Experienced tutor in Guitar in Richfield, Michael offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Mike is a fantastic teacher who really cares about his students and takes the time to help them learn the kind of music they enjoy. He does a great job at letting you move at your own pace while making sure to give you pieces with the right amount of challenge. He's a super nice guy and a really good musician, highly recommend to anyone of any skill level.

Five out of Five stars for Mike O'Malley

I first took lessons with Mike back in 2012, and when I was able to return to lessons years later, he was the only teacher I considered. I'm still improving every month. Since my last review, my speed and timing have improved noticeably, my understanding of theory has deepened, and I've added a long list of songs to my repertoire.

What sets Mike apart is how he connects everything. A lesson might move from modes and major scale patterns to Paul Gilbert style picking sequences, and then show how those ideas live inside songs like Black Dog, Heaven and Hell, or Mr. Crowley. He's just as comfortable teaching a Celtic tune or a Fernando Sor study as he is a Van Halen riff, so I never get bored and I'm always stretching in a new direction.

Mike is patient and encouraging, and he adjusts each lesson to where I am and where I want to go. I record every lesson, and there's always so much useful material that reviewing the recordings has become a big part of my practice. If you want a teacher who will make you a better, more well-rounded musician and keep you excited to pick up the guitar, I recommend Mike without hesitation.

I have been taking lesson from Mike for many years. He is an awesome teacher. Mike has a great knowledge of music and is flexible to level of expertise. Mike was recommended to me and since has become a friend. His main goal for me has always been for me to enjoy learning and playing. Our sessions are not always about playing. sometimes they are about life and how music brings us all together. Mike has let me evolve at my pace and that means a lot to me. I also listen to music differently and appreciate it more. I could keep writing for a while. And he is really a great guitarist. I enjoy my weekly sessions and will keep doing it with Mike.

I’ve been taking lessons with Mike O’Malley for years, and every lesson has been a worthwhile investment. He is professional, prepared, and genuinely dedicated to helping each student improve. Mike creates individualized lesson plans based on a student’s goals and skill level, making every session both challenging and enjoyable.

His knowledge extends far beyond guitar technique. With a lifetime of experience playing, teaching, studying music theory and history, managing music stores, and performing in a wide range of bands and styles, Mike brings an impressive depth of expertise to every lesson. He can also help with instrument selection, troubleshooting, maintenance, and care.

Mike is a highly accomplished guitarist with a deep understanding of classic rock, metal, blues, classical music, and much more. He has a remarkable ability to capture the sound and style of different artists while bringing his own distinctive musical voice to everything he plays.

What stands out most is that Mike is not an instructor you will outgrow. Whether you want to learn a specific song, technique, or sound, he will master it himself and then teach it to you. His lessons are always thoughtfully prepared, educational, and fun—and they consistently push you to the next level.

I went to music school with Mike and we worked on several projects together. Great player, great guy.

Hey guitar friend, If you get a chance spend some time learning from Michael. He’s dedicated his life to the instrument and has spent countless hours honing his craft. Was fortunate to spend a year with him at Professional Guitar School and have followed his growth as he’s performed across the Twin Cities and outstate venues. He’s proficient, professional and most importantly personable, an easy to learn from teacher who can help you on your six string journey.
- Pete

I have known Michael for 30 years. He was a student when I taught at Music Tech/McNally Smith and Mike completed the program there. He has taught and played guitar professionally around the twin cities metro and midwest for decades. Mike is a great player and teacher with a wealth of knowledge regarding blues, classic rock and more!

To whom it may concern at Superprof,

I have known Mike O’Malley for 39 years. He was my private guitar student and a student at a private postsecondary music trade school, which I was part-owner of.

Our school, initially called Music Tech (later renamed McNally, Smith College of Music), was accredited by both the State of Minnesota and the National Association of Schools of Music. We offered a range of Professional Musician courses, including Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Voice, and Recording Engineering.

Mike O’Malley graduated from our one-year Professional Guitar Course in 1988, having attended from 1987 to 1988.

Mike was an exceptional student. He worked diligently and consistently received excellent grades. Our courses covered various subjects, such as Music Theory, Guitar Fingerboard Theory (which included improvisation), Guitar Ensemble and Creative Projects (where students led ensembles and performed original and cover music), and Songwriting and Composition.

Having known Mike for almost 40 years, I have witnessed his remarkable journey as a professional musician, Guitar Educator, Songwriter, and Recording Artist.

It has been fascinating to observe his teaching practice. It’s evident that he has an unwavering passion for sharing his knowledge and skills with others. I appreciate his gentle and step-by-step approach in imparting his vast knowledge of guitar, music theory, and all aspects of musicianship to his students. He is truly a teacher’s teacher, and other guitar teachers could certainly learn a great deal from him. It’s clear that Mike goes above and beyond to ensure the success of his students.

Currently, I reside approximately two hours away from Mike, which poses a challenge in sending student referrals his way. However, if I were to live closer, he would undoubtedly be my first choice.

