Assessing Your Current Skill Level

One of the most important skills in learning anything (particularly if you are "self-taught") is being able to make a candid and accurate assessment of your skills. In fact, one of the most helpful things that a music teacher will do for you is identify areas in which you are deficient and help develop activities to help you overcome these challenges.

I've put together the following list of categories to help you rate and assess your own progress. Rate your skills on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


Composition- ( )

questions to consider:
How well do you create musical ideas? How well do you develop concepts throughout a piece? Does your composition have the overall effect on your listener that you want it to have?

Music Theory- ( )

questions to consider:

How well do you apply music theory concepts to your compositions and the production process. Are you able to use music theory as a tool in overcoming musical obstacles? Are you able to use your knowledge of music theory to understand what is going on in others' musical compositions?

Sound Design/ Digging- ( )

questions to consider:

Am I able to find or create the sound I need when and where I need it. Do I have a knowledge of sample sources beyond a particular genre of music? Am I able to modify samples to meet my needs? Do I have a knowledge of synthesis methods (subtractive, FM, additive, granular) and can I apply that to making new sounds for my compositions?

Mixing- ( )

questions to consider:

Do my final mixes sound the way I want on all of the sound systems on which I test it? Do my mixes sound "muddy" or have parts that compete for the listener's attention? Am I able to use tools like compression and equalization to their greatest potential?

Musicianship- ( )

questions to consider:

How effective am I at physically playing my instrument? Could I transfer what I do to a live, real-time environment? Can I play instruments other than the sampler? Have I developed a good sense of rhythm and fine motor coordination from playing a musical instrument? Do I seek to apply concepts I have learned from one instrument to others that I am learning.

Knowledge of Your Instruments- ( )

questions to consider:

Am I using my instrument(s) to the maximum of their potential? Do I know how to use it to make multiple types of music. Can I use all of the features that an instrument has to offer if needed? Do I look for interesting and novel ways of using the instrument's feature set?

Self Promotion/Marketing- ( )

questions to consider:

Am I effective at introducing new listeners to my music? Have I explored both active and passive means of getting listeners attention, ranging from social networking sites to putting together live shows. Have I learned many strategies for making money from the music I produce? Am I aware of the legal requirements of producing music for others, ranging from sampling expenses to tax-related information?

Execution of Projects/Completion of Tasks- ( )

questions to consider:

How effective am I at completing songs and other projects? Am I effective and efficient in producing my tracks? Do I work effectively with other musicians to complete tasks? Am I able to handle short deadlines when producing music? Does my work flow help me through the music production process or does it leave me prone to procrastination, distraction, and frustration?

Organization- ( )

questions to consider:

When I work on a project, do I have a consistent way to back up data that I have saved? Do I save abandoned projects in a way that they can be used for helpful parts when making future compositions? If i had to revisit and old project, would I be able to simply load it up and start working? Do I have a methodical approach to carrying out music production related tasks?

At From the Crates, we're going to be encouraging you to assess your progress monthly. In the mean time, expect that we'll be providing exercises to help you improve in each of these areas.