Anything less than 6 in a critique?

[triviul]

Following on from the 'has anyone had a 10' thread, I was wondering what was the lowest score anyone had had in a critique. Has anyone had a 1?! I had a 6 in my first critique and just wondered how much worse it could have scored realistically. It would be useful to know where both ends of the scale are in practice, basically... Interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

[sgs4u]

Yes, some people get less than 6's. I'm sure I'm not alone. Perhaps we could start a thread about the lowest scoring critique we've been lucky enough to receive. This is from a critique I got for a song written using one of Couch Grouches excellent lyrics, called "Donuts." We were both proud of it, and still are. But when I got this critique back, it REALLY stung. Because the criticism was squarely centered around the melody, which was all my doing. On the other hand, I hardly ever sing my own songs, and the screener didn't rip the singing apart. I'm hesitating re-writing the melody, because I like it, and so does my co-writer. But I might re-write BECAUSE, I think the song would've gotten a forward had the melody been up to this particular screener's standards. I had also played the song for a few forum members before I submitted it. Got some suggestions, Hook, Jeffe, Grandmatarkin all had helpful ideas. But no one said the melody was a bad as the screener did. So this caught me by surprise. And of course, this listing was a very high-bar placement, I would assume, so the standards must be very high. Oh well. I'm not ranting, venting or anything like that. I know better than to bother doing that here anyway. This was a couple of weeks ago, so the sting has dissipated. I certainly learned a lot writing AND having this song critiqued. TAXI # S070503COAn Independent Nashville Publishing Co. with a bunch of major cuts is once again looking for UP-TEMPO, MAINSTREAM COUNTRY SONGS that would work for hit Country Groups a la the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Cowboy Crush, Hot Apple Pie, Rascal Flatts, etc. They want songs with strong melodic hooks and good story lines. No need to submit same songs forwarded for S060830CO. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD/cassette, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than May 3, 2007. TAXI # S070503CO Style On target for this listing Melody Verses could be stronger Choruses could be stronger Hook not obvious enoughI know what your hook is - In my opinion it can stand out even more. see comments.Structure Well-written structurewell constructed.Lyric First line makes me want to hear more Engaging Cohesive Good use of imagery Rhymes well Communicates emotion to listener Unique Vocal does help to sell song This is one of the freshest ideas I seen in a while. Very well written and thought through.Status: ReturnListener ID # 212 Title Good titleCreative titleOverall Comments:Hi Steve, what's up? I took the liberty of reading your lyrics before I loaded the song - and let me tell you....I was pretty surprised to hear the melody that went with those imaginative and humorous lyrics. Now, I noticed there are two writers so I hope I don't offend anyone and I hope you didn't write the melody only ;- }~. This story is so cleverly written. All the pieces fall together in your story progression so perfectly. To me - these lyrics so much overshadow your melodies. In my opinion this lyric needs an up-tempo, driving, verse melody and a catchy, melodic, memorable, chorus melody to make these words come alive. Not that it's such a bad melody - I'm not saying that - but It honestly sounds as if this melody doesn't know this lyric. I would wholeheartedly recommend that you try and alter this melody or if you know someone who is a killer up-tempo rockin' melody writer - give them a shot at these lyrics. And make it real country. Hope this is helpful.Overall Rating 5 Music9 Lyrics 4 Marketability7 Arrangement6 Production6 EngineeringThe main reason you were or were not forwarded for this listing is:Sorry, melodically not competitive enough for this listing.

[grandmatarkin]

Yeah Steve... I really liked the hook. I think 5 is way too low a score. Strange...

[sgs4u]

I think I'll submit the song to the same listing twice next time, just to see if it gets through!!

[Casey H]

