Does someone need to be "qualified" to criticise?

[Cato]

It depends on context,

If you're covering Sweet Child O Mine or Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower' and he messes up the solos people are definitely going to notice. If you are doing original material then who's to say what's right or wrong.

If you play with him again maybe subtly suggest that he works on his string bending technique. A quick bend of a semi-tone or two can cover a multitude of sins (assuming he knows he';s hit a bum note in the first place).

[discreet]

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1435829166' post='2812736']
I am in a band with someone that gets angry, chucks his toys out and will blame everything under the sun if you point out a mistake he makes. These are usually the same mistakes that need rectifying for the good of the band, but its not seen that way and he just behaves like a child and has a strop. For me its a sign of a very insecure and immature musician/person and if I had my way I would rather not have him in the band but its not my call.
[/quote]

We have a very insecure and immature drummer/person who really can't take ANY criticism AT ALL and will point blank ignore it entirely. Ideally I'd like to replace him, but he's generally very good and it's [i]so[/i] hard to find a decent drummer... come to think of it, it's not the drummer I don't like, it's the person!

[TimR]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1435836247' post='2812850']


We have a very insecure and immature drummer/person who really can't take ANY criticism AT ALL and will point blank ignore it entirely. Ideally I'd like to replace him, but he's generally very good and it's [i]so[/i] hard to find a decent drummer... come to think of it, it's not the drummer I don't like, it's the person!
[/quote]

I payed with a guy like that for too long. Is he quite happy to tell everyone else what they're doing wrong?

[discreet]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1435836984' post='2812862']
I played with a guy like that for too long. Is he quite happy to tell everyone else what they're doing wrong?
[/quote]

No, but I'd prefer it if he did - at least that would show some kind of engagement - but he learns his drum parts and that's it, he won't change or develop them and doesn't seem to care what anyone else plays. Maybe he's not into it. But he keeps turning up to rehearsals and gigs so I dunno...

[bubinga5]

that guitarist sounds spoilt and immature. and that, no doubt is a reflection of his playing..

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1435826939' post='2812689']
I have no cheesemaking skills whatsoever. Does that mean if a cheesemaker hands me a piece of defective cheese I have to just chow down with a straight face and say "mmm, that's delicious"?
[/quote]

Yeah thats a good analogy, A chef cant really discount customer complaints just because they arnt expert cook themselves. If it were me I would be much more concerned by a lay person telling be that "something wasnt right" with something I played than I would be another musician - it would indicate I was going something pretty seriously wrong.

Edited July 2, 2015 by bassman7755

[KevB]

Although it can help develope constructive critisism to have some valid points of reference from your own experience rather than just saying 'I thought that sounded sh*te' I think deep down we all know when we've played a wrong 'un. The main thing is how you recover from it and what you do about trying not to repeat it in future.

Edited July 2, 2015 by KevB

[leschirons]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1435826795' post='2812686']
TBH there is no right or wrong in music (playing) its just how other people perceive it.
[/quote]

Really? then don't [u]you[/u] know if you've f***ed up?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1435833228' post='2812804']
Yup, don't need to own a Rolls Royce to know it's a better car than a Reliant Robin... No offence to Reliant owners!
[/quote]
The Robin is a better car for parking ... and for servicing costs, etc etc. ... and you don't need to own a Robin to know that.

[EssentialTension]

If people can say they like it they can also say they don't like it.

Similarly, you can agree or disagree; you can like it or lump it.

[Maude]

I don't think I'm qualified to comment on this thread.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1435828359' post='2812725']
The guitarist shold have owned up.

Receiving adverse criticism is not a comfortable experience but if you think you are any good at what you do, you should be able to accept the opinion of others, and know if it is justified or not.

Maybe he didn't know he cocked up. That would be worrying.
[/quote]
+1 . if I were told I was doing something not right , I would accept it and try to rectify asap

[KevB]

Yep I got a text from one of our guitarists after our first gig saying 'I think you need to work on song x,it doesn't sound quite right' to which my immediate reply was 'Too right, I made an utter dog's bollocks of it, working on it now' and then he got all apologetic 'cos he's such a nice bloke.

