If you've got access to musician friends (or deep pockets) why not bring them into a project for a specific thing you're looking for? Besides being more "social", it can be good for the song to get what it's in your head recorded.

Internet collaborations are a bit of a different animal. I've done quite a few of them (having neither close musician friends nor deep pockets). If you think it will give you more creative control, best to think again. It's harder to communicate a musical idea with words than to get your point across in a forum post. What will happen instead is that your partner will bring something unexpected to the piece. Humility must kick in, and with luck their ideas far outshine yours. Nine times out of ten that's been the case with me and mine.

I'll give an example. It's (I think) the only collaboration Blue Attitude Dave did with me back in the day. Working under a dead-line, I wrote a pretty weak verse and a strong chorus of what was going to be a "Oh? You're going to break up with me? I'll double down on that, woman" song in 3/4.

I asked for help with the lyric as I was in bad health at the time. My co-writer turned it into more of a ghost story. Truth be told, I sang the song and still don't know what it's about. I'm not 100% convinced even he does.

I envisioned an acoustic guitar backing with a slide guitar flavoring. Sent a very rough sketch of the idea to Dave to do the acoustic. He did a great job--precisely what I was asking and looking for. Simple and elegant. Sent that to Jay in Texas for the slide spice. Extra fine. Then all that went to England to a producer-type who I thought might add some sweetening and do a proper mix. He didn't know how to do 3/4 and the first version sent back to me placed my vocals a complete beat off--maybe even two beats. We finally got that worked out.

When the song was finished, my simple acoustic "I'm done here" song had turned into a more synth heavy something else entirely. BUT (while I was sorry Dave got so buried in the mix), I LIKED IT. Actually, I think Dave liked it too, if I recall right. Or maybe he was just being all Canadian and stuff.

Anyway...try to work with artists, not artistes. Usually just one per song is preferable, unless you're very specific. Everybody is going to hear the end result differently. Be prepared to go with where the song is heading. But don't let it get ruined by having your vocals come in on the wrong beat.

Thank you for your kind attention.


BIAB 2021 Audiophile. Windows 10 64bit. Songwriter, lyricist, composer(?) loving all styles. Some pre-BIAB music from Farfetched Tangmo Band's first CD. https://alonetone.com/tangmo/playlists/close-to-the-ground