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Print this page Print Version Writing relationships

Working with other writers shouldn't be a chore. Like love, you should know a good match when you find one. Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, David and Bacharach, Lennon and McCartney, The Finn Brothers - all tailored their work to their partners' style, and improved each other's songwriting in the process.
But, as with all relationships, things can get a bit hairy sometimes, and it's good to try to lay down some ground rules before you start. As time goes on, you will want to spend your time and energy on creating songs, not on heated debates.

We start writing a song and change things until we're both happy. When you get the right thing it jumps out at you.
Helene Muddiman, songwriter

Decide when and where you both work best, and if it is not similar then find a compromise. If you have sized up your prospective collaborator using the questions in Finding A Partner, you probably know what he or she prefers. It may be difficult to collaborate if your prospective partner only works at night and you can't strum a note after 6pm.

Jim Cregan Jim Cregan
"Don't tread on the toes of the person you're collaborating with. Don't interrupt the flow."
Listen to the interview
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Martin Brammer Martin Brammer, songwriter
Inspiration can be triggered by the people around you. "I once asked her girl how she was feeling."
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Jim Cregan Jim Cregan
If you're going to work with another musician or lyricist, there are some things you should bear in mind. Jim Cregan's got the lowdown on collaboration etiquette . . .
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Audio help Many songwriters find that one of the best ways to work is to agree from the outset that everyone has to approve of both music and lyrics, and that if someone doesn't like something, it gets changed, no questions asked. Too much time can be spent on arguing over a single phrase, when it would be easier to just agree to change it and then spend that time creatively looking for something you both/all like.

By the same token, never accept material that you think is second rate just to keep a relationship running smoothly.
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