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Please Help Me Make A Study Playlist

3K views 26 replies 24 participants last post by  PoppyPeedOnMySofa 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Personality Cafe!

Once again, I'm asking for your help. I will be starting university again next week and I'm trying to put together a study playlist. I have problems with getting distracted/sidetracked and losing track of time. I think the right music might help me and I'm sort of musically challenged. Please help.

I want music that's mellow and will help me relax and stay calm and focused, but not put me to sleep. (No whales, please.) Instrumental or classical is fine and I may actually prefer that over songs with words. I like foreign and/or folk/cultural music too.

Maybe you have songs that help you when you're studying. If you have any ideas, please post! Thanks.
 
#5 ·
Hello Sir,

I have good recommendations for you! You said that you have a difficult time with distractability. In that case you need music that will help your brain to think within structure, and encourage focus, without overstimulating the emotions. Therefore, I recommend that you add a lot of Vivaldi and Bach to your playlist, because both of those composers wrote music in a very cerebral, patterned way. Some of their pieces are epic, but you can find plenty that are cerebral and not overly dramatic. Bach's Contrapunctus pieces are good choices.
 
#20 ·
Thank you to everyone who replied to this thread. I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get back here and comment on your suggestions.

OcarinaOfRhyme: Thanks for the classical music suggestions. Some of these I hadn't heard before and Amazon's suggestions for related music are really nice too. :happy:

Nasmoe: I love that guitar music! I checked out that guy's profile and he has some other awesome pieces. I'm a new fan. I hadn't thought of instrumental guitar music. Thanks. :happy:

Hello Sir
Thanks, but I'm very much female. But in all seriousness, I like your suggestions. However, I actually find that music with a lot of structure is distracting in itself.

Vel: Thanks. I have no real background in the electronic genre. I checked out your suggestions and I like them - especially Banco de Gaia. I'll have to look up more of their songs.

Conscience: Pandora hates Canadians. Haha. I would use it if I could. :frustrating:

Ted Nugent (Pussywhipped)
Billy Idol
Rob Zombie
Haha, I wouldn't call these "relaxing".

Kanizsa Csillagai (Hungarian Roma Folk Music)
Carmen (Maria Callas)
The Doll Song (Les Contes d'Hoffmann)
The Roma folk music was interesting. I've never heard it before. But I don't think I could study to it. Opera doesn't really suit my studying needs either.

anything Wagner
Rehab by Amy Winehouse
Wagner works. I think I'll download some of his pieces for my playlist. But if I download Rehab, I'll start singing along to the "No, No, No" part (I can't help myself) and then I laugh at my dorkiness. :crazy: But Wagner is better suited for my studying needs.

Troisi: Thanks, I never thought of that. I actually find that background noise helps me too. Even if I go to one of the noisier study rooms or the cafeteria to do my reading, I can usually study. Sometimes I even concentrate better there than in a quiet area. Maybe the background noise fills in for the noise that would ordinarily be in my head if I didn't have anything to listen to.

Jigsaw: That piano music is really beautiful. I love it and it fits what I'm looking for. I'll have to download some more of his work. It's similar to some music I already have. It's peaceful. Thanks. :happy:
 
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#8 ·
`Ted Nugent (Pussywhipped)
`Billy Idol
`Rob Zombie
`Kanizsa Csillagai (Hungarian Roma Folk Music)
`Carmen (Maria Callas)
`The Doll Song (Les Contes d'Hoffmann)
`anything Wagner
`Rehab by Amy Winehouse
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
I'll share with you my study playlist. This is how I studied last semester.

Eazy E - Real Muthafukkin G's
Eazy E - Eazy Duz It
N.W.A. - Fuck The Police
Ice Cube - Today Was a Good Day
Ice Cube - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
Cypress Hill - Hits From the Bong
Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill a Man
The entire "The Chronic" album by Dr. Dre
Rage Against the Machine (Pistol Grip Pump, Bombtrack, etc)
 
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#15 ·
múm is awesome for studying. My study playlist is basically 90% múm and 10% 65daysofstatic/Explosions in the Sky.









I recommend their albums "Yesterday was dramatic - Today is OK" and "Finally we are no one". Yesterday is more upbeat/colorful, Finally is more relaxing/dreamy. If you just go with one of the two, go with Yesterday; Finally can be a little too soothing in places (and it sometimes puts me to sleep, whoops).
 
#17 ·
I find it more distracting to listen to music with words; my studying playlists are instrumental, electronica, or drum-and-bass (which I find fun to study to, speeds me up):

Pendulum
Working for a Nuclear Free City ("Asleep At the Wheel", "Je Suis Le Vent")
Ulrich Schnauss ("Between Us and Them", "Knuddelmaus")
Ronald Jenkees ("Guitar Sound")
Kodomo ("Concept 1", "Concept 9", "Concept 10")
Ratatat
Blue Sky Black Death
Royksopp ("Royksopp Forever", "Triumphant", "Alpha Male")
This Will Destroy You
Sinewave ("Wizard of Ahhhs")
Time Is Up ("Survivor")
E.S. Posthumous ("Nara")
The xx ("Intro")
Hybrid ("Just For Today")
Linkin Park ("Cure For the Itch", "Session")
M83 ("coleurs")
 
#19 ·
Jens Lekman!

Cafe Del Mar
Almadrava

Mostly jens lekman.
 
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#21 ·
Fira: I like your suggestions, but they're not what I'm looking for (ie. some have words, which is distracting for me.) Thanks though.

reyesaaronringo: Same as above. Thanks though.

Timeless: Haha. Pretty much the exact opposite of what I wanted. :crazy: You're such a gangsta.

WidowsAndOrphans: Thanks. This is similar to the guitar music Nasmoe posted. I'll have to check out/download more of their stuff. :happy:

tuna: Thanks, these suggestions are really cool. I'll have to download some.

Who: That album cover/picture is freaky. Haha. That song is cool though. Thanks.

AirMarionette: Thanks, although these are too upbeat for me to really concentrate with. With upbeat music, I usually concentrate on the music or my homework.

Jazzanova: Thanks, I really like this. :happy:

starri: I really like Cafe Del Mar. Thanks. :happy:
 
#22 ·
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#23 ·
I have a bunch for ya!
- Hammock
- The Tumbled Sea
- Amiina
- múm
- Sigur Rós (although I can't listen to them as love their music too much that I lose concentration!)
- Decoder Ring
- Jonsi & Alex
- Stars of the Lid
- Balmorhea
- Parachutes (the icelandic band)
- Kaki King (earlier instrumental stuff)
- Andy McKee
- Lightsway
- Ólