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Ask HN: Best Music Background to Work?

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Re: Ask HN: Best Music Background to Work?

#21
When trying to get into flow, I prefer fast paced music, with a lot of rapid beats. Metal is a natural pick, but even things like K-Pop works.

When in flow, I want things that maintain the same beat. I'll often play the same song in loop. Lately I've been looping Dance Monkey/Toss a Coin to Your Witcher for hours. Basically it's the songs that go 1234 1234 1234 123 123 123 1234 1234 1234.

Re: Ask HN: Best Music Background to Work?

#25

I suspect this is a deeply personal question, like asking people "C++ coders what fiction do you read at home?" Regardless I'm currently listening to Rammstein, I often listen to Queen, Depeche Mode, and soundracks from films such as LotR, 300, Blade, Resident Evil. I've spent a lot of time listening to the soundtracks to the various Fast&Furious films over the last month. Maybe next month I'll have more classical-mu…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Best Music Background to Work?

#26

Silence. (I've been a musician and programmed all my life too, but never have music playing when concentration is needed, i.e. when programming. When music is on, I concentrate on the music! It seems so weird to me that people would attempt some complex programming task with music playing! Hmm and mostly when I do want music these days it comes out of me: I imagine/remember it–hear my favourite stuff in my head, or i…

I've found this to be the right thing to do for several reasons.

1. Music does not improve my concentration in the long term. It will help for a few hours and then make it harder to focus after that.

2. Headphones make me less approachable at work, and I want to contribute to a positive team culture by being easy to chat to. If I need to buckle down I will work from home.

3. Headphones make it much more tempting to watch youtube, or listen to podcasts in the background. Without headphones I find it much easier to keep myself on track.

4. Most importantly, silence at work makes me appreciate music a whole lot more when I do listen to it, because it is no longer simply background noise, it feels worthy of attention. On top of that, I am more capable of listening to more demanding and more rewarding music.

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