Do you teach total beginners?

Absolutely. Most students start as complete beginners. There's no audition and no prior experience needed — just a wish to sing, play or write. We start exactly where you are and build from there.

Do online lessons actually work?

Yes — really well. With a phone or laptop and a quiet room, online lessons are warm, focused and effective. Plenty of students learn entirely online, and the lesson is the same price whether it's in person or online.

Can I take lessons if I'm in Wellington?

Yes. Wellington and Porirua students learn online, which works beautifully for singing, guitar and songwriting. In-person lessons are on the Kāpiti Coast, so if you'd prefer to meet face to face you're welcome to come up the line.

Where on the Kāpiti Coast do you teach?

In-person lessons are based at Waikanae Beach, easy to reach from Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Raumati and across the wider Kāpiti Coast. Everywhere else is covered online.

How much do lessons cost?

Lessons are $80 per 60-minute session — the same price in person or online. Get in touch and I'll confirm current availability.

Do you teach singing, guitar and songwriting?

All three. You can focus on one or weave them together — many students sing while they play and want to write their own songs, so the lessons flex to whatever you'd love to learn.

Singing · Guitar · Songwriting — Kāpiti Coast, Wellington & Online

Ryan Edwards — Singing, Guitar & Songwriting Lessons · Kāpiti Coast, Wellington & Online

Folk-soul singer-songwriter — now teaching the craft of singing, guitar and songwriting, one-to-one.

Book a lesson Hear the music

Waikanae Beach, Kāpiti Coast

Learn with Ryan

Twenty-five years of writing, recording and performing — from London stages to New Zealand radio — distilled into warm, one-to-one lessons. In person on the Kāpiti Coast, or online for students in Wellington and anywhere else. No ego, no shortcuts. Honest craft, taught like an evening with a friend who happens to be very good at this.

Lessons are $80 per 60-min session — same price in person or online.

Ryan Edwards teaching a singing lesson, playing acoustic guitar beside a young singer in a wood-panelled room

Singing Lessons

Find your voice.

Sing with feeling and authenticity.

I can help you find your voice. You don’t need to be an incredible vocalist to be able to sing - you just need to know your voice. Some of the greatest performers are people whose voices are distinctive, without being necessarily incredible singers. Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega, Mark Knopfler, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty - their voices are the soundtrack to our lives, and they have mastered the art of singing their way.

I can help you find your voice, not an imitation of someone else's.

What you'll learn: Tone, technique, phrasing, dynamics and honest delivery.
Who it's for: Total beginners through to gigging singers wanting to find their own voice.

I can help you sing so you enjoy yourself, so you can express yourself, and so you can find a deeper connection with the songs you love. Together we will figure out what key suits your voice, what style of music fits well with it, and how to sing comfortably so you don’t harm yourself in the process.

In person · Kāpiti Coast / Online worldwide

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Close-up of hands on an acoustic guitar fretboard during a guitar lesson

Guitar Lessons

Play the song, not just the chords.

Acoustic guitar that serves the song.

To play the guitar is a way of connecting with music in a deeper way. I believe in helping people unlock their love of music by learning to play the guitar in a way that suits them. We all have our favourite songs and performers, for me, the guitar helped me develop a deeper connection with the music of Paul Simon, Mark Knopfler and Van Morrison to name a few.

I can help you learn the acoustic guitar so that you learn more than just the chords and the finger picking, but you learn how to really play the guitar for maximum enjoyment.

What you'll learn: Chords, rhythm & feel, fingerstyle, dynamics, and accompanying your own singing or just playing for the love of it.
Who it's for: Beginners and players who want to stop playing note for note, and start feeling the music.

In person · Kāpiti Coast / Online worldwide

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Moody close-up of Ryan Edwards playing electric guitar under dramatic side light

Songwriting Lessons

Turn your life experience into lyrics and music.Most Popular Lesson

Lyrics, melody, structure and honesty.

Writing a song is one of life’s greatest joys. Taking an idea, a moment, a spark - and turning it into a well-crafted set of lyrics with music to match is a wonderful way of expressing yourself. Whether you have hopes of performing professionally or simply wanting to write songs for your own enjoyment, I can help.

You don’t need to be a good musician or singer to be a songwriter (in fact you don’t need to even play an instrument) you just need to express yourself through song. Together we can explore songwriting styles and help you find your voice as a songwriter.

What you'll learn: Lyric writing, melody, song structure, honest storytelling, and finishing what you start.
Who it's for: Anyone with something to say — first-time writers to seasoned performers.

I have spent over 30 years writing songs, and I’ve helped children, budding musicians and seasoned wordsmiths hone their skills so that they could develop themselves as writers of great songs.

In person · Kāpiti Coast / Online worldwide

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Why learn from Ryan

You're not just learning technique — you're learning how to mean it.

Played Shepherd's Bush Empire & London Astoria 2
Recorded in Dublin, London & New Orleans
Featured on RNZ National "In Session"
Co-founded the Whirlwind men's mental-health charity
25+ years writing & performing

Book

Book your first lesson

Tell me a little about you and what you'd love to learn — I'll be in touch personally within a couple of days. First lesson, no pressure: let's see if we're a good fit.

Name

Phone (optional)

I'd like to learn

Experience

Format

In person (Kāpiti) Online

Preferred days or times

Message

I'll reply personally — usually within a couple of days. No spam, ever.

Thanks — your message is on its way.

I'll be in touch personally soon.

— Ryan

About

From Shepherd's Bush to the beach.

London

Chasing it under bright lights

I began writing songs as a teenager in Wellington, and left a career in radio to chase the musical dream in London’s competitive acoustic scene.

A younger Ryan Edwards in a white shirt singing at a microphone

London · the early years

Ryan Edwards playing electric guitar under dramatic side light

Dublin · London · New Orleans

Ryan Edwards seated by a white barn door with a guitar leaning beside him

Waikanae Beach · Kāpiti Coast

"A modern-day love song, dressed in yesterday's clothes."

Influences — Van Morrison · Paul Simon · Sam Cooke · Crowded House

Learn more about Ryan

The music

Performed live on RNZ National

Innocent & Wise

"Whether he’s performing his own songs or giving his own take on some of the greatest songs ever written, Ryan Edwards does it in a way that makes you want to sit and soak it up."

Hear the RNZ session

Innocent & Wise YouTube Toasted Bandcamp The Ascent Spotify How do you sleep? Vimeo Whirlwind Bandcamp The Vigil YouTube Seek out the love YouTube Father figure YouTube

Good to know

Questions, answered

Do you teach total beginners?: Absolutely. Most students start as complete beginners. There's no audition and no prior experience needed — just a wish to sing, play or write. We start exactly where you are and build from there.
Do online lessons actually work?: Yes — really well. With a phone or laptop and a quiet room, online lessons are warm, focused and effective. Plenty of students learn entirely online, and the lesson is the same price whether it's in person or online.
Can I take lessons if I'm in Wellington?: Yes. Wellington and Porirua students learn online, which works beautifully for singing, guitar and songwriting. In-person lessons are on the Kāpiti Coast, so if you'd prefer to meet face to face you're welcome to come up the line.
Where on the Kāpiti Coast do you teach?: In-person lessons are based at Waikanae Beach, easy to reach from Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Raumati and across the wider Kāpiti Coast. Everywhere else is covered online.
How much do lessons cost?: Lessons are $80 per 60-minute session — the same price in person or online. Get in touch and I'll confirm current availability.
Do you teach singing, guitar and songwriting?: All three. You can focus on one or weave them together — many students sing while they play and want to write their own songs, so the lessons flex to whatever you'd love to learn.