Critique Guidelines
Critique Guidelines
Embedded Files
Critiquing each other's work helps us to think critically, improve our artistic growth mindset, and share our work with a wider audience which is a valuable part of the creative process.
Critique is most effective when it's constructive; that means going beyond saying “I liked it” or “This is good” or “I didn't like it”, and being specific about what you heard. Share your impressions of your peers' projects using specific & effective musical vocabulary (see ideas below).
Include reflections that explain how the music made you feel. For example:
“The tightness of the rhythm tracks was …”
“The balance/mix of the instruments was …”
"Consider trimming, editing same of the tracks to ..."
“The embellishments of the piano track ...”
Suggestions: What could you recommend for future edits or the next project? Make sure you take time to mention the aspects of the project that were successful.
* If your project contains potentially sensitive or explicit lyrics, please include a warning.
Logic Skills
Logic Skills
Listen for these skills and techniques that should be incorporated into our Projects.
Rhythm: Drummer Track, Quantization, Global Tempo
Midi Effects: Arpeggiator, Chord TriggerSpace Designer, Reverb, Recording, Compressor
Structure: Loop choices, Instruments & Patches, Track Stacks, Bus sends
Audio Editing: Pitch Correction, Vibrato, Automation, EQ plug-ins
Music Vocabulary
Music Vocabulary
Consider incorporating these musical terms into your critiques to help with specificity.
Expression: Dynamics like piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, crescendo, decrescendo
Phrasing: legato, tenuto, staccato, marcato, slur, phrase, accent, tempo
Song Structure: Intro, A section, B section, Chorus/Refrain, Bridge, Breakdown, Outro
Miscellaneous: rhythm, intonation, tone quality, bass line, melody, counter melody, harmony, chord progression, solo, improvisation, background line, etc.
National Music Technology Standards
CA #3a: Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work that meets appropriate criteria. • Enduring Understanding: Musicians evaluate and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria. • Essential Question: How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?
CA #3b: Share creative musical work that conveys intent, demonstrates craftsmanship, and exhibits originality.• Enduring Understanding: Musicians’ presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication. • Essential Question: When is creative work ready to share?
CA #6: Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation & technical accuracy, & in a manner appropriate to the audience and context.• Enduring Understanding: Musicians judge performance based on criteria that vary across time, place, and cultures. The context and how a work is presented influence the audience response. • Essential Question: When is a performance judged ready to present? How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
CA#9: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.• Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical works and performances is informed by analysis, interpretation, and established criteria. • Essential Question: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
CA #3a: Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work that meets appropriate criteria. • Enduring Understanding: Musicians evaluate and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria. • Essential Question: How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?
CA #3b: Share creative musical work that conveys intent, demonstrates craftsmanship, and exhibits originality.• Enduring Understanding: Musicians’ presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication. • Essential Question: When is creative work ready to share?
CA #6: Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation & technical accuracy, & in a manner appropriate to the audience and context.• Enduring Understanding: Musicians judge performance based on criteria that vary across time, place, and cultures. The context and how a work is presented influence the audience response. • Essential Question: When is a performance judged ready to present? How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
CA#9: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.• Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical works and performances is informed by analysis, interpretation, and established criteria. • Essential Question: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
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