Top 20 Tips for an Awesome Co-write
The way we go about it matters
“Next”
Co-writing is one of the best experiences and most fun things I’ve had as a full-time songwriter. While I have been truly blessed with the people I write with, I have heard some horror stories.
One top Country writer told me one such story. She had been set up by her publisher to write with two iconic (male) Country writers on Music Row. It was a three-way co-write and she was the junior writer in the room. This is what we call “writing up.”
Once the introductions were over, one of the two veteran writer dudes looked at her and said,
“So what’s in your hook book, Darlin’?”
Nervously, she opened her file (she was a paper person) and offered these two demigods her best idea. Before she was able to finish explaining the idea, the other guy said,
“Next.”
So she turned the page in her hook book, and the same thing happened all over again, and again, and again.
“Next.”
This continued until she finally got to the end of her hook book, having offered some 40 great ideas, which were all met with the same disdain by her co-writers.
At this point, one of the two veterans picked a title out of thin air and started riffing with it on his guitar. Before they knew it, they were writing his idea.
It could be that they wrote the best idea in the room and got a song out of it. But it cost them a relationship because she would never write with them again. The way they went about it—an act of creative terrorism—also trashed my friend’s confidence.
My point is this:
The way we go about it matters.
Yes, just like my friend Kyle Matthews says, the relationships with our co-writers matter. Relationships, in reality, are greater than songs. But to guard against this happening, we need to turn up to our co-writes with the very best ideas we can muster. Ideally, writable ideas. But more than that on it’s own. It’s all about co-writing etiquette.
So, what should be done or not done in a co-write? Here are my top 20 dos and don’ts.
DO
1. DO bring writable ideas — Especially if you are writing up, you will be asked to come up with a great idea. Bring them with you!
2. DO be flexible — Whatever is going to make a better song, do what needs to be done. Many jobs need to be done in the writing room, so choose a job the others are less strong at doing. See more in The Organized Songwriter in Part Four, the chapter on Cowriting = Writing Together
3. DO tell them you’re a fan — Encouragement brings better-quality ideas when your co-writer knows they’re performing for a supportive audience. Make your co-writer feel good about their input.
4. DO say it, even if it sounds stupid — Co-writers love other writers who have the guts to say something odd or different, even if they sound dumb. It might point everyone on the way to a golden idea later.
5. DO get the basics right — Arrive early at the right place with the right people, great coffee, and a great writable idea. Boom. Take your diary, too, because you might pick a date for the next appointment to co-write.
6. DO keep it in the room — If your co-writer is talking confidential stuff, then keep it in the room. Most chit-chat is going to be confidential.
7. DO keep going until it’s right — Keep working at the lyrics and the melody until it’s a great song, according to everyone. There’s no CEO in a co-write.
8. DO agree on shares upfront — Get the royalty share money thing out of the way right up front. Ideally, settle on equal equity shares. No one loves a word counter. And there are some out there even writing worship songs!
9. DO take a break — The best ideas often turn up at the most awkward moments (the loo). So make that moment happen.
10. DO be fun — Good hangs are generally asked to write again next time.
DON’T
1. DON’T be negative — Don’t give negative comments about your co-writer’s idea, even if you think it sucks. Find a way to positively say the same thing. Words like "Maybe," "What about," and "Let’s pencil that in" are great phrases in a co-write!
2. DON’T bring problems into the room — Unless it’s a song about your problem, leave it outside the room. Chances are they have more significant problems they could bring to a co-write if that’s the game you want to play.
3. DON’T give up on your own craft — Whatever part of the craft your co-writer is doing, keep coming up with alternative ideas because they might be the best ideas for the song. The idea fruit can be picked from the tree by anyone in the room.
4. DON’T talk theory, write — Sure, everyone likes talking about how beautiful the craft of songwriting is, but we’re actually here to write a great song…so can we, er, maybe, er, start?
5. DON’T steal others’ ideas — Your co-writers need to know that they can share their best ideas with you without you using them in your next co-write with someone else. Just be a good person.
6. DON’T finish until it’s finished — A co-write isn’t finished until the song is honestly finished. Sometimes it takes a lot longer than any wanted it to take. But it still needs to be finished.
7. DON’T leave the room without a work tape — It’s always a mistake to finish without capturing the song in a recording. Better ideas could come later, but you need to know what initial ideas were captured first.
8. DON’T oversell your ideas — Sure, you need to pitch the idea enough for your co-writer to understand what it’s about, but if they’re not into your idea, just keep it for your next co-write.
9. DON’T talk too much — You need to hear your co-writer’s thoughts, too. After all, they could be thinking better quality thoughts than yours!
10. DON’T let your nerves kill the song — Sure, everyone is nervous in the first three minutes, and that’s what the first three minutes are for. Keep your eye on the nerve-free 177 minutes, which will be all about writing a great song (I’ve been there and still regret it).
Questions
Here are some questions for you:
Do you have all your writable ideas handy to bring to your next co-write?
When you turn up for your co-write, are you in the place in your mind so you can best serve your co-writer? What does that look like for you?
Have you done all your homework? What does your co-writer love, want to write with you? What is their catalog? Where is their writing likely to go to?
Are you ready to say anything in the co-write, just to turn the song into the best it can be? Even if it might sound a bit dumb?
Hope this helps!
Simon