I know this idea isn’t ground breaking, but it’s a technique that I know to work from personal experience. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or focus creatively almost everyday. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the beneficial effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days after Christmas 2005 and I was playing Halo 2 online. My parents had just given me a new Ipod, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a distinct change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. Rather than hesitating, I made decisions based on instinct. The music relaxed me, and to a certain extent distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thought or action.
Pascal said that we enjoy music because it causes us to count without our knowing it. I believe this is also what causes music to increase focus and creativity. Even if we aren’t paying close attention, our brain counts each note and change of rhythm. This counting occupies the part of the mind that hinders our creative abilities. Like a soothing lullaby, music puts the worrisome unfocused part of the mind to sleep so the productive side can get to work.
Music can also have a profound effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work I’ll put on some Bob Marley and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer I worked a terrible job manually assembling bottle openers and renovating an old barn. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background I would have hated life. It depends on your particular tastes, but listening to music with soothing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts.
For focusing on a creative task, I’ve found that listening to music without lyrics is most effective. There are no words to abruptly grab your attention and instrumental music tends to have the most compelling melody and composition. The dashing enthusiasm of Mozart or Beethoven enhances the speed and agility of creative thought.
When I’m writing I always have my Ipod handy. If I have trouble concentrating because of outside distractions or my own scatterbrain, I put on some classical music. This relaxes my mind, blocks outside noise, and helps organize my thoughts. Mozart works very well, and I’ve heard this is because his rhythms resonate with human brain waves. Whether this is true or not, classical music is a great tool for increasing concentration and productivity.
The results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. Through trial and error you’ll eventually discover your optimal soundtrack. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music or other technique works best for you. It might not seem like a big deal, but listening to music can change your state of mind, causing changes in mood and productivity. Using music as a tool is an easy thing anyone can do to make themselves smarter and happier.
“largo” classical music (slow barque pieces whose timing is about that of a human heart at rest) are supposed to help one concentrate best of all – vivaldi and bach have a lot of movements in this tempo.
Mozart – what about Haydon, who is similar?
Thanks for the suggestions, I must confess I’m far from a classical music buff. I’ll be sure to check that stuff out.
I don’t know what I’d do without music…
Jazz is probably my favorite music to have on in the background when I’m trying to be productive. John Coltrane, Thelonius Munk, and Miles Davis are probably my faves.
Nat pretty much echoed what I was going to say. It’s spelled Thelonious Monk though. Check out John Scofield too if you are looking into Jazz, he’s got some good stuff. He’s a jazz guitarist so it’s a tad different, I like his Uberjam album though.
Thanks for the suggestions. I like Thelonious myself and I need to get into some more jazz.
Hi John, I think the point of music for focussing the mind is worth re-iterating from time to time.
I love listening to the likes of Brian Eno, Arvo Part, baroque music in general and Joey Calderazo for some jazz piano.
When listening to music the brain is subconsciously trying to ‘listen ahead’ trying to predict where the music is going. It is involving on a level that is not apparent to the listener.
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Gotta put some funk in there. James Brown, Maceo and the Macks etc. Definitely puts me in the zone
I like your style NeeBone.
Minor correction: the “pleasure of music is counting without knowing one is counting” quote was Leibniz, not Pascal.
Thanks for catching that. I tried to find the exact quote when I wrote this but couldn’t. I’m glad to know who the actual source is.
When studying statistics and accounting I could not stay focused on homework without getting sleepy, When I played rock and roll in headphones I could crank out those numbers all night long. I figured my creative brain (right brain?) needed the attention or it wouldn’t let me alone…
Thank you for the analysis of music phychology. I Love music and would be so strung out and stress ide be dead by now. Coincidently i am listening to Matchbox 21 while writing a speach music being played in the classroom. Thank you again for giving me a good string of logic to pull it together.
my view or opinion on this is the same. except i have a very strange case. if iam listening to heavy metal, or death metal i have better consistency and work a lot better
very strange i know, go figure!
Try telling the school that music is productive for the brain all they know how to do is take it away unless they put on motzart or something.
Hey Jodie…try listening to Mozart with an open mind
Try Mozart w an open mind.
