Development and Validation of a Clarinet Performance Adjudication Scale

One of the main difficulties in the evaluation of a complex behavior such as music performance is that the measures employed are typically subjective judgments based on irregular and uncontrolled observations.' A consensus among judges concerning the adequacy of a performance is difficult to obtain. One method of improving the evaluation of music performance is through replacement of judges' general impressions by ratings arrived at by more systematic procedures. Rating scales improve evaluation because adjudicators must use a common set of evaluative dimensions rather than develop their own subjective criticisms. If the evaluative dimensions (for example, items in the scale) adequately sample the content area under investigation, the scale should have satisfactory content validity. An additional benefit of a common set of evaluative dimensions should be