Just curious.
Most classical isn't designed to help you think. It's designed to be evocative and focus your attention on the music. Classical music, played well, is hard to ignore. This is something that's been lost - orchestral music is event music, ceremonial music, music to fill your world. Steve Roach, on the other hand, can just sort of play for literally days.
Composers definitely have intentions when writing a piece and, if they're any good at all, some of those thoughts and feelings are conveyed to the listener. However, I think the issue is less about what the music was designed to do and more about people's general perception of music. Here's two things that I've observed and believe to be true usually: 1. Repetitive music is harder to ignore. 2. Music with words in your language is harder to ignore. If I put on music to concentrate on something, it would need to be music that can be temporarily ignored and then refocused on when I finish the micro-task at hand. Rinse and repeat and those moments eventually build up to your finished essay or math homework. I'd say this is why concentration music, for me, is almost always classical or jazz. Don't misunderstand me, I have a deep affection for both of those genres and have been moved deeply by certain tunes from both of them. But that doesn't stop me from admitting that often they work equally well as background.
It's funny you say that because when I listen to classical music to help me study I definitely am paying attention to the music but it's still has the effect of quieting the mind enough to then concentrate on something else like studying. The same thing happens with cleaning, I stop thinking of all the other tasks and focus instead of wanting to jump to a different task.
spotify has a playlist called deep focus. It's not classical - it's more.... instrumental stuff like Explosions in the Sky and other bands like it. It works for me sometimes. I've also been known to just have my headphones on and no music at all... just enough dampening to drown out the tweedles around me.
About the time rd95 posted this question, I had headphones on and was working on No. 1. I've gotten past the choke point of 274 days ago and can now get through the first of four pages and several measures of page 2. Pages 3 and 4 are identical to the first two, except for a couple of notes, so I might be able to manage the whole thing in another 274 days.
I'm pretty sure Haushka doesn't count as classical, but it's great concentration music for those who like classical instruments:
God damn, his is tight! thanks for hippin' me to this guy.
I second weewooweewoo. That was just wonderful.
More like Taisuke Tsugimatsu's #7? I love piano music like this.
For sure! The video I found it on is very relaxing, if you'd like to watch it. The other song is Taisuke Tsugimatsu #6, which I couldn't find on youtube: My sister always used to listen to this song. I've been listening to it since I moved out: And finally, if you want some upbeat piano music that you might be familiar with, I listen to Studio Ghibli piano covers to relax. One of my favorites is Castle in the Sky (if you don't watch anything else I've posted, please listen to this one): As a side note, if you've never listened to Nujabes, I'm going to highly recommend it:
I'm so glad that #6 and # 7 are on Spotify! And that's a piano cover of one of my favorite Studio Ghibli songs :) Have you ever heard of the Wolf Children? I've been listening to the soundtrack on and off, this song in particular always hits me. It's kind of in the vein of what you've commented so far: I have a huge affinity for Japanese music, Nujabes included. I'll kick a new artist back at you, I've been listening to this on repeat for the past week:
Right now Mozart Sonata 8, 10, 11, 14 and 16 played by Glenn Gould. When I start a project, I fire a random classical CD. It serve as my leitmotiv. I play it anytime I must work on that project, like a Theme Tune prepare your brain to watch your favorite show. And I got to feel like a pro-wrestler going in the ring... on Mozart
Get things done plylist on spotify. Loads of different things but mainly movie soundtrack and stuff like Bonobo and Four tet.
Personally, either Rite of Spring or Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony, simply because I know those pieces well so I can listen without paying much attention. If you know a piece well and like it, it isn't too distracting, but you still know basically what's happening and enjoy it. Basic choral music may be another good choice, because it's technically simple with a focus more on chordal progressions and harmonies. Nothing to sudden or distracting, but with enough movement to keep you moving.
When I was in the last year of secondary school preparing for the state exams, my school brought in a guy to talk to us about study habits and the like. He told us that according to some study, the best type of music to study to is baroque music, Luckily I had to study Bach in music class, so I was pumping out a lot of Jesu, Der Du Meine until I got sick of it.
I like noise when I want to drown everything out. Nothing says "do not distrub" like some good noise. Trepaneringsritualen, Pharmakon, and Iron Fist of the Sun have been favorites lately.