I highly recommend Mike as a guitar teacher. With years of experience, he possesses the ability to connect with students and guide them effectively towards achieving their musical goals.

I've known Michael since we graduated from the Professional Guitar School of Minneapolis (PGS) in 1988. He's a great guy, an amazing musician and wonderful guitar instructor!

I have been taking lessons from Mike for a little over a year now and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience! After trying to teach myself for almost a decade, I finally pulled the trigger and started looking for a teacher. He came highly recommended and has exceeded my expectations. His teaching style is super fun for a beginner player and he is great at pacing the lessons. It never feels overwhelming while also never feeling stagnant. Whenever I show him something I want to learn he is ready the next week with new songs and skills for me to work on. I truly feel like I will be playing the guitar for the rest of my life and I have Mike to thank for that!

If you’re thinking about dusting off an old guitar or just getting started, MIke O'Malley is the teacher to keep you inspired and motivated! He’s patient and has a great way of teaching. I’ve had a lot of teachers through the years but always gave it up before I got far. Mike takes time and walks through the details that I was always missing before. I highly recommend signing up for lessons with him. He’s an amazing teacher!

Mike listens to where you want to go. He moves you at your own pace. I just wanted to learn the basics so I can play by myself. I'm very happy with the results.

Before working with Mike I would pick up my guitar occasionally, and put it down quickly, with no direction of learning. After the first lesson with Mike I was doing basic chord strumming, and within only a few weeks I was playing rhythm for some of my favorite songs. In the nearly 2 years that I took lessons with him I learned a lot and always looked forward to learning another song.

I've been taking lessons with Mike for a few years now and I'm very happy with the progress I've made. Mike is a great teacher, he's very knowledgeable and talented, and he does a really good job of incorporating my questions and interest into our lessons. He gives me good constructive feedback and always has good suggestions on how to improve. Mike has a lot of real world experience playing in bands and recording and producing music which he also works into our lessons and I find that to be incredibly valuable as well. If you're looking for a guitar teacher I would highly recommend Mike.

I started taking lessons from Mike 6 months ago. Totally thankful he is my teacher. He is teaching me to have fun, to play songs correctly, to develop a productive practice regimen, to NOT be a hack.
He is extremely knowledgeable about the guitar, guitar theory, and is very adept at creating my own personal lesson(very important)itinerary that matches my skill level, and then elevates that skill level with each incremental song to learn new skill sets. He is currently playing in a band(very important)!!!!
He is patient and monitors and corrects my playing rather than letting things go(extremely important)!!!! He is very nice and fun to talk to,
And I absolutely recommend him as a guitar teacher.
For me personally, He most importantly of all understands and appreciates the genius of Malcolm and Angus.
Absolutely a 5 star teacher.

I like how he focuses on what I want to learn. He is also good at being flexible.

I decided to start learning how to play guitar at age 60, with no musical knowledge of any kind. When I first talked to Mike about taking lessons, he took the time to talk to me about my goals and what it was that I wanted to get out of this. As we've gone through lessons for the past 2 years, we've kept building on the skills I've learned and added to them as we've gone on. Mike is a great teacher and has a lot of patience. Whether you're a complete beginner like me or someone who already plays and just wants to get better, I would definitely recommend Mike.

Mike is a master of the guitar. He can pick up any style of music and play flawlessly. That said, I believe his greatest strength is catering to each individual student, understanding their taste in music and abilities. He picks out lessons/songs that keep the student engaged. He also offers advice on the best equipment to own. It is not a one size fits all. I also appreciate that he is flexible and will work with the student's schedule. I have been taking lessons for four years at this point, and have improved a lot! I still love going to my lessons and playing guitar

Mike has been great to work with. My daughter loves taking lessons from him. He's an excellent guitar player, very knowledgeable, understands what my daughter wants to play and is always prepared with fun for her music that teaches the next new skill.

Mike is a stellar teacher! He has so much patience and always points out little things to make it sound better. He progresses lessons at the students pace and is very encouraging at every step. When I have moments of frustration, he knows how to respond to keep the momentum going. He himself is so exceptionally talented that he inspires to keep practicing and learning more. I cannot recommend O’Malley highly enough!

Mike did a great job of understanding the type of player I was when I started as well as the type of player I wanted to become. He tailored the lessons towards these goals and helped me build a solid foundation of theory and technique so that I could pick up on the next challenge quickly. I saw incredible progress in my year of lessons with Mike and I’m very glad I decided to improve my playing with him. The lessons themselves were enjoyable in that they weren’t solely focused on going through sheet music and theory but instead we talked about why these songs worked and how to understand what I liked in certain pieces of music. He was open to suggestions on new directions I wanted to explore and helped add to my musical arsenal by showing me music I would not have previously thought to explore. I highly recommend taking lessons with Mike and I enjoyed my time learning under him.

Mike is just a great teacher. He loves the music and you can tell he wants to share that with his students. My daughter has make great progress so quickly with Mike teaching her. Couldn't be happier!

