Writing with a writing partner

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PopTodd

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« on: December 30, 2019, 08:28:01 PM »
So, a couple of days ago, I sat down with another musician with the express intent of writing a new song.
It was the first time I had ever done that, and it was a lot of fun.
Came in with a riff that I had been sitting on for a while, and the other guy (normally a drummer), figured out a couple of different chord progressions that would go well under that riff. We decided to use one of those progressions under the riff, and the other one became the verse progression.
I also had a turnaround chord progression for the chorus that he tweaked to make work a little better in the context of the song.
I wrote lyrics on the spot, with some input and encouragement from my partner.
In the end, we had something that, while it was still a first draft, is something pretty cool.
I think I want to make some changes to the lyrics. And we need to tweak some of the timing of the parts. But yeah, I like it.

Any of you work with writing partners?
How does your process go?
Similar? Totally different?
Do you like working with someone else or prefer to work alone?

pompeyjazz

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« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2019, 09:58:15 PM »
Go for it Pop Todd. Whatever way it happens,  it happens.  Loads of collaboration stuff on this. Send me any unfinished tracks that you have and vic versa. It's the way to go  :)

cowparsleyman

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« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2019, 07:22:01 PM »
Hi @PopTodd - lovely to hear this story...keen to hear the result.

This process is often the reason for breakup of bands...musicians find a muse or someone that they immediately click with...and everything is swept aside.

Happened with me a few times, I’m sorry/glad to say...it quite a conscience based struggle twixt artistic perfection and loyalty to one’s fellow artists, many of whom have invested heavily in you...

Anyone else had this sometimes worrying experience?

Grubstar

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« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2020, 01:01:47 PM »
For many years I have written with my song writing partner intially in a similar way to the one described by PopTod of sitting opposite with two guitars exchanging ideas.Nowadays with the advent of digital technology it is easier to develop ideas in the DAW
 and work them up togerher devloping the melodies,lyrics and structure.

Another aspect of our DAW song writing collaboration is that we also review old songs that we have written  and edit out the weak sections and rewrite either a new verse, chorus or whatever in order to.make the song better.

In addition i find that writing with a partner is also beneficial in that an honest exchange of views during the writing process will quickly cut out the dead wood and blind alleys and hopefully get to the good stuff but you need a good relationship and mustnt be too precious.

Neil C

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« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2020, 01:21:30 PM »
Whilst there’s an overhead in co-writes you get the fusion of ideas to bounce off and I think I raise my game and it stops me being lazy.
Result - often my best tune :-)
Neil
songwriter of no repute..

cowparsleyman

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« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2020, 08:06:04 PM »
....on the other hand , Neil C says some of the best songs come out of this way of working

PopTodd

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« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2020, 09:14:19 PM »
I just posted a link to the work tape of the song that inspired this thread in the "Works in Progress" forum, if anyone is interested.