In addition to composing music I also write essays and short stories and the like. I go to workshops so that I can get feedback on the stuff I write. In those workshops we have some guidelines on how to critique other people's work. I thought it would be useful to have a discussion on what we're looking for in evaluations of our compositions so that we can all criticize and write better.

I'll admit, when I first joined this forum five years ago I wanted to be validated. I wanted people to say, "OMG, THIS IS TEH BEST MUSIC EVAR! U R SOOOOOO BRILLIANT!" But I gradually realized that although I could put down music on paper (which IS something most people can't do), it wasn't necessarily brilliant. It actually sucked. And so my motive turned to learning how to improve.

Here are some guidelines I would like to propose:

1) If you post music and ask for critiques, you should spend time reviewing other people's compositions as well.
2) When reviewing, be honest about what what does not work in the piece. If you only have positive feedback, you'll never progress as an artist.
3) As important as negative feedback is, it is also vital that we say what works well in a piece so that the composer doesn't go back and destroy the best things about her piece.

What do you all think? What are some other guidelines you'd propose?

I also propose that as critics, we should try to use our best grammar (although maybe that's only a pet peeve for me). For me, very bad spelling/grammar (especially from native-English speakers) indicates that that the person commenting doesn't care enough. We should all at least try to do our best.

Furthermore, I think that at some points in a composer's career, positive and negative feedback need to be utilized in varying amounts so as not to discourage, but also not to encourage complacency.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what kind of critique is given. It would be pleasant if they were praises. It would be helpful if they were constructive criticisms. It would be motivating if they were meaningful. It would be humorous/motivating-in-a-twisted-way if they were bashes.

The most important point is how the composer takes the critique. It's not compulsory for anyone to give you a comment. Take it as a grain of salt and appreciate it if you get one.

This is also true. However, some composers just starting out, I feel, can forget this, and I don't think we should purposely try to destroy all their confidence.

Well, it's not really 'destroying their confidence'. They have to understand that if they are truly into music, then they should persist and try again.

Critiques are also relative. It would be illogical for a critic to talk about Schoenberg's use of klangfarbenmelodie to a beginner. Depending on the person, they usually know what to say to composers of different levels.

I do believe there is negative feedback, but all feedback should be truthful feedback. This being said, negative feedback (in my opinion) is ONLY praising and telling how amazing the piece is, with the color in the words that nothing needs to be worked on or that it's perfect. Sure, people love compositions, but we aren't sitting back in their glory. Negative is just biased and un-constructive feedback.

Positive feedback is Truthful feedback. This is the comments that speak the person's mind (either they come across "positive" or "harsh/negative") and are said in order to [possibly] wake the person up to something for themselves to think about. Maybe a scale wasn't that nice, but it slipped in and the composer didn't worry about; a good critic would point that out and a great critic would give a suggestion or two on maybe what to do/think about instead.

Basically, negative feedback doesn't get anything done while positive feedback should make the composer move forward, enlightened.

Critiques are also relative. It would be illogical for a critic to talk about Schoenberg's use of klangfarbenmelodie to a beginner. Depending on the person, they usually know what to say to composers of different levels.

Thanks Spock!:lol:

BTW, I agree with you, Mazeppa. However, sometimes it's really hard to find that happy-medium...

I think this thread should be stickied.

My two cents: get as many different critiques as possible. Even if one critic gave you the best analsis ever, it's still one person's opinion of your piece.

Wow! Did I just author a potentially stickied thread?!!!

I want to try out these critique techniques. Thank you Alfonso de Sabio!

BTW, I agree with you, Mazeppa. However, sometimes it's really hard to find that happy-medium...

It is, isn't it? This is why I try to do my best to really point out the good things, even the things that aren't quite there, but are on the right track, and try to encourage progress with those. I don't want to write the piece for the people, but often I like to give examples in words or even some sheet music (like I did recently and have done in the past) to maybe strike inspiration and to really understand what I was talking about.

I like to try and review all kinds of pieces from all skill styles. It keeps me, as a critic, sharp!