Music for work/concentration

eSully

Interested to hear what, if any, music/bands people listen to to help with concentration. Software dev here so I tend to listen to a lot of music while working. Godspeed you Black Emperor to be really good concentration music:



Anyone got any more recommendations?

BigMonka

I like a bit of Zero7 as atmospheric background music to working. 
Or if I need to be psyched up to get something done then it'll be more driven music like the Gaslight Anthem (being a current fave)

mrleon83

Web dev here, I normally go for either a psytrance mix or devin Townsend ... seems to work for me ..,

fields5069

A Silver Mt Zion, essentially some people from GYBE, is also good, especially the less song-like stuff like Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upwards

jellyroll

Unless you're a personal trainer, I don't understand how sensory distractions like music help concentration. Music might make work less dull but can it really aid concentration? No doubt somebody will pop up with some scientific research to disprove me....

Sporky

jellyroll said:

Unless you're a personal trainer, I don't understand how sensory distractions like music help concentration. Music might make work less dull but can it really aid concentration? No doubt somebody will pop up with some scientific research to disprove me....

Not scientific, but I find it's like having a fiddle toy - it distracts a bit of my brain so that the rest can get on with the task at hand.

Also good for masking more distracting noises.

eSully

jellyroll said:

Unless you're a personal trainer, I don't understand how sensory distractions like music help concentration. Music might make work less dull but can it really aid concentration? No doubt somebody will pop up with some scientific research to disprove me....

I thought someone might post this, No scientific research here but anecdotally yes, for my job absolutely, instrumental music in particular. I work in an open plan office and it's a great way to zone out the rest of the office and concentrate. The right music (background music) is far better at helping me concentrate than silence.

Hoof

jellyroll said:

Unless you're a personal trainer, I don't understand how sensory distractions like music help concentration. Music might make work less dull but can it really aid concentration? No doubt somebody will pop up with some scientific research to disprove me....

I'm with you on this. It can help prevent the mind-numbing effects of tedious work but if something is quite challenging I prefer silence. 

The worst thing is shite, commercial radio that colleagues often insist on blaring out all day long. I fing it just adds to stress levels, especially when you hear Ed fecking Sheeran for the 12th time that day.

Veganic

Music at work just seems to make the day seem longer.  It seems ubiquitous in places where there is no need to concentrate.

 Only record shops should have music playing.

jellyroll

Veganic said:

"record shops"

Have you just wandered in from the XR3i thread?

Ravenous

jellyroll said:

Unless you're a personal trainer, I don't understand how sensory distractions like music help concentration. Music might make work less dull but can it really aid concentration? No doubt somebody will pop up with some scientific research to disprove me....

+wis.

I sometimes do listen to stuff at work, but only at times when work's so tedious I want to scream.  Other than that, it doesn't actually help improve concentration in any way I can think of. (And for really complex cases I need silence as Hoof said above.)

Actual choices though (software dev again) - I've been on a Bach trip for ages. Solo piano stuff - French suites, Well Tempered Clavier, etc.  Sometimes the cello suites or the violin sonatas.

Grunfeld

I made a Spotify work/ write/ write thesis/ write bollocks/ super-chill playlist
Impossibility and Identity
All of it non-intrusive but with occasional attention grabbing musical beauty.
Your mileage may vary.
But my mileage wanted a playlist which was mostly innocuous but was capable of inspiring me about 15-20% of the time.

stimpsonslostson

In an open plan office a good pair of headphones & some music can massively improve productivity  
I like writing to instrumental music. Pelican in particular.
 I've got a big report due soon & for the last few days I've been listening to @Drew_TNBD 's band Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster- brilliant heavy soundscapes. 

monquixote

stimpsonslostson said:

In an open plan office a good pair of headphones & some music can massively improve productivity  
I like writing to instrumental music. Pelican in particular.
 I've got a big report due soon & for the last few days I've been listening to @Drew_TNBD 's band Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster- brilliant heavy soundscapes. 

At the risk of making Drew's head bigger his band are really good to code to.

I also really like Russian Circles and Metroid Metal.

bbill335

Video game soundtracks are designed to be music-to-concentrate-to. Stick on some cinematic Zelda arrangements.

bbill335

monquixote said:

stimpsonslostson said:

In an open plan office a good pair of headphones & some music can massively improve productivity  
I like writing to instrumental music. Pelican in particular.
 I've got a big report due soon & for the last few days I've been listening to @Drew_TNBD 's band Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster- brilliant heavy soundscapes. 

At the risk of making Drew's head bigger his band are really good to code to.

I also really like Russian Circles and Metroid Metal.

I LOVE Metroid Metal, and the Metroid Prime soundtracks.

Roland

If there's music playing then that's what my brain focuses on. I once attended a meeting with a company that had background music playing throughout its open plan office. I was trying to concentrate on the conversation, and my brain was going "this is the second chorus, get ready to go into the solo. Is your foot near the pedal? Two bars ... one bar ...". 

Veganic

jellyroll said:

Veganic said:

"record shops"

Have you just wandered in from the XR3i thread?

We are a bit behind round here...

https://m.facebook.com/StrandRecordsLongton/?locale2=en_GB

eSully

Roland said:

If there's music playing then that's what my brain focuses on. I once attended a meeting with a company that had background music playing throughout its open plan office. I was trying to concentrate on the conversation, and my brain was going "this is the second chorus, get ready to go into the solo. Is your foot near the pedal? Two bars ... one bar ...". 

Ha, if it was a catchy song I'm sure I'd be the same. As @bbill335 said. I mean more ambient music almost designed for background or concentration. I guess it's not for everyone. The right music for me fades into the background and allows me to zone out the noise and bustle around me. I'm in a loud office!!

I'll definitely be checking out the recommendations on here, including Drews band, I really like heavy soundscape style (My first post with the Godspeed you black emporer link is very much in that vein).

guitarfishbay

I can't concentrate better with music, though I can work faster on boring repetitive stuff if there's music on...  I usually go for some high energy white noise like Decapitated or Black Dahlia Murder or some other constantly heavy stuff.  Dynamics and time sig changes just get distracting.  If I need to concentrate then silence works best for me.

axisus

For me it has to be relatively mellow instrumental music. I have an iTunes library full of specifically work music. Lots of jazz fusion, most popular being Pat Metheny, also Carlton, Yellowjackets, Casiopea, Pattatucci, Jeff Berlin, Gambale to name a few.