Music History is filled with great songwriting collaborations. John Lennon-Paul McCartney, Elton John-Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger-Keith Richards, and the list goes on. Two heads can truly be better than one when writing a song, but only if it’s the right match! And finding that right match can seem impossible at times. Over the years I have written with many artist, producers, and writers; some went great and spawned multiple hits while others were a dud. Here are some of the qualities I look for in a co-writer. |
Open Respectful Communication. In order for creativity to flourish each writing must feel safe to express his/her ideas without fear of judgement. Respect your co-writer enough to listen to their ideas, if you don’t respect where they are coming from the collaboration will never work. And vice-versa, your co-writer must be respectful of you. Many times, to get to good stuff in a song, we must throw out silly or stupid ideas and clear them out of the way. Find a co-writer you can be stupid with and good things will happen!
Professionalism. Always look for someone who is a real pro. They show up on time, ready to work, and brings good ideas to the table; whether it’s a guitar riff or a title, they should be prepared.
Chemistry. Chemistry helps in any relationship but is not necessary to a great collaboration. I have written some pretty big songs with both people I clicked with on a personal level and people that I probably would never hang out and drink a beer with. But we both were respectful, professional, and shared a love of good music. So, don’t discount a possible collaboration just because you don’t feel a strong personal connection is there, you may lose out on some really great songs.
I once heard a Hall of Fame songwriter say that finding that perfect co-writer is like kissing a lot of frogs to find your prince! So, keep trying new situations, stay open and you will find that perfect co-writer!
AuthorHangi Tavakoli is our in-house established and professional music producer with more than 15 years of experience in music production, mix and mastering, recording engineering, live sound designing/engineering, lyrics writing and music arrangement. He has produced more than 800 and written more than 2000 published songs to-date, including some major hits in international scale.Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. | |