Quote: Yes, some people get less than 6's. I'm sure I'm not alone. Perhaps we could start a thread about the lowest scoring critique we've been lucky enough to receive. This is from a critique I got for a song written using one of Couch Grouches excellent lyrics, called "Donuts." We were both proud of it, and still are. But when I got this critique back, it REALLY stung. Because the criticism was squarely centered around the melody, which was all my doing. On the other hand, I hardly ever sing my own songs, and the screener didn't rip the singing apart. I'm hesitating re-writing the melody, because I like it, and so does my co-writer. But I might re-write BECAUSE, I think the song would've gotten a forward had the melody been up to this particular screener's standards. I had also played the song for a few forum members before I submitted it. Got some suggestions, Hook, Jeffe, Grandmatarkin all had helpful ideas. But no one said the melody was a bad as the screener did. So this caught me by surprise. And of course, this listing was a very high-bar placement, I would assume, so the standards must be very high. Oh well. I'm not ranting, venting or anything like that. I know better than to bother doing that here anyway. This was a couple of weeks ago, so the sting has dissipated. I certainly learned a lot writing AND having this song critiqued. TAXI # S070503COAn Independent Nashville Publishing Co. with a bunch of major cuts is once again looking for UP-TEMPO, MAINSTREAM COUNTRY SONGS that would work for hit Country Groups a la the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Cowboy Crush, Hot Apple Pie, Rascal Flatts, etc. They want songs with strong melodic hooks and good story lines. No need to submit same songs forwarded for S060830CO. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD/cassette, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than May 3, 2007. TAXI # S070503CO Style On target for this listing Melody Verses could be stronger Choruses could be stronger Hook not obvious enoughI know what your hook is - In my opinion it can stand out even more. see comments.Structure Well-written structurewell constructed.Lyric First line makes me want to hear more Engaging Cohesive Good use of imagery Rhymes well Communicates emotion to listener Unique Vocal does help to sell song This is one of the freshest ideas I seen in a while. Very well written and thought through.Status: ReturnListener ID # 212 Title Good titleCreative titleOverall Comments:Hi Steve, what's up? I took the liberty of reading your lyrics before I loaded the song - and let me tell you....I was pretty surprised to hear the melody that went with those imaginative and humorous lyrics. Now, I noticed there are two writers so I hope I don't offend anyone and I hope you didn't write the melody only ;- }~. This story is so cleverly written. All the pieces fall together in your story progression so perfectly. To me - these lyrics so much overshadow your melodies. In my opinion this lyric needs an up-tempo, driving, verse melody and a catchy, melodic, memorable, chorus melody to make these words come alive. Not that it's such a bad melody - I'm not saying that - but It honestly sounds as if this melody doesn't know this lyric. I would wholeheartedly recommend that you try and alter this melody or if you know someone who is a killer up-tempo rockin' melody writer - give them a shot at these lyrics. And make it real country. Hope this is helpful.Overall Rating 5 Music9 Lyrics 4 Marketability7 Arrangement6 Production6 EngineeringThe main reason you were or were not forwarded for this listing is:Sorry, melodically not competitive enough for this listing.Yo SteveWhat am I, chopped liver here? LOL!!Don't you recall MY feedback that it needed more rockin' energy to go with those donuts in the parking lot?? I sent you some Dave Edmunds and Bruce Springsteen songs as examples of the type of energy I thought it needed.Don't feel bad. It happens... A long time ago I got a critique on a co-write whereby I did the lyrics and someone else did the music. The reviewer also warned that he might offend the person who did the lyrics and went on to say the music was a killer (a 9+) but the lyrics needed a lot of work... Casey

[andreh]

Quote:This is from a critique I got for a song written using one of Couch Grouches excellent lyrics, called "Donuts." We were both proud of it, and still are. But when I got this critique back, it REALLY stung. Because the criticism was squarely centered around the melody, which was all my doing. On the other hand, I hardly ever sing my own songs, and the screener didn't rip the singing apart. I'm hesitating re-writing the melody, because I like it, and so does my co-writer. But I might re-write BECAUSE, I think the song would've gotten a forward had the melody been up to this particular screener's standards. Hey Steve-I listened to this song, and I thought you did great job on the music and melody (and Couch Grouch's lyrics are catchy, too). However, I see what the screener was saying about the attitude of the melodies; they were more mellow & fun, where the lyrical content seemed to call for beef and balls.Even the screener said they weren't bad melodies, just not appropriate for the lyrical content. Especially for country songs, the whole package has to come together; in a pop song, you could probably more easily get away with a melody whose feel is inconsistent with the lyrical message. Looking forward to hearing your re-write!Andre

[Casey H]

Quote:Quote:Yo SteveWhat am I, chopped liver here? LOL!!Don't you recall MY feedback that it needed more rockin' energy to go with those donuts in the parking lot?? I sent you some Dave Edmunds and Bruce Springsteen songs as examples of the type of energy I thought it needed.Don't feel bad. It happens... A long time ago I got a critique on a co-write whereby I did the lyrics and someone else did the music. The reviewer also warned that he might offend the person who did the lyrics and went on to say the music was a killer (a 9+) but the lyrics needed a lot of work... Casey I stand corrected. My gonads hurt so much from that critique that I forgot about your suggestions. I have a VERY short term memory. Too much, you know... I'll get right to work, incorporating your energy ideas as well, Casey.I am chopped liver #1Yo Mr. Pate (pa-tae)The fact that my feedback was similar to the screener's and the rumor that I am M.L.'s pool boy are completely unrelated items. cAsEy

[jchitty]

