# How to tell if what you're writing is any good?



## Manok

I'm honestly never satisfied with anything I write, and when I play it for other people, I can't ever tell if they're just being nice or what, so is there some way of telling if your piece of music is any good?


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Answer that one and the world is your oyster!!

Part of the problem also is your question, first you need to define who the audience is - makes a bit of a difference to how well it will be received.............. It's a bit like the answer to life, the universe and everything- I could tell you the answer is 42!!

Suggest you consult Deep thought








Note: out of interest- It turns out however that this number 42, may be subject to localised quantum relativity effects - specifically on an insignificant island off the north-west coast of Europe, a continent on a small blue planet in an unfashionable part of the galaxy. Here, the number is 43, rounded up - well actually 42.51, but it keeps wobbling around all the time and is subject to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. So usually, most of the time, its sort of around 43. Ish.

Does this help.............


----------



## ricardo_jvc6

This is a simple question. No matter what you do or don't, if its not good or the best, you can't make everyone like a song. That is impossible. What you can do otherwise is atleast do a good work, share the sheet and point out errors or simply state what you done. Also, if a piece of music follows music basics and composition rules, the music, however, would be in a good condition. Let's not think that everytime, because there are good music out there that was made with slightest of music theory and it was more of emotional feelings. I spoke with some composers and this what they told me, no matter what you do, you can't convince everyone to like your music, but what you can do is atleast show them the music and be proud of your hard work. Look at me for example, I hardly get comments on my music, sometimes a few don't like, other majority do like it. You are not perfect, not me nor you...


----------



## PetrB

Run it by musicians who may or may not be your friends, but who are 'clinical' in their assessments and are also brutally frank.

Then you have a slight chance at some 'objective' opinion of the work


----------



## Ukko

Manok said:


> I'm honestly never satisfied with anything I write, and when I play it for other people, I can't ever tell if they're just being nice or what, so is there some way of telling if your piece of music is any good?


Firstly, 'any good' may not be 'good enough'. Brahms reportedly had difficulty with the satisfaction thing, and junked a lot of his compositions before they could 'take the morning air'. Maybe with time you will compose things you are satisfied with; you should probably file the first half dozen or so of them away for a year or so. If after that you can stand playing them... .


----------



## deggial

ever thought of busking? or it's not the kind of stuff that lends itself to that?



EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Note: out of interest- It turns out however that this number 42, may be subject to localised quantum relativity effects - specifically on an insignificant island off the north-west coast of Europe, a continent on a small blue planet in an unfashionable part of the galaxy. Here, the number is 43, rounded up - well actually 42.51, but it keeps wobbling around all the time and is subject to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. So usually, most of the time, its sort of around 43. Ish.
> 
> Does this help.............


I, for one, am not satisfied. I demand a more in-depth analysis


----------



## Entropically

Hi Manok,

I'm new here, but I thought I'd throw out a different perspective. Basically, I think that wherever you can see beauty in something, _beauty exists to at least some extent_. You might not have seen it before or later, or others might not see it, but that's probably because of perspective and the context of the situation. So a good goal might be to write a piece where you can see its shimmering glory at multiple times of the day, after various activities, before or after playing other pieces, etc. This would be indicative of a robustly good piece.

That might sound too philosophical or abstract, but sometimes the perspective of a goal can help you find the means. Of course, you might not care about that kind of goal anyways!


----------



## Jord

I only write things i like the sound of, and if i write something i don't like then it's not finished


----------



## Klavierspieler

........................................


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

^ Are you a Minimalist composer by any chance???????


----------



## MichaelSolo

Make sure your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other hears it. If you catch him / her humming it at some time, you did well.

If you write a-melodical modern stuff, see if they like hearing it without the intent to flatter you. If yes, you did well.

See if it is possible to "swing" it, i.e., perform in exaggerated, sleasy and mocking way. If not, you did well.

Hope it helps..


----------



## ricardo_jvc6

I use various styles, Neo-romantism, Minimalism, repetitive minimalism, etc.. something like that.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

MichaelSolo said:


> Make sure your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other hears it. If you catch him / her humming it at some time, you did well.
> 
> If you write a-melodical modern stuff, see if they like hearing it without the intent to flatter you. If yes, you did well.
> 
> See if it is possible to "swing" it, i.e., perform in exaggerated, sleasy and mocking way. If not, you did well.
> 
> Hope it helps..


My wife runs when she hears my music, what does that say?


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

Well... first of all it would help if you knew the difference between "you're" (you are) and your (you possessive).


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

^ Is that why she runs???????


----------



## Mahlerian

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Well... first of all it would help if you knew the difference between "you're" (you are) and your (you possessive).


The OP did in fact use these correctly. The topic is awkwardly worded, but it's the "to" that's the problem, not the "you're".

Now, if it had been "How to tell if you're writing is any good", it would have been wrong.


----------



## moody

Manok said:


> I'm honestly never satisfied with anything I write, and when I play it for other people, I can't ever tell if they're just being nice or what, so is there some way of telling if your piece of music is any good?


Looks like you are playing it to the wrong people. but in any case it's whether YOU think it's good that counts---cant imagine Beethoven running around asking people what they thought, Believe in yourself and you will find that others will.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Look it can't be any worse than this........ What's to worry about!


----------



## oogabooha

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Look it can't be any worse than this........ What's to worry about!


Is that a challenge?


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

oogabooha said:


> Is that a challenge?


Yep, think of it as a challenge if you like. Sad but true, that I can beat this (for badness) myself, just check out my blog!!


----------



## MichaelSolo

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> My wife runs when she hears my music, what does that say?


Not enough information to provide an answer. Can be she just feels bad you spend too much time making music instead of love.


----------



## Wood

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Look it can't be any worse than this........ What's to worry about!


It is pretty appalling, but surely the original is worse?


----------



## Klavierspieler

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> ^ Are you a Minimalist composer by any chance???????


No, I wrote something, but then I decided that I didn't want to say anything.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

^ Ah, a true minimalist then.


----------



## Klavierspieler

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> ^ Ah, a true minimalist then.


Quite. [ filler ]


----------



## Tomposer

Firstly, it's very important to divide your processes into stages, and the initial one or two stages you must not be too self-critical or worry about whether or not it's "good." It's much more important to get it out, and do this as quickly as practical. In these early stages, your measure of "good" is _only _whether or not you're enjoying yourself. You'll learn that it's important to avoid habitually stifling your early enthusiasm.

In the latter stages, you can afford to be more critical. This may be before you finish the whole piece - maybe you've only got an exposition down - often it's beneficial to do some revision before completing an entire piece - over time you learn where and when it is efficient to call off the initial "enthusiastic" stages as I like to call them, and move into more constructively-critical.

In being critical it's best to encourage your objectivity (as said, avoid doing this until you've passed that initial enthusiastic threshold). A good method I've found for this is to imagine playing your music to a knowledgeable, critical friend, and imagine how they might react to it. This causes me to step outside my regular subjectivity. Similarly, you can try to imagine its first performance. Particularly listen for unsatisfactory structure (lengths of sections) and harmonic progressions that don't quite work the way you want, or even melody which doesn't quite breath and land the way you'd like. Often, to get it "just right" may require extensive revision. This type of revision is much easier to conduct once you've completed an initial draft of at least an important section of the music.


----------



## TwoFourPianist

My general philosophy - If it sounds good, it is good.


----------