Yeah, I’ve been there, but Mozart is pretty good at least
. They think they are helping you.
very interesting.
i think we just have the same idea bro..!
hello John,
I like music too but I realized that I have quite to much noice surrounding me almost every minute. loud, fast or slow, quiet Music, TV, people, traffic sounds, telephone, podcasts/audio lectures, radio, “nature”, … Really quiet moments were rare and help relaxing at first but became _boring_ after some short time. I guess I got accustomed to all this noice – maybe for amusement, maybe for distraction or just to do something (society madness?) …dunno. It’s like smoking. For the other extreme, I heard, stimulus deprivation is a psy torture. However…
Binaural beats are quite interesting and relate. Im sure you will be able to google a better explanation than i can deliver, but binaural beats deliver low frequencies to induce brainwave patterns(~7hz). This is accomplihed with two offset frequencies, one per ear. the result is a perceived low frequency, below the audible 20 hz, checkem out, they’re surprisingly effective, but i personally cant study to them, but ive had them change my mood noticeably
I want to be Music
I’m am still in high school (which is prior to university for those who aren’t familar with the term ‘high school’). I have a rather lengthy bus trip every day to reach my college, to which I use the time to read my literature class texts. In doing so, I find that listening to classical music, particulary that of Mozart’s, aids me in concentrating on both the difficult reading material, and sets me in a creative and effective mood for the day ahead. Maybe I’m just imagining it, but then again maybe I’m not.
I find that smooth jazz helps me work through a daily session of fiction writing. Classical jazz, well it’s classical jazz and I find the smooth stuff easier on the nerves.
Folk and rythym and blues songs help me get through tedious material and projects during the academic semesters. Artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Tracy Chapman, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, Catie Curtis, India Arie, The Weepies, The Postal Service, and John Legend, are my favorites. Jazz and classical music are good, too. When I need energy during study sessions or jogging, hip-hop music (Timbaland, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Kayne West) is a necessity.
I used to listen to music while doing intellectual activities for a long time… That’s until recently, when I discovered that the silence helps me more.
It’s kind of strange actually, because at first it really helps (or fools you that it helps) you to focus better, but after a while you start to realize that silence is much better. At least that was my case.
It’s a necessary experience which can help you learn the true value of silence.
Sometimes silence works great for me as well, other times I think music helps me ignore distractions. It depends on both mood and environment I think.
This is a great idea, but listening to the same music over and over can get you diminishing results because the part of the brain that counts the notes already knows what’s coming next and can get bored. You may want to put a warning that it’s better to listen to a new song every once in a while then to listen to the same songs over and over again.
Hey, love the article, its true, i am usually a scatterbrained mess of stress and mixed up priorities when it comes to work. I am a freelance artist, and so when im getting down to business not only do i have to be creative, but im also always worried about the other projects im not working on (i can only do one thing at a time…for now) BUT i found just by sheer accident that when i listen to Bach music, or any other piano classical music things flow really easy, i dont think about the things im not doing, or second guess myself that much, i just jump right in and before you know it im finishing up projects for once! Then i read this article and it starts to make more sense to me. Anyways just letting you know that it works, and i use it on a daily basis!
-Eric
I can relate on the halo 2 area. Listening to certain songs with a solid bass rthym definitely brings out that natural instinct based talent. My tag is ArchHawk Eyes send me a friend request if you wanna play sometime.
Music has amazing mood / mind altering power I think. If you can get your mood, your state of mind, and the type of task you’re trying to accomplish synergised with the right music you can just get into the zone.
I find that the same music doesn’t have the same effect all the time though. You’ve got to make the right selection based on whatever the scenario is at the time.
I used to play the video game Robotron 2084 while listening to Genesis’s Three Sides Live on my walkman. I could make a quarter last over an hour that way.
You’re right about the Beethoven, though. I used to put on my headphones and listen to the Sixth Symphony to drown out the noise of my brother practicing his guitar (or rounding third base with his girlfriend) so I could get my studying done. Needless to say, I played it pretty loud.
wow. dave just dated himself, horrifically (and i, myself, in the process).
on a less derailing note, i find that music really distracts me. as a rule, when i listen to music, i can do nothing BUT focus on the music. the idea of playing a video game, without listening to ITS music, fills me with dread (listening to OTHER music, while doing so is inconceivable). reading or even web browsing is very difficult, for me, with even pure instrumental music on, be it as mild as bossa nova, classical, or smooth jazz. different wiring, i guess. otoh, i can barely stand to be without some form of white noise (generally, a fan).
