The logic here is that a low stream of of noise stays in the background, not vying for attention, but its presence forces your brain to process more stimuli, which promotes abstract reasoning and enhances creativity. Research shows that listening to ambient noise at a moderate level (around 70 decibels) enhances performance on creative tasks. If your work involves thinking up ideas or you’re building a product from scratch, try listening to ambient noise (such as coffee house sounds or white/pink/brown noise generators). Listen to Ambient Noise at Low Volumes for Creative Tasks In fact, I credit its steadiness with helping me memorize and recall details - so much so that I could often hear the music in my head as I answered test questions.ĥ. In my personal experience, ever since high school, I’ve studied for exams using nothing but Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto bossa nova, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. In fact, a study involving radiologists and Baroque classical music shows improved diagnostic efficiency and accuracy when listening to Bach. If you like classical music in general, veer away from the intense ups and downs of Wagner and (some) Beethoven and instead, stick to the steady rhythms of Mozart or Baroque-era music (Bach and Vivaldi). If you like electronic music, house music’s steady 4/4 rhythms are spot-on. If you like jazz, avant garde blues might not be as productive as, say, ragtime or bebop. It also means you set the volume level and leave it there the entire time. And a fixed volume means there are no loud surprises after a soft section. Find Music with a Fixed Tempo and Volumeįixed tempo means it goes at a steady pace, never speeding up or slowing down. So if you’re a Mozart diehard, then by all means, loop the Piano Sonata No.11 in A Major to help you write next week’s blog posts with a smile.Ĥ. In fact, a study on how background music can affect anxiety, satisfaction with communication, and productivity revealed that listeners exposed to music in a major key were not only more productive but also more satisfied in their communication with others as compared to those who listened to music in minor keys or dissonant tones. Some research suggests that it isn’t the physical sound wave hitting your eardrum that makes the difference, it’s the way the audio makes you feel. Use Music in a Major Key to Lift Your Mood Everyone will sing along and it’ll take about 25 minutes to get back to what you were doing.ģ. So if you’re ever tempted to play Europe’s “ The Final Countdown” on loudspeakers near the end of the sales cycle, just… don’t. A study in Taiwan involving 102 workers concluded that background music with lyrics had significant negative effects on concentration and attention. Stick with instrumental music when it’s time to focus, since lyrics can be distracting. Listen to Instrumental Music to Stay Focused And even in the group where the experimenters chose the music, surgeons still did better than those with no music at all! So if you have 200 support tickets to power through, then by all means crank up that EDM playlist that you listen to at the gym.Ģ. The best performance occurred in surgeons who chose their music. Play Music When Doing Repetitive Tasks You’ve MasteredĪ study done involving 50 surgeons found that listening to music improved their speed and accuracy as they accomplished repetitive tasks that they already knew how to do well. I can however provide you with some guidelines surrounding audio and work, backed by science. I can’t force you to listen to downtempo electronica if you like film soundtracks, or if you prefer the ambient sounds of a restaurant. Obviously, the answer will depend on your audio preference. And since I enjoy producing audio and music in my spare time, and am constantly researching productivity topics in my role as a blogger for Wrike, I figured I should write this stuff down. It’s one of those questions I get asked often, whether in the office or online. “What is the best music to listen to while working?”
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