Are you thinking of working with a vocalist? Is it the first time? Or do you have some experience, but are looking for some tips to get more out of your sessions? Maybe you are a songwriter or producer that needs some heart melting vocals to complete your track? Or you want to work collaboratively, jamming new ideas, combining your skills and creativity.

Collaborating with vocalists can be extremely satisfying and produce great results - fueling creativity, unlocking inspiration, and helping you to find the missing pieces to finish a song.

There are many things you can do to increase the chances of getting great results working with a vocalist. In this article we look at some of these - from finding vocalists that are a good match, setting clear goals, to communicating well, and more.

Get Prepared

Like a lot of things in life, preparation helps. A great way to increase your chances of working well with a vocalist is to put some time into finding one that looks like a good fit. Can they sing the style that you are looking for, what are their creative goals, how do they approach making music etc.

Some things to think about when looking for a vocalist:

• What kind of vocal style are you looking for?
• What kind of projects do they like working on?
• How do they like to work?
• What kind of experience do they have?
• What genres do they sing?

It can help to chat with potential vocalists before committing to working together to gauge whether they could be a good fit.

Did you know? On Verse-Chorus vocalists can include their style, goals, and more to help you find a good match.

What Do You Want From the Process?

Do you have a clear idea of what you would like a vocalist to do? Do you have lyrics already, and a style in mind? Or would you like to work more collaboratively, creating lyrics together, or even whole song ideas. Maybe you have the musical arrangement and want them to write the lyrics. Or you have the seed of an idea that you want to explore together.

Taking the time to think about this can help to focus your search, your approach to the project, and your communication.

Communicate Clearly

Clear communication from start to finish, including before you begin working together can help things to run more smoothly and increase the chances of getting good results. Poor communication can lead to an artist feeling demotivated, on edge, and unable to give a good performance.

Some things to consider:

• Set clear goals.
• Talk about how you like to work, and ask them how they like to.
• Be specific where you can with feedback, but also provide it in an encouraging and constructive way. E.g. “I think the last line of the verse would sound amazing with some more power” vs “Can you do it again but better”.

Create a Relaxing Environment

A relaxing environment can help vocalists to perform at their best and encourage creativity.

This can include the physical space (if you are working together in person), how you work remotely, and the mindset you foster.

The Studio

Is your studio a relaxing environment? Is it free of clutter? Does it have comfortable furniture? Does your mic set up provide some privacy?

If you are working remotely, are you using tools that reduce friction when working in this way, and that you know work? Have you asked the artist about their preferred workflow and tools? Would they like some processing such as reverb on their vocals to boost their confidence?

Mindset

Have you set the scene for an environment where mistakes are allowed, and creativity is encouraged? Ask them what they need to help get the best out of their performance? How do they like to communicate, what would they like before the session such as full lyrics, ideas, etc. Giving feedback in the wrong way can be a quick way to destroy a mood.

Collaboration and Creativity

You may have very specific ideas of what you want from a vocalist session. Eg. you would like a specific vocal style used, singing the lyrics that you have written. And that’s ok. But working in a more improvised and collaborative way with an artist can bring a host of benefits.

Here are some tips to help maximise creativity when working with a vocalist:

• Try to keep judgements to a minimum in the early stages of song creation.
• Follow the mood: If you are feeling a certain part of a song, identify what it is, and work with that and see where it takes you. Maybe it’s the interplay of the verse and synth chords, or the rhythm of the percussion.
• Bounce ideas off of each other. Pool your creative energy and skillsets for exciting results.
• Be flexible: Making good music can be spontaneous, and random, pay attention to what you hear, and be prepared to adapt and follow different paths as you work on a track together. You could flip the genre or style of singing, edit arrangements or verses on the fly, and more.

Bring Multiple Options

Things don’t always work out as planned in the studio. Getting together a few different ideas that you think could work for a certain singer can provide you with options to call upon quickly if you get in the studio and you think another song could be a better fit.

Learn or Refresh Terminology

You don’t have to be a vocal coach to get great results working with a vocalist, but knowing some of the common terminology can help you to communicate what you want.

How to Find a Vocalist to Collaborate With

If you are looking to collaborate with vocalists or songwriters, musicians, lyricists, producers, and composers, Verse-Chorus is a platform with 1000’s of musicians to connect and create with, all in one place.

Written by Nick Stephens, a music production tutor, music marketing writer, and down to his DNA—music obsessive. When he isn’t making music you can find him at live music events, DJing up and down the UK, including Glastonbury, and the gym—sometimes.