Writing music is both an art and science, with many methods, theories, practices and formulas. If you were to listen to almost any music released into the mainstream music scene, it is highly likely that that song has had a team of multiple songwriters and producers working to bring it into the world. This week we will discuss ‘co-writing a song’.

There is not one simple method or technique to writing a great song. So much of what comes out of us depends on what we put into us. Listen to lots of different music, and not just the music that you enjoy. It is important to fill yourself up with music that you find inspiring and enjoy, but also important to stretch yourself to discover and learn about music that you wouldn’t normally listen to.

First we have to recognise that nothing is new in music, everything has been done - the catch is finding a new and fresh way to present what has been done already as something fresh, different and innovative.

Getting together with other songwriters is a fantastic way to get your creative juices flowing. You will always come up with ideas for songs that you never would have if you were working on your own.

It is important to recognise what your own personal strengths as a songwriter are. You might be great at writing a topline melody, be skilled in creating chord progressions that give the song its texture and feel, or maybe your strength is building the production from inside the computer with beats and loops. Whatever your skills may be, it is important to know where your strengths and weaknesses are. Try to find other creative songwriters whose strengths are your weaknesses – that way you will quickly learn from their skills and grow yourself as a writer.

Making a start is often the hardest part about writing a song. You can sometimes sit around for hours waiting for that ‘light-bulb’ moment to happen. Make sure you are actively trying to find that initial kick of creative inspiration: it can come from anywhere – a quote, a story, a sound, a book, another song, a feeling, etc. The key is to keep looking, and don’t be afraid of trying various things until that ‘Ah!’ moment.

Once the ball is rolling, it is often quite hard to slow it down. Be open and attentive to everyone in the room, listen to what they are contributing and always aim to have a positive input. When faced with multiple options for a section, trail and error play an important role in finding the best possible outcome – sometimes walking away from the song for a day helps to get a fresh perspective as well.

Not every idea you have is going to be golden, and it’s important to not hold all the ideas you have too close to your heart, because the chances are someone else in the room may have a better idea than you – let the strength of the idea be the deciding factor that cements it into the song, not the fact that you want to push your own ideas to get more song credit!

Good writing partnerships take time to develop, so if it isn’t working after one session, don’t be discouraged – keep working and developing your strengths and weaknesses, the songs will come in time.