Ask HN: best music background to work?

#1

Post by creonik » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 9:28 PM UTC

For example, I am finding I prefer not to listen to songs I know since I would try to follow the lyrics and that would take part of my brain and distract me.What's your favourite music when you code,design or work in general?

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#2

Post by keva161 » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 9:30 PM UTC

I usually just go on 8tracks and listen to the first 'coding' or 'programming' playlist that shows up.

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#3

Post by rex64 » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 10:01 PM UTC

I usually listen to slow tempo piano jazz or rainymood.com

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#4

Post by kroger » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 10:05 PM UTC

Like many people, if I'm thinking and designing I prefer to have no music. If I'm doing these things in a noisy environment I may listen to some rain recordings such as [1].

When I'm coding I mainly listen to classical music. The problem is that I need to listen to things I know very well or I'll get distracted, so I end up listening to the same compositions over and over again, to the annoyment of my wife ;-)

These days the compositions I list the most while coding are:

- Beethoven String Quartets, for instance [2] (I really like the fugato at 5:00 ;-)

- Mahler Symphonies, for example [3]

- Ravel music

- Some Monteverdi madrigals [4]

I like to use headphones, either a Sennheiser PX 200 [5] or a Sennheiser HD-280 PRO [6].

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvRv-243Cmk

[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55PIXCQgEfE

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkoeH5BtLyQ

[4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkDyNzPUQbo

[5] http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PX-200-II-Headphones/dp/B00...

[6] http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B0...

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#5

Post by vojant » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 10:06 PM UTC

Depends on the mood I'm in. From slow piano/classic to techno.

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#6

Post by radq » Sun, Jan 13, 2013, 10:28 PM UTC

I usually listen to one of the Music for Programming[1] mixes, and when I'm in the mood for more ambient music I listen to Brian Eno.

[1] http://musicforprogramming.net/

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#7

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jan 14, 2013, 12:01 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#8

Post by whichdan » Mon, Jan 14, 2013, 1:08 AM UTC

There are a couple threads on this already.

turntable.fm's "Ambient Chillout & Trip Hop" room is usually quite good.

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#9

Post by deathwithme » Mon, Jan 14, 2013, 1:33 AM UTC

Depends on your work. For instance, if you have a good software design a web application, you can code it with heavy metal music because listing metal music with programming is improving the velocity of coding.

Re: Ask HN: best music background to work?

#10

Post by creonik » Mon, Jan 14, 2013, 10:53 AM UTC

kroger wrote: post #4

Like many people, if I'm thinking and designing I prefer to have no music. If I'm doing these things in a noisy environment I may listen to some rain recordings such as [1]. When I'm coding I mainly listen to classical music. The problem is that I need to listen to things I know very well or I'll get distracted, so I end up listening to the same compositions over and over again, to the annoyment of my wife ;-) These…

Thanks.I am switching to classical music and works much better. Right now I am listening to Yo-Yo Ma and Ennio Morricone playing Moses and Marco Polo Theme. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssoQbusZ7os. It's beautiful (when not interrupted by Spotify ads!)