At some point in our careers, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with another songwriter. It’s a great way to get out of a creative rut, plus you feel more motivated to finish the song when you have someone holding you accountable. However, most of us have spent many more hours writing on our own than in a collaborative situation.
Although the driving purpose behind solo writing and co-writing is to write a great song, collaborating with another person comes with the added layer of communication and interpersonal skills. If you aren’t used to this, it can be very frustrating. Perhaps you have a hard time getting your ideas across, or maybe you aren’t sure who should be doing what during the process. Whatever it is, the process of co-writing makes you uncomfortable, so you return to writing by yourself. If this sounds familiar, here are some tips that have helped me find success in writing better songs with other people and developing a good flow with co-writers.
1. Decide the song splits up-front
Before you write a single note, you and your co-writer should be clear about how the song rights are going to be divided, even if you don’t initially plan on releasing the song or making money from it. In some places such as L.A., writers decide their song splits after the song is finished and then calculate the exact percentages of each person’s contribution. In other places such as Nashville, writers will agree to split the song equally before they start writing. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you agree on it beforehand so you can walk into the session without the legalities hanging over your head.
2. Figure out your specialty
Before you start looking for a co-writer, you should do a self-assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses as a songwriter so you can find someone who complements your skillset. Although most of us are quite capable of writing songs on our own, the truth is that we all have certain areas we’re better at than others. For example, I feel confident in my ability to write melodies and arrangements, but I know that song titles and lyrics are my weak points. I can get by writing my own words, but if I’m in a co-writing situation, it makes sense for me to seek out someone whose strengths are my weaknesses. Below, I’ve written the different areas in which you can specialize as a songwriter:
Melodies
Melodies are one of the most obvious areas in which a songwriter can specialize. Understandably, someone who works in this area and does a great job of it will be in high demand, because the melody is often considered the “face” of the song. In other words, it’s usually the part of the song that makes it recognizable and unique from others. When you’re seeking out a co-writer whose strength is in writing melodies, listen to their past works to see if their melodies are unique, memorable, and relatively easy to sing back (all good signs).
Lyrics
If the melody is the face of the song, then the lyrics are the soul. Although the main driver behind whether we like a tune or not is usually the music, the lyrics still play a special role in connecting us to the song on a deeper level. Lyrics are also different from everyday speech in that they have a poetic element to them, and usually play with words in a way that captures the imagination. Understandably, some people are better than others when it comes to writing interesting and compelling lyrics. When you’re seeking out a co-writer who specializes in this area, check out their lyrics from past songs (preferably while listening), and see if they resonate with you.
Arrangement
This area is often overlooked, but the arrangement is a vital part to a song, and covers everything from the tempo to the background horn or string lines. Take for example George Martin, who is often referred to as the “fifth Beatle” for his contributions to the Beatles’ arrangements. He introduced the band to orchestral instruments and wrote the famous string/horn arrangements for many of their songs, such as “I Am the Walrus” or “Strawberry Fields Forever”, just to name a few. That being said, when you’re seeking out a good arranger, they don’t need to have a professional background in orchestration. Instead, what you’re looking for is someone who can make suggestions and edits in areas such as instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, harmonies, etc. that will help elevate your song from a melody and basic chord progression to a finished product.
Chords/instrumental ideas
The chord progression and instrumental aspect of a song are often overlooked because to many songwriters, melody is king. But think of all the songs that are instantly recognizable by their instrumental tracks, such as “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. We can recognize those clavinets and drum groove in a heartbeat, even without Stevie’s vocals on top. Some purists might say that if you can’t whistle a song, then it isn’t memorable or interesting, but that’s nonsense. Our ears are remarkably capable of recognizing chords, timbres, and grooves without any formal musical training, which is why we can identify a song within nanoseconds of it hitting our ears. When you’re seeking out a co-writer whose strength is in this area, check out their catalogue to see how creative and unique the instrumental aspect of their songs are. Ideally, you want something refreshing and different from what you typically do, because you’re less likely to fall into your same writing patterns.
Titles/song ideas
Being able to come up with an interesting and unique title, main phrase, or overall theme for a song doesn’t seem like much of a skill on the surface, but it really is an art of its own. Think of “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. The melody is only two notes, but the main phrase is so memorable that one only needs to mention the title to get everyone in the room to break out into a poor falsetto trying to sing it. Also take into consideration the general theme of the lyrics. For example, the tune “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies is at its core a typical love song, but what makes it unique is the theme of candy throughout the lyrics. When you’re looking for someone who is good at song concepts and titles, take a look through their catalogue and before even listening, look at the titles and lyrics to see if they catch your attention.
Summary
In short, make sure that you’re deciding your song splits up-front. This is very standard in the world of collaboration, so don’t hesitate to start the conversation with your co-writer. In fact, there’s a good chance that they will be happy you asked the question yourself; perhaps they were thinking the same thing but were too shy to ask.
When it comes to figuring out your speciality, understand that this doesn’t mean you’re “locked in” for life, or that you can never contribute lyrics to a song if you know that’s your weak area. The point of understanding you and your co-writer’s specialty areas is so you can have more skills represented during the process. The other benefit of having complementary skills is that it’s easy to delegate tasks without any egos being bruised. For example, if you’re good at melodies and chords, and your co-writer is good at lyrics and song titles, there’s less of a chance for feelings to get hurt and statements being made such as “why do you get to write the lyrics? I’m a good lyricist too.”