A few years ago in a giftstore, I found a CD that is supposed to help people to fall asleep, using binaural beats, as Alan May commented on. It is: Journey to Dreamland by Hennie Bekker. I really find this relaxing no matter where I listen to it. Lyrics tend to throw my thoughts off, so this is really good for me(any music that I can get used to an predict consciously is a bad idea when I am trying to concentrate).
As a secondary school (Irish term for high school) student, I find that I can work very well at maths, physics or applied maths with music but not language or essay-type subjects. I’m not sure if it is the methodical nature of the subjects, though, or just that I prefer them!
I like a wide range of music, but instrumental or ambient music is best for work, e.g. Sigur Rós, A Silver Mt. Zion, Radiohead
Music is definatly not right for me when it comes to writing essays. On the other hand, for mathematics it is a must. I personally listen to some metallica and random guitar riffs.
BTW dave, wtf is robotron? You need to learn a few things from your brother.
hmmmm i agree with the previous comment on guitar riffs. But preferably I would rather listen to Avenged Sevenfold or Velvet Revolver.
I would say that listening to music while doing other activities is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it helps, particularly if there are distractions such as noise. But other times I find that I cannot focus at all while listening to music.
I’m trying to write an essay write now at a library.
There’s so many people here (cause it’s finals week) that it’s necessary to drown out all of these distractions. I used to be some like some of those people above who mentioned that when they listen to music they got lost in it. I guess you just need to switch it up.
But if you are going to listen to music to aid you in focusing, make sure that there are as little lyrics in the music as possible. We tend to get caught up on hooks and choruses that are fun to repeat in our head or out loud. Obviously if you get caught up in this pattern you won’t be getting very much work done.
And yes, the guy playing Robotron should definitely learn a thing or two from his brother.
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Listening to instrumental Indian Classical, preferably Narayan’s Sarangi really helped me focus my attention while studying maths. Western classical instrumental also works VERY well indeed. like you, lyrics can tend to distract me when doing non-mathetical reading. works alright in art work though. unfamiliar songs are also less of a distraction than familiar ones you automatically start to sing along with…
Interestingly, was having trouble sleeping (too many overlapping thoughts) and listening to BBC’s well-modulated news broadcast really helped out with that. It emptied my mind of all other thoughts but the news (well i’m a news buff so it worked!
may make some people’s mind wander even more if they get bored by the news) and this helped me relax and slip into sleep which lasted even after the radio clip ended.
If music works for you, it does for me too, you should try working in a different posistion, if possible. I like to lie on my floor when working. Eating something also helps, for me at least. You could try some of these things. Let me know how it goes.
I’m so glad I noticed how music affects me.
When I come home from school I do my homework.
I then excerise. I have noticed that music makes me feel more energized. Before I got tired really fast but not anymore.
thank-you
~shahed
I agree that music has some effects on the human brain, especially while they’re doing some form of mental activity with varying intensity.
I realise the following effects of music on some of my activities:
1) Korean songs with an upbeat but romantic tempo makes me confident while driving. (I’m not a Korean by the way)
I have no idea what they’re saying, but I just love the say it. The song blocks my conscious mind from anticipating danger.
2) New age songs makes me relax after a stressful day. Secret Garden – prayer is a very good song if you want to meditate or drift into sleep.
3) Classical music soothes my nerves when I’m preparing myself for a speech / presentation.
4) Up beat modern pop songs lift my spirits up early in the morning. I usually dance to them. Sometimes I play songs from Indian Bollywood filems just to annoy my family in the morning (grin)
I recommend buying headphones that blocks outside noise. You can either play songs without hearing any outside noise and thus fully listen the music or you can just plug your ears without playing anything if you need silence.
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do you think there is any collation with certain type of music and how loud it’s being played? it just seems to me that if it’s not loud enough, you may not be able to successfully isolate yourself. however, if it’s too loud it would only serve to distract you.
