Foo - Study music suggestions

Quick...need to study for a quiz tonight and Nirvana just wasn't cutting it.

Something without words. If you're anything like me, I can study with a multiple things going on, but if I hear someone talking or singing with lyrics, I can't concentrate.

DeVotchKa is currently playing, but it's a little too exciting for study time.

I like techno- if you do that sort of thing. stuff that doesn't entice me to sing along and get all distracted.

Definitely instrumental...

I recall many studies concluding Bach - Mozart and the like being best for such things...probably whatever helps plants grow is also good for yer head.

I used to prefer instrumental or very low-key jazz to study with.

Mozart it is. Good call.

Ha - this is part of my dissertation research I'm working on right now.

Good luck - you're on your own :P

Mozert, Vivaldi, Pachabel, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Mahler

Daft Punk.

Daft Punk.

Is that your answer to everything?

You want something simple. Actually no music is better (backed up by many a study) but if you need to mask environmental sounds then classical or blues will be your best bet. The more complicated the music the more your brain will be concentrating on it and the less you'll be concentrating on what you need to study.

What subject matter?

Samuel Barber (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g) or maybe some Portishead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1jyL3cr60)

Is that your answer to everything?Sometimes I answer with "Go **** yourself," but it didn't seem to be the proper response to this particular query.

You want something simple. Actually no music is better (backed up by many a study) but if you need to mask environmental sounds then classical or blues will be your best bet. The more complicated the music the more your brain will be concentrating on it and the less you'll be concentrating on what you need to study.

What subject matter?

yah - I like baroque best for this as it seems more mathematical and less emo:D Actually I prefer not to have music on while studying...I can't really tune it out. Pizzicato 5 or Black Flag, maybe, while cleaning the house. Which I probably don't do nearly enough:o

Air - Have u read Copeland's "What to Listen For in Music?"

Air - Have u read Copeland's "What to Listen For in Music?"

No...but I love Copeland!

I should say I throw on System of a Down for any sort of coding work. Helps dissipate frustrations :D

Ha - this is part of my dissertation research I'm working on right now.

Good luck - you're on your own :P

Air! We're working on the same research area--music + effects on brain! I soooo wanna see your dissertation when it's done and published.

Awesome!

I agree with classical, particularly something soothing. I actually bought a couple of classical compilations labeled one for relaxation and one for meditation that work well for me.

At other times I prefer more thundering pieces like the 1812 Overture, or the Ride of the Valkyries (sp) or Pictures at an Exhibition, or baroque pieces like the Brandenberg Concertos but for studying, the soothing stuff seems to work well for me.

I actually took a couple of tests while listening to these CDs while wearing headphones. I had it playing softly. I was going through a phase where I was getting flustered on tests, and it helped, plus I was able to even forget it was playing.

You need avoid anything with lyrics, even in another language. It will cause interference with the language processing areas and you won't pick up nearly as much as you'd want to.

Apparently repeating choruses shuts down the logical thought process. So no rap music.

Apparently repeating choruses shuts down the logical thought process. So no rap music.

Rap has words--a ton of them. Music with words=bad for studying. Therefore rap music is as bad for studying as dropping a ton of bricks on your head. :lol:

Mozert, Vivaldi, Pachabel, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Mahler+1


You want something simple. Actually no music is better (backed up by many a study) but if you need to mask environmental sounds then classical or blues will be your best bet. The more complicated the music the more your brain will be concentrating on it and the less you'll be concentrating on what you need to study.+1

I agree with Air.

/putting nerd cap on.

From the cognitive psychology perspective, due to the "noise" (music) that can interfere with encoding (memorizing), your brain might not have enough time or effort to store the information into your long term memory because it's distracted. If you can't encode it correctly then you would have trouble retrieving and retaining the information (in this situation, your test). So, I would try and play something soft like ambient sounds or classical (played softly) because, like Air mentioned, you don't want to distract your brain.

I just remembered another point. If you tend to listen to music when you study there is a chance where your brain can only be able to retrieve the information when music is playing (encoding specificity - we learn info. together with its context that it was learned in). For example, lets say you study with Nirvana playing and feel as though you remember everything. What happens when you take your exam when you can't listen to Nirvana? Your brain might not be able to retrieve the information because Nirvana isn't playing. Try and duplicate, in your study area, some of the conditions that will occur in the exam room (ie. no music or noise)

So, it might be best to not listen to music so that your brain can remember the information regardless whether music is playing or not.

(Wow. I'm a nerd.)

I would always study while listening to renaissance or baroque music. That stuff always gets me focused.

Air! We're working on the same research area--music + effects on brain! I soooo wanna see your dissertation when it's done and published.

wow! Both of you - Impressed!:thumb::thumb:
Pls post 'em here....

I would always study while listening to renaissance or baroque music. That stuff always gets me focused.

yup...basically diatonic scales and arpeggios...mostly common time, i should think - you real musicians can confirm/decry this as yea or nay - very structured and stimulating in a non-distracting way

+1

+1

I agree with Air.

/putting nerd cap on.

From the cognitive psych perspective, due to the "noise" (music) that can interfere with encoding (memorizing), your brain might not have enough time or effort to store the information into your long term memory. If you can't encode it correctly then you would have trouble retrieving and retaining the information (in this situation, your test). So, I would try and play something soft like ambient sounds or classical (played softly) because, like Air mentioned, you don't want to distract your brain.

I just remembered another point. If you tend to listen to music when you study there is a chance where your brain can only be able to retrieve the information when music is playing (encoding specificity - we learn info. together with its context that it was learned in). For example, lets say you study with Nirvana playing and feel as though you remember everything. What happens when you take your exam when you can't listen to Nirvana? Your brain might not be able to retrieve the information because Nirvana isn't playing. Try and duplicate, in your study area, some of the conditions that will occur in the exam room (ie. no music or noise)

So, it might be best to not listen to music so that your brain can remember the information regardless whether music is playing or not.

(Wow. I'm a nerd.)

Yep, but you're my kind of nerd! High-five fellow psych sistah!

Yep, but you're my kind of nerd! High-five fellow psych sistah!/high five!

I'm planning to get my masters in Cognitive Psychology. I'm fascinated by how people learn and remember information.

Air, I would absolutely love to read your dissertation.

I would always study while listening to renaissance or baroque music. That stuff always gets me focused.

+1


But then again I study baroque and renaissance music and culture, so it's cheating a bit.

/high five!

I'm planning to get my masters in Cognitive Psychology. I'm fascinated by how people learn and remember information.

Air, I would absolutely love to read your dissertation.

I'm looking forward to reading it myself!! :D

I'll send you guys my outline in a few weeks, get the general sense of what I'm looking at. The experiment part will be very cool if I can get it wrapped up in time, I'd be sad if I have to trim it down but it'll still be related.

apparently repeating choruses shuts down the logical thought process. So no rap music. WHAT! No rap music. WHAT! No rap music. UGHH! No rap music. YEAH! No rap music.

:p

Seriously, though, I remember it being a bit of a tradeoff. Studying seemed more effective when done in silence, but it was so dreadfully boring doing so that I needed music to keep from offing myself.

Then again, I was never all that great at studying in the first place...

I've found Denali to be good for studying. My friend uses it when he's working on art.

the nine inch nails ghosts instrumental album is good to study by