[Nicko]

I don't think you need to be qualified to say there are bum notes/the solo sucked or that the guy overestimates his talent. You do need to be qualified to say the guitarist is technically good or bad because a degree of expertise would be required to establish the technical difficulty of the lick he just murdered.

I've heard plenty of guys play widdly stuff that's actually quite easy but that cant nail a relatively straightforward solo.

[Norris]

I am lucky to have a guitarist that knows when he's cocked up a solo as he always looks my way to see the raised eyebrow. Occasionally it's followed by a tongue in cheek adjustment of his amp as if that had caused it

[JoeEvans]

The point of playing music is to create enjoyable experiences for listeners, regardless of whether they are musicians themselves. So anyone with ears is entitled to comment on whether or not you succeeded in that task.

[Bobthedog]

Does one need to be qualified to criticise? Based on 99% of the Internet, I would say not! :-)

[lojo]

If a drunk person who dances all night goes up to a musician after a gig and over states how brilliant it was, the musician does not say "sorry love you are unqualified and too under the influence for me to except your compliments"

I guess it should work both ways, however the drunk person may have danced to rubbish without question and the person in the Op who critised the solo, might also critise Clapton.

[JoeEvans]

I suppose it is true that someone who has some expertise with an instrument might recognise it when a musician pulls off some effect that is particularly difficult technically, but actually, that sort of stuff is not always enjoyable for the general listener anyway. I remember going to see Kroke, a Polish klezmer trio, and the accordionist did something with his left hand that had never occurred to me as being even possible. But I don't suppose anyone else in the audience noticed or got any special pleasure from it.

[Low End Bee]

If you've got ears you can have an opinion.

[discreet]

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1435918205' post='2813555']
If you've got ears you can have an opinion.
[/quote]

Yes, everyone's got 'em...
How's it going, Ad?

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1435826711' post='2812685']
Played with a guitarist a while back who had heard someone make a comment about one of his solos which, to be honest, was a bit sad with quite a few bum notes in there (no, it wasn't jazz before any joker asks)

I understand that no-one likes criticism however, his argument was that the guy wasn't qualified to make a comment as he was not a musician.

My personal view is that if something is not good, it's not good. It's not as if he was playing anything so way out and clever that he could employ the "I think it went over their heads" argument

I believe that if someone is into music appreciation, as opposed to actually playing it, they're more than qualified to say what does, or does not, sound good.
[/quote]

"They aren't qualified to criticise my guitar solo" = "I have an inflated ego and I'll happily bat away any criticism with bullshit excuses just to protect my ego".

Sorry, but that's what it amounts to. A punter doesn't need to be qualified. They have ears, and music is subjective. Now, your guitarist probably recognises that it wasn't the best guitar solo of his career, but probably finds it adds insult to injury when people... well, insult his playing.

In any case, what does qualify one to criticise somebody's music? I don't think there is such a thing. You either think something's good or bad, or somebody is good or bad. It's not rocket surgery.

[ambient]

Everyone has on opinion, and is entitled to share it.

However sometimes it may be best to keep it to yourself. People do have feelings after all. Just because someone makes a mistake, that shouldn't entitle someone else to use that mistake as a basis to criticise someone, or make fun of them.

If you do share your opinion, and the result is that you upset someone, then you should be prepared to apologise for that.

There's someone on here who I'm ignoring at the moment, he used an error of mine as the basis for a smart and sarcastic post. He obviously thought himself too clever to apologise.

[blue]

You know, when someone constructively critizises something about my playing, i am usually aware of it and agree. I'm usually experimenting with something new. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't.

[leschirons]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1436037178' post='2814550']


You either think something's good or bad, or somebody is good or bad. It's not rocket surgery.
[/quote]

No, but it could be brain science