I have been taking lessons with Mike for roughly a year now and he's helped me improve immensely. I've rarely felt like I've been in a rut since becoming his student and can feel myself improving little by little thanks to his guidance. Definitely a teacher I'd recommend.

I've been taking lessons from Mike for 10+ years, ever since I first purchased my guitar. I didn't know the first thing about playing guitar but Mike has taught me everything I know and has been extremely helpful over the years. I have never needed another instructor and am very pleased with my playing abilities.

Mike is well educated in music theory and his knowledge covers a wide range of musical history and genres. I'm always impressed with what I learn from him and Mike always keeps it interesting.

It's one thing to be able to teach someone how to read tab or to memorize and play a bunch of notes on a guitar, but Mike's students really benefit from learning the theory (the "why" and "how") of what they are playing. This opens up a whole new level of playing ability and allows students to apply what they've learned in other areas of their guitar-playing (such as improvisation or even writing your own material). Without the foundation of music theory, a guitar musician will be very limited in their progress.

Even if you already know how to play guitar.. regardless of your reason for seeking a guitar instructor you needn't search any further than Mike O'Malley.

Mike was exceptionally patient, and he tailored his lessons to my area of interest. It was not like attending a formal class, where the instructor has a set format and the student is expected to conform. He asked me what my interests were, actually, he had me write a short list, and then he went from there. He gave me a new song every week, along with exercises which were pertinent to that song. Every song was from the style of music I wanted to play. It was a great experience, and I feel he made the most of my time. I wish college had been like that... He also helped me with instrument issues and had a great sense of humor. Two horns way up 🤘

Mike has been instrumental (sorry!) in my development as a guitarist. He provides just the right balance between learning the technical aspects of playing, improvising, music theory, and learning songs (which is, after all, what it is all about). Mike is terrifically supportive and flexible. Plus, he's just a really great guy to sit around and discuss music, gigs, bands, etc. I can recommend, without reservation, Mike O'Malley to anyone wanting to develop their technical and musical abilities on the guitar. Do yourself a favor and sign up with Mike. You won't be disappointed.

Mike makes every lesson fun and interesting. You progress at your own pace and pursue the type of music that interests you. His guitar skills are incredible and he is a living encyclopedia of music history.

I've been taking lessons from Mike for 11 years. He taught me everything I know on the guitar and I wouldn't consider anyone else for a guitar instructor.

Whether you're brand new to playing guitar or want to improve upon your current playing level, Mike's your guy. He applies his education in music theory to teach you to understand music and song construction. Whomever your influence(s) is/are, under Mike you will learn not simply how to play the same notes as them but also an understanding of why they chose those notes in the first place. Having this deeper understanding of music and music theory makes for a much more enjoyable experience when I play guitar.

Mike is an excellent guitar teacher and an amazing player to watch and learn from. As a 54 year old guy who took up the guitar late in life, I'm really happy with how I've progressed over the past couple years with Mike's help. I wasn't a complete beginner, having messed around with community ed and internet lessons for a few years, but I really started to "get it" when I started with Mike. He chooses great music to practice and I've learned a ton about the history of blues and rock from him. Playing guitar has become much more fun since I started his lessons. I highly recommend Mike as a teacher.

I really liked that I got to choose any song I wanted to play anytime and we'd go through it together, and if I didn't have a song I wanted to do, we'd learn techniques or new songs.

Mike does a great job finding relevant songs to teach and dissects the song to show how the instruments work together. He finds innovative ways to explain the instrument. And he is a super nice guy with lots of cool guitars.

A unique talent for teaching. Mike first learns and understands the desire outcome for the student. He has an easy going style. Most importantly he is a great artist. His playing ability is outstanding. Mike is one of the best teachers anyone could have.

Mike is a good teacher! He is easy to get along with, accommodating to my schedule, willing and able to adapt lessons to my playing ability/musical interests, and provides lots of material to play. I definitely improved during my time taking lessons from Mike.

Lessons with Mike are very productive. He has a plan based on your musical interests (based on a survey he sends you prior to the first lesson). And each lesson builds on the previous skills and techniques you've learned. I'm very satisfied!

Mike is a fantastic teacher. He's very knowledgeable and experienced, and has an accessible, laid-back style that makes learning easy and fun. I would recommend him to any aspiring musician without hesitation.

My daughter has some fairly legit skills in guitar. She has gone through a number of instructors, because she reaches their level and no progress is made. This hasn't been a problem with Mike.... Not even remotely close! Honestly, Mike is a phenom on his guitar and the best instructor we've ever had the opportunity to work under. Mike is organized, has a vision and knows how to get his students from A to Z. I couldn't recommend him more!

I've been taking lessons from Mike for about 18 months now. A great guitarist with a passion for teaching. I'm a classic rock guy and Mike knows every song I want to learn. This is my favorite hour of the week and I always look forward to my lesson!

Great sense of humor. Molds to your musical tastes - yet stays meticulous about the students progression.