Quote: Quote: Yes, some people get less than 6's. I'm sure I'm not alone. Perhaps we could start a thread about the lowest scoring critique we've been lucky enough to receive. This is from a critique I got for a song written using one of Couch Grouches excellent lyrics, called "Donuts." We were both proud of it, and still are. But when I got this critique back, it REALLY stung. Because the criticism was squarely centered around the melody, which was all my doing. On the other hand, I hardly ever sing my own songs, and the screener didn't rip the singing apart. I'm hesitating re-writing the melody, because I like it, and so does my co-writer. But I might re-write BECAUSE, I think the song would've gotten a forward had the melody been up to this particular screener's standards. I had also played the song for a few forum members before I submitted it. Got some suggestions, Hook, Jeffe, Grandmatarkin all had helpful ideas. But no one said the melody was a bad as the screener did. So this caught me by surprise. And of course, this listing was a very high-bar placement, I would assume, so the standards must be very high. Oh well. I'm not ranting, venting or anything like that. I know better than to bother doing that here anyway. This was a couple of weeks ago, so the sting has dissipated. I certainly learned a lot writing AND having this song critiqued. TAXI # S070503COAn Independent Nashville Publishing Co. with a bunch of major cuts is once again looking for UP-TEMPO, MAINSTREAM COUNTRY SONGS that would work for hit Country Groups a la the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Cowboy Crush, Hot Apple Pie, Rascal Flatts, etc. They want songs with strong melodic hooks and good story lines. No need to submit same songs forwarded for S060830CO. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD/cassette, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than May 3, 2007. TAXI # S070503CO Style On target for this listing Melody Verses could be stronger Choruses could be stronger Hook not obvious enoughI know what your hook is - In my opinion it can stand out even more. see comments.Structure Well-written structurewell constructed.Lyric First line makes me want to hear more Engaging Cohesive Good use of imagery Rhymes well Communicates emotion to listener Unique Vocal does help to sell song This is one of the freshest ideas I seen in a while. Very well written and thought through.Status: ReturnListener ID # 212 Title Good titleCreative titleOverall Comments:Hi Steve, what's up? I took the liberty of reading your lyrics before I loaded the song - and let me tell you....I was pretty surprised to hear the melody that went with those imaginative and humorous lyrics. Now, I noticed there are two writers so I hope I don't offend anyone and I hope you didn't write the melody only ;- }~. This story is so cleverly written. All the pieces fall together in your story progression so perfectly. To me - these lyrics so much overshadow your melodies. In my opinion this lyric needs an up-tempo, driving, verse melody and a catchy, melodic, memorable, chorus melody to make these words come alive. Not that it's such a bad melody - I'm not saying that - but It honestly sounds as if this melody doesn't know this lyric. I would wholeheartedly recommend that you try and alter this melody or if you know someone who is a killer up-tempo rockin' melody writer - give them a shot at these lyrics. And make it real country. Hope this is helpful.Overall Rating 5 Music9 Lyrics 4 Marketability7 Arrangement6 Production6 EngineeringThe main reason you were or were not forwarded for this listing is:Sorry, melodically not competitive enough for this listing.Yo SteveWhat am I, chopped liver here? LOL!!Don't you recall MY feedback that it needed more rockin' energy to go with those donuts in the parking lot?? I sent you some Dave Edmunds and Bruce Springsteen songs as examples of the type of energy I thought it needed.Don't feel bad. It happens... A long time ago I got a critique on a co-write whereby I did the lyrics and someone else did the music. The reviewer also warned that he might offend the person who did the lyrics and went on to say the music was a killer (a 9+) but the lyrics needed a lot of work... CaseySniffle, don't feel bad....Steve forgot my critique too. I guess we're not worthy, hehe.

[jchitty]

Quote:Following on from the 'has anyone had a 10' thread, I was wondering what was the lowest score anyone had had in a critique. Has anyone had a 1?! I had a 6 in my first critique and just wondered how much worse it could have scored realistically. It would be useful to know where both ends of the scale are in practice, basically... Interested to hear everyone's thoughts.I've never had lower than a 6 until last week. And when I get a six, it's mostly on one category or so....I get them very rarely....not bragging, but for the most part, I get mostly 8's, 9's and a few 7's....I'd say this all averages out to an 8. However, last week, I got a critique on "Old Lem Jones", and I got 4's and 5's on the song....I won't name the screener, but the critique was really lousy....really, I wondered if the screener could even speak English! The way they worded my critique was filled with bad grammar and so silly....I wondered if they even listened to the song....I didn't complain about it...no use in getting riled up....instead, I just laughed at the review....if the review had been a good one, one easy to understand, and I'd still gotten 4's and 5s, then I would have respected this, but this review looked like a highschool kid had written it! And to boot, they gave a professional demo service like Beaird Music, a very respected place a 5 on their music production! Across the board, no matter who listens to my music, they've always raved about Larry's productions. To make this story even funnier, I got ANOTHER critique on "Old Lem Jones" (the same song) this week from another screener, good 'ole screener 97 whose critiques I like for the most part....97 usually does a good job. Screener 97 gave me mostly 8's and 9's on "Old Lem Jones"....so here is the sAME song, with two dramatically different critiques. Now, because 97 gave me a good review and higher points, this is not why I preferred their critique....but I feel 97 actually listened to the song....you can tell by their wording that they knew what was going on. All that being said, I didn't get a foward on the song, but at least, I know it was better than a 4 or a 5 now....had me worried last week.Note: My grammar isn't perfect either sometimes, but then again, I'm not being paid oodles of money to critique songs.

[Casey H]

Quote: Sniffle, don't feel bad....Steve forgot my critique too. I guess we're not worthy, hehe.Steve, you critique whore!! hee hee