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Music for Programming (2011)

musicforprogramming.net

161–170 of 272 posts

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone with a rather annoying tinnitus, silence freaks the shit out of me. To stay productive, I need music. What kind of music I listen to really depends on my mood. It could be dubstep (Excision, Teminite, PsoGnar, to name a few out of my current dub playlist), various forms of metal (anywhere from After Forever to Xandria, In Flames, you name it); some times even Happy Hardcore / Handsup. Generally, if I'm fee…

Have you ever tried identifying the frequency of your tinnitus and removing that range from your songs(aka notch filtering)? I heard over time it can lessen the effects.

> Have you ever tried identifying the frequency of your tinnitus

I have but since I don't have perfect pitch, I'm not getting anywhere. Plus it seems like the frequency has a certain amount of smear which might be hampering things even more.

I would love to try notch filtering but without the key frequencies, I'm doomed (although the tinnitus stuff on mynoise.net does help knock it down for short periods).

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#162

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

I can write code when I'm listening to music perfectly fine but as soon as I need to document anything, like a docstring, informative comment, etc. I need to pause the music, my brain just shuts down as soon as it needs to switch to writing English.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#163

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

For me, music is often the lesser of two evils compared to the background noise of the open office or the noise of the conversation going on in my own head. It also gives me a happiness fix which helps me not burn out and distract myself in other ways.

For me, it really depends on my mood and what I'm working on which type of music is appropriate. Some days it's rap and the flood of words doesn't get in the way even. Other days it has to be instrumental bluegrass or similar.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#164
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend in-ear headphones. You just put them in. No music is necessary.

If you aren’t going to play anything why not just use earplugs?

Headphones look less weird in the office, and are also functional for when I want to watch a video.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#165

Is there a mix among these that isn't so... dark? I tend to go for lighter tone colors/airier ambient works when I want to really engage.

I love this IDM playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6t93D5kmpPfeGwAm7VMej8

Not mixes, but I like BT's "These Hopeful Machines" and Oceanlab's "Sirens of the Sea" albums, too.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#166

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

My wife and I have ADD in different areas/amounts. The difference between us in the way we use and react to sound is, in my rather biased opinion, fascinating: Me: Single source only, absolutely can't listen to music while trying to code or read. I have used https://mynoise.net/ and the Android app to drown out environmental noise when I'm working around others. I'm very easily distracted by noise, especially things…

I'm very much like you describe yourself. There are only a few very ambient musical tracks to which I can do concentrated work while hearing. Interestingly, I can't even do that much on the first listening of them. It's only when I've heard them a bunch of times and they are already familiar. Then my brain can focus on other things. However, even in that case, my sense is there is still a cognitive 'tax' going on. I don't get as much done or think as deeply even with familiar ambient music.

I also can't have the radio on in my car if I plan to actually think. It's hard for me to even imagine how people are able to concentrate with active music playing or, worse, a television show running in the room. I'm always reminded how different I am every time I stay at one of those hotels that has a communal free breakfast area. They invariably have TVs tuned to those 'happy babble' morning talk shows and most people seem to have no problem working, reading, or carrying on a conversation with it running constantly into their brain.

Apparently, some of us are just made differently. I have an occasional multi-hour drive I need to do and I will sometimes listen to music, a good podcast or an audiobook but I'm actively listening to it. Most often though I drive in complete silence and just think. Some of my friends are surprised by this and can't imagine just sitting in silence that long. However, I love it.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://freesound.org/people/reinsamba/sounds/17085/ ?

Exactly that one, yes. Well, I can't view that URL from here, but that integer is in the MP3's filename. Case closed! There's a lady's / small persons's voice admonishing someone for make noise with what sounds like a screen door part way through. It's not in English that I can tell. Do let me know if you understand what they say. I'm assuming it's just "shut up, recording!"

There is a Reply All episode about something exactly like what you describe [1]. It's been a while since I've listened to it, but it's something about how making sounds like these is a whole business with resellers upon resellers. They dive into the process and try to track down the person who made a specific recording that also had some background noise that seemed particularly weird.

[1]:https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/mehrar

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this site does a decent job of avoiding music that can be focused on. They mention on the about page: > we have found that the most effective music to aid prolonged periods of intense concentration tends to have a mixture of the following qualities: Drones Noise Fuzz Field recordings Vagueness (Hypnagogia) Textures without rhythm Minor complex chords Early music (Baroque, lute, harpsichord) Very few drums or…

For others who find they need too-loud music or noise, here's my 3 step process that works. 1. Get any in-ear earbuds (for noise even cheapy ones are fine, for music pick whatever type you like). 2. Get the foam tips to fit them: https://www.complyfoam.com/products/t-series/ 3. Put some hearing-protection ear-muffs on top A tiny amount of noise will make all other sounds disappear at this point.

It can also work the other way- if you need budget noise isolation- get foam earplugs, and over ear headphones, turn the music up while simultaneously not hearing anything but it. Saved my hearing while riding motorcycles. Cheap helmet speakers sound pretty good with the volume cranked up and ear protection in- while it blocks out the dangerous wind noise.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#170

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

completely agree. Silence is the only way to code
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