol.

Fast forward to last x-mas and my wife got me guitar lessons with Phil after she did some searching. A month later I found myself able to play under the bridge without a capo to say I was floored is an understatement.
Phil has said in his books and in person, “If only someone showed me this years ago.” And it rings true for me. I was looking at the tab for that song and I recognized the shapes. it wasn’t just numbers on lines and guessing what fingers need to be where. I saw it I knew it I played it… terribly but with practice I got there. lol
I’ve made more progress in my playing ability’s in the last 7-8 months than in the last 10 years and it’s a fact not an overblown I like the guy so I’m going to give him a great review (I do he’s a super nice laid back guy) no this is just fact of the matter.
If you’re new to guitar or a cowboy chord pro like me or hell if your Stevie ray von you’re gonna learn something from Phil. If not, you’ll have a good session and a great conversation! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk if your still reading.

 

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