The “right” volume is important for various results but it is important to remember that how loud something sounds is subjective and based on the individual’s hearing as well as their taste.
thankz!
im in 11th grade, and i allways have my iPod+headphones with me, i listen to music ALOT, and it does help me concentrate but only becuase its better then niose, silence is the ideal work enviorment when you trying to finish a task, maby music is better when your trying to come up with ideas, but asking people or looking up different things on the internet are just as helpfull.
anyway what im trying to say is:
silnce/nature
okay, so i listen to music all the time when doing my homework. and it never really matters what type of music it is. im in 11th grade and music is constantly playing while im doing any type of school work. i get all A’s in school and my math grade (which has always been my worst subject.) has improved drastically. i find that it is easier to concentrate on difficult tasks when there is something familiar playing in the background. it has been proven that familiar music helps to stimulate the brain and motivate a student. i encourage all students to try this if they are having trouble focusing on their work. see if it works for you.
do you know how you can test concentration? i am doing a science project on a). whether music helps you concentrate, b). which type of music helps you concentrate better and c). whether music with or without words is better
i would really appreciate it
thanks
hey i think music does help with the brain personaly when im sad ill listen to sad songs and when im pissed off or angry ill listen to limp bizkit (hard core RAP) because what it does is stimulate my brain because its tricking me like wwhen im sad since i listen to iris by the googoo dolls it makes me feel like im not the only person with personal problems so after a few songs im happy again. plus i like the halo idea im gona try it cause it seems when you talk to the people they distact you and you seem to do worse but then again you get to meet new people so i guess you have to even it out
I have done extensive personal research into the types of music (specific time signatures and tones) that induce an intense creative and academic focus and I have created such a product:
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someone help me to overcome this feeling..?! i am feeling very strange recently.. i don’t why.. huhuhu.. help me please..
thanks..you’re answer will be truly appreciated.. thanks a bunch..
here is my e-mail.. kerwin_igana@yahoo.com
i just want a friend who’s willing to help and to listen..
[...] mechanism that uses brain neurons to fire electromagnetic waves in specific frequencies – the very frequencies that can be picked up by sensitive EEG [...]
Music really is very helpful in many ways. Not only entertains you but at the same time could use a few differently depending on your moods.
oh my god… is this why i always want to have tv on in the background while i’m studying, even though i only ever glance up at it to change the station? i always wonder why i want to watch tv while i’m studying even though i never watch it at all… now it makes sense. it’s the noises! it really does help you ignore distractions, because your brain is busy dealing with that distraction already.
So true! Music is quite the tool. I used to listen to music almost all of the time…until an accident last summer left me with a head injury, including inner ear damage.
Enjoy your favorite music! I find it so hard living without music, yet listening to music drastically escalates symptoms.
Music is food for the soul!
I have ADHD and listening to music calms a lot of my thinking… If I cant hear something constant I get so side tracked and start thinking about a million other things that I never get my task done.
I like to listen to George Winston, if i listen to music with singing while i work its to distracting.
heehee
I enjoy Classical music highly and regularly listen to it for enjoyment. Of course, my favorites aren’t as good for concentration. If I were to listen to something bombastic, like a Chopin étude, or something loud and complex, like a Beethoven symphony, there’s no way I’d be able to concentrate on a task.
On the other hand, Mozart’s beautiful simplicity always focuses me. I especially love the Adagio movement of his “Elvira Madigan” piano concerto (no.21)—it’s gotten me through some tough writer’s blocks.
I definitely agree with previous comments on the effects of music on how we function and feel. To me, studies showing the lasting beneficial effects of music and music training in early childhood are particular intriguing. According to scientific studies, children exposed to music training early in life tend to do better in school and are more creative in solving problems. Music is not just fun; it truly is a gift that keeps on giving!
If anyone can make a positive comment to say that listening to instrumental music is more beneficial than vocal music as a relaxation method. If you have any reference please provide
I’m a web programmer and I just happen to come across this post. I know it’s old but I wanted to add my own personal experience. As a programmer, I have found that instrumental music such as electronica, techno, drum and bass help me concentrate while working. Grooveradio.com is personal favorite. I’m not sure if it’s the beats or the numerical rhythms or what, but vocal music seems to hurt more than help. At least for me. I get distracted in the words of the songs and lose my train of thought. With a fast pace instrumental, I can create a rhythm and flow through the day. I find it also helps pass time while driving long distances. It can put me in a bit of a trance, like you said, where my subconscious takes over and I can block out all outside distractions.