6 Tips on How to Write a Music Review
Knowing how to write a music review is a task not only for students. Art professors, famous musician fans, and even musicians themselves should know how to review music. They should be able to express their interpretation of the songs and give readers an insight into whether a piece of music is well-composed or if it was just a collage of individual sounds. This article will help individuals who are looking to learn how to write a music review by giving tips on how to review music and providing examples that reviewers can use as a reference while writing their papers.
What Is a Music Review?
A music review is a review paper that focuses on assessing and analyzing a musical piece, album, or musical performance. This type of paper is often a short written work, mostly around 600 words. The paper should contain the author’s criticism of a musical work. They should include criticism of a song’s technical aspects such as the singer, the instruments, and the structure of the song. The author should also include a criticism of the artistic style of a musical work especially if it is a musical performance such as a music video.
The quality and structure of writing this type of paper will depend on the author and their target audience. A student may use a simple music review template that only focuses on the artistic style of a musical piece. A professional critic will tend to use either a customized music review template or at least an intricate template that focuses on every aspect of a musical piece. There are many music review examples that an individual can use to help them write a review paper.
Tips on How to Write a Music Review
A writer may write this type of paper with the purpose of giving readers an overview of a musical track, album, or performance. It can also be an in-depth analysis that teachers can use to educate their class and improve their student’s critical thinking skills . A student who is writing this type of paper may have no idea about any musical genre or style. They may not even be interested in listening to any songs. A reviewer may also be unfamiliar with a particular musical style. For example, a pianist may need to write a paper criticizing classic country music . This may make it difficult for them to construct a well-written review. This is why it is practical to use a music review template. To further help individuals, here are some tips on how to write a music review:
1. Listen to the song repeatedly
The first and most important tip on how to write a music review is to listen to the song repeatedly. The reviewer won’t be able to write a good paper if they only listen to the song once. If possible, they should listen to the song inside a controlled environment. This can be a sound-proof room or even just the bathroom in a house. This will help a reviewer listen to the sounds and melody without any audio distractions and hear the clean sounds from their listening device. While listening, the reviewer can look through some music review examples which can help them think about how to construct their movie review template.
2. Take notes while listening
The next tip on how to write a music review is to take notes. Since the reviewer will be listening repeatedly to a song, they can take down notes between each listening session. The reviewer can still write down notes while listening to a song, however, this will cause them to defocus during some parts of the song. An alternative method would be for the reviewer to record themselves while listening. They can speak directly to the camera and express their thought process. They will also be able to capture their emotion while listening to a song.
3. Do research about the music
The third tip on how to write a music review is research. The reviewer should gather information about the singer, composer, writer, and even the album company. This will help them construct the introduction and background information for their paper. The reviewer should also look for existing music review examples about the song or at least a song from the same genre. Reading music review examples will help the reviewer gain more knowledge about the song and learn from the insights of other reviewers. Reviewers who are trying to make a template for their paper will also benefit from reading some examples.
4. Be objective and original
A reviewer should be objective and original when writing their paper. A reviewer may be writing a paper on a genre or artist that they dislike. Their attitude towards the genre or artist should not affect their paper’s content and message. When reading music review examples, a reviewer might discover a community consensus about a song. The community consensus may indicate that almost everyone dislikes a song due to a particular line or the background of the artist. It is easy to concede to a general consensus, however, a reviewer should not be afraid to write their opinion even if it disagrees with everyone else. This will make the paper’s contents unique and a new perspective for readers to read about.
5. Follow a format
Reviewers should consider following a format when writing their papers. This will help make the reviewer’s paper flow smoothly and have a proper structure. A reviewer can use the standard essay format since it is the most common format writers use. Depending on the music review template that a reviewer used, a whole paper can be a short 400-word essay or a lengthy 1000-word paper. Look for an example of a music review essay to help in determining how to better format a music review.
6. Proofread, edit, and finalize the music review
The last tip on how to write a music review is to proofread. Proofreading is an essential part of any writing task. The first paper that the reviewer will write will most likely have grammatical and typographical errors. The reviewer may need to revise some of their sentences. It is also a good idea to fact-check the pieces of information that a reviewer includes in their paper. A reviewer may have misread an article or provided outdated information. A reviewer may also compare their paper to other music review examples to see if the structure is similar.
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Sample Music Review
This type of paper can be about a song, a whole album, a band, or a music video. Reading how-to articles and sample papers can help an individual know where to start. Below is an example essay that reviewers can use as a reference when writing their paper:
Review of Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill” (2017)
The song ``Castle on the Hill'' is a part of Ed Sheeran’s album called “÷” (Divide). Ed Sheeran is an English singer and songwriter. He began to gain massive popularity in 2017 after releasing the album “÷” (Divide). “Castle on the Hill” is a folk/pop/rock song that perfectly expresses the feeling of nostalgia. It became a popular song that people played everywhere back in 2017. When someone enters malls and offices they would most likely hear a sound system playing the song. Street musicians and YouTubers sang various covers of “Castle in the Hill”. The song captured the hearts of everyone who were once children playing in the grass.
The pure sound of an acoustic guitar’s string, free from any electrical or synthetic influence, perfectly transports the listener to their early childhood. The first line of the song: “When I was six years old, I broke my leg” is a very relatable statement since almost anyone has experienced grazing their knees or falling down while playing. The rhythm and sound of the acoustic guitar also resonate with the feeling of visiting the countryside. It makes the listeners remember the times where they go on a family vacation and see the ocean of green fields as they look out from the window of their car.
Though Ed Sheeran’s guitar playing skills were great, it was his emotion-filled singing that made the song stand out from any other. During the chorus lines which imply a return to the countryside, one can hear the passionate cry of a man excited to go back to his home. During the parts of the song where he sings about the current lives of his childhood friends, one can hear and feel the concern he has for them. When he sings about their childhood experience of drinking alcohol and playing on the fields, he expresses the sound of nostalgia - of a man trying to relive his blissful youth. The title, “Castle on the Hill,” may represent the infinite imagination of children. That while playing in the green fields of the countryside, children often imagine having castles and mansions. They imagine fighting monsters and dragons. They were young and the country’s green grass was their playground.
“Castle on the Hill” is a modern song that makes its listeners crave the joy and innocence of youth. Listening to the song will make a person think of their childhood and how carefree they were. The sound of the acoustic guitar also helps in imagining the feeling of being in the countryside. From its musical simplicity to the emotion-filled singing of Ed Sheeran, “Castle on the Hill” made its listeners remember the feeling of childhood and incited an urge to visit the countryside once again.
Music Review Paper Writing Help
If these tips on how to write a music review are still not enough, perhaps one can consider looking for professional help. Students or other individuals who are not comfortable with writing about any type of paper can go to CustomEssayMeister. The website offers a variety of writing services to help with written assignments such as a biology assignment about human evolution or writing a paper about classical musicians such as Mozart and Beethoven. Our professional writers guarantee high-quality and plagiarism-free papers that you can submit as your own.