How do you cope with criticism?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kratos
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kratos said:
Just wondering how you people do it and keep doing music.
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Ah, you edited your post because there was something else before... Negative comments and trolls.

About negative comments: I always say don't state the problem unless you offer up a solution. When I listen to songs in the MP3 Clinic and I hear something that doesn't sound right, or doesn't sound good, I won't mention it unless I can suggest a remedy. I don't think it's right to say your song sucks unless I can tell you why and how to make it better.

If people just want to give you shit, ignore them. If they're saying something negative to be helpful, then take their advice. The first thing you should to do in any art is learn how to take criticism or rejection.

About trolls. Ignore them. If they're on THIS site, report the post and make comments as to why they bother you. The mods will determine if it's a problem with attitude or perception.
 
dintymoore said:
Q: How do you cope with criticism?

It totally depends on who is giving it.

In the end if I think something's good or bad why would I care what anybody else thinks?

The best thing is to try and please yourself and then what you do will appeal to people who have similar tastes as you do.

I remember Larry King saying that he didn't know anyone who was at the top of his or her field who wasn't doing it primarily to please themselves.

You can't be drawing a picture and the whole time looking up at people and asking "is this good?". The only way is to draw a picture you like and fuck anybody that doesn't. There's no other way that I know of.
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I agree completely.
 
Being totally negative and ripping someones work apart isnt really the way to go.

Yes you can be honest in a not so harsh way and always mention something positive about their work so they have something to feel good about and not get discouraged.

Negative comments dont bother me anymore...after a while you get a thicker skin for it and it doesnt really bother you much.
 
One of the hardest things in music for me was that most of the advice I heard was just plain wrong. The people who gave it dropped out of music and I'm still chuggin' along.

So I totally trust my gut.
 
Seriously though, I'm not great at taking criticism. My knee-jerk reaction is to get defensive and try to prove the person wrong.

Unfounded, "I think you're dumb and your music is dumb, Steve" is a bit easier to take for me since I can just dismiss it.
 
People who criticize your tunes:
1) may not like your genre much so just put it down
2) may be trolls just looking to piss you off and get a reaction
3) trying to give their opinion on what they would fix to make it better (which can be helpful - like you use too much reverb)
4) trying to give their opinion on what they would do differently (which can stir ideas of creativity which is good - like add a backup vocal)
5) should try and be like Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul - give some truthful criticism but also find something nice to say so that you learn something but also feel like you're getting somewhere and it's not a total waste.
 
ido1957 said:
People who criticize your tunes:
1) may not like your genre much so just put it down
2) may be trolls just looking to piss you off and get a reaction
3) trying to give their opinion on what they would fix to make it better (which can be helpful - like you use too much reverb)
4) trying to give their opinion on what they would do differently (which can stir ideas of creativity which is good - like add a backup vocal)
5) should try and be like Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul - give some truthful criticism but also find something nice to say so that you learn something but also feel like you're getting somewhere and it's not a total waste.
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Good points. Who is saying it is very important. If Paul McCartney told me he thought I should try a major 7th chord on the bridge I'd take that a lot more seriously than some drunk who comes up during the middle of a disco song and tells the band they need to play something "with a beat".

Paula Abdul is not a good singer or musician that she's ever shown me. Ditto for Simon. They are, like Bill O'Rielly, entertainers. Period. They sell ad time.
 
dintymoore said:
Good points. Who is saying it is very important. If Paul McCartney told me he thought I should try a major 7th chord on the bridge I'd take that a lot more seriously .
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Lol. I'd tell him to take his faggot limey ass back to the retirement village.
 
id ask him to play that frog song again so i could tell him my critique
 
dintymoore said:
Good points. Who is saying it is very important. If Paul McCartney told me he thought I should try a major 7th chord on the bridge I'd take that a lot more seriously than some drunk who comes up during the middle of a disco song and tells the band they need to play something "with a beat".
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LMAO! Nice one Dinty ;)

I learned something extremely helpful in giving constructive ciriticism in a managerial seminar I went. It's called the coaching sandwich :) If your trying constructively ciriticize someone, it usually needs to be padded a little bit. Start with a compliment, then constructive criticize, and then end with another compliment. It should sound like this:

Good job with the bottom end on the rhythm guitar.

Lead guitar sounds a little to loud.

The drums and rhythm section fit really nice together.

This is a very effective way to do constructive ciriticism. Try it. It works!
 
i take criticism really well, and anyone who says otherwise is just wrong.
 
Steenamaroo said:
i take criticism really well, and anyone who says otherwise is just wrong.
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Hey man, you should really wrok on your grammer. Specifically you forgot to capitalize "I". I also didn't like how you phrased that sentence. Thanks.
































JK :p
 
I make music so I can hear the stuff I want to hear. I don't care if anyone else likes it. I get a kick out of it. It's nice when people do like it, for sure. But if they don't like it, that's fine, I didn't make it for them.

I have got annoyed in the past when someone has criticized something I've been doing as I've been making it, and said "I think you should do this" or "I don't think you should do that". Well...voicing an opinion is one thing, but 1 or 2 people in the past have got a little adamant about it, like as if they have some stake in it. I just tell them to fuck off and go make their own music. Basically, unless I'm working on a collab, I don't want other people's creative input.
 
GuitardedMark said:
Hey man, you should really wrok on your grammer. Specifically you forgot to capitalize "I". I also didn't like how you phrased that sentence. Thanks.
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I thought you were serious for a second there! :eek:

slow day for steenamaroo. :mad:
 
Steenamaroo said:
I thought you were serious for a second there! :eek:

slow day for steenamaroo. :mad:
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I thought for sure you would correct the "wrok" ;) I'm not a very good troll lol. I'm surprised no one jumped on me for that. Maybe it's true, a good offense is a good defense :D
 
GuitardedMark said:
I thought for sure you would correct the "wrok" ;) I'm not a very good troll lol. I'm surprised no one jumped on me for that. Maybe it's true, a good offense is a good defense :D
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i ws gna pnt it out, bt i thot it best 2 leeve it alone.
 
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