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Not attacking anyone or raging. Im curious about the motivation for engaging in "composition by commitee". By asking for critique from the cloud you're always going to end up with the most middle of the road opinions. The statistical result will be "meh" once you add everything up.
Also: why care in the first place? would "bad" responses actually prompt you to make changes?
I'll throw in my opinion cuz I'm hopped up on coffee. I agree with your assessment of what happens when a group of people write one song. It would probably yield mediocre results if you took everyone's suggestion about what to do with your song.
Personally I would just want some ideas about where the song could be stronger, is it repetitive, general stuff like that. First impressions. Other people are approaching it fresh, so they may see obvious problems that I wouldn't.
It wouldn't be helpful to get CC like "It's good", or "it's bad".
Not attacking anyone or raging. Im curious about the motivation for engaging in "composition by commitee". By asking for critique from the cloud you're always going to end up with the most middle of the road opinions. The statistical result will be "meh" once you add everything up.
Also: why care in the first place? would "bad" responses actually prompt you to make changes?
For new artists its a way of being taken seriously while at the same time not coming off like they know everything and it helps us get ideas on how to fix what we've got so that it sounds better/can be taken more seriously when it comes to actual release.
But what I've found on this site is either limited beneficial CC actually occurs due to faults on both asking of generic cc not being specific about what they need help on and then non specific/not constructive comments such as "I know why they call you treble cus this is mixed like shit".
There was another thread that addressed the CC problem as "you need to ask for specific advice in OP" on the asking side but I have yet to see people call each other out for terrible CC.
Last edited by Dr Treble (Sep 19, 2012 4:52 pm)
For attention and validation I reckon.
this too to if were going to be completely honest. Not to generalize everyone into this but it happens. I've been there myself.
Sometimes when I am unsure of a tune (is it repetitive? is the ending too abrupt? Does this suck balls as much as I think it does?) I'll email it to a bro to get their reaction. Maybe some people just don't have anyone to listen to their tunes to bounce ideas off of? I'm sure some of them are just trying to get attention, but I can imagine some people just genuinely want to hear some reactions and get some advice.
I think it's great for beginners (speaking out of experience). How do you start out? Get the software, watch tutorials (youtube lsdj guides). After that watch advanced shizzle (danimal cannon, animal style). Some time after ask some CC from people who are doing this for some time. I just think it's a good and logical step somewhere in the process. And I'm happy to do it here instead of 8bc where the reactions are more mature and do actually tell you something that could be helpful.
I didn't learn guitar without songbooks and/or a teacher, why should chipartists do it completely on their own?
If you make up a riff, you're going to ask your friends what they think about it.
I think it's a great way to help newcomers to chip, because that's what Belgium needs to my opinion. But that doesn't mean it's the only use.
I didn't learn [insert anything here] without [...] a teacher, why should chipartists do it completely on their own?
Whenever I see a thread complaining about (not this thread) and/or asking why CC exists, I think the above. Why can't you ask for some direction when you're starting out? Tutorials, guides, and experimentation only get you so far. Sometimes you need guidance, tips, or just a litmus test: "Does this song suck? Why/why not?" Not everyone can critique their own work and make it better (I sure as hell can't). Most people need an outside voice to at least validate what they think about their music or maybe simply for an ego boost. There's nothing wrong with that.
Last edited by Russellian (Sep 19, 2012 6:11 pm)
Why ask for "CC"?
Why the fuck not?
I definitely think that there are valid reasons to ask for constructive criticism, but yeah,
For attention and validation I reckon.
Seems like most people asking for CC just post whatever the cat brought home to have people pat them on the back.
It wouldn't be helpful to get CC like "It's good", or "it's bad".
In what sense are those even constructive?
It wouldn't be helpful to get CC like "It's good", or "it's bad".
In what sense are those even constructive?
The point is that those aren't constructive but that they are the most commonly given criticisms: vague, ambiguous, and almost entirely unhelpful.
if you have a really specific problem in a song, then i think posting it for CC makes sense.
most of the time it just seems like people don't want to actually finish a song but still want people to tell them it's good.
i think it can be useful, but only if you ask people who understand your music,or style of music. music is far too varied.
i have a pretty stong vision of what i want to achive and a lot of my recent music is pretty minimal, undancy and unmelodic (and improvised and weird and messy all over the place) and this is what i want it to sound like, so i wouldn't bother asking for (serious) cc as alot of people here are clearly in to very different music.
i guess it has a lot to do with how confident and comfortable you feel as an artist. if you are an insecure person, then the chances are it will be for attention and validation. maybe if anyone has studied or read about the psycology of artists?
i spent many years at school and college in art and music with teachers telling me/critising how i should make art/music and what i can and cannot do and i guess that everything ive made has probably partly been a reaction to this. has this helped me become satisfied with myself about an artist? probably, because it has shown me what i dont want to be. maybe this also comes with age too.
Last edited by Jellica (Sep 19, 2012 7:32 pm)
That is why CC only helps when asking experienced composers with musical theory backgrounds. When they speak technical like, try a G there, and it actually sounds better when you do, it helps, instead of kids screaming, that bassline sucks, do something about it.
CC imo only works when speaking technically because opinions like that bassline isn't really nice is way to subjective.
Last edited by xylo (Sep 19, 2012 9:04 pm)
That is why CC only helps when asking experienced composers with musical theory backgrounds. When they speak technical like, try a G there, and it actually sounds better when you do, it helps, instead of kids screaming, that bassline sucks, do something about it.
CC imo only works when speaking technically because opinions like that bassline isn't really nice is way to subjective.
you do mean "technically" in terms of production and mixing, not just composition theory right? opinions on the latter can be just as subjective at the best of times 
1 on 1 cc is way better than forum cc.
...not cuz you guys aren't helpful, of course. It's just that a person is more likely to listen intimately to a song if they feel their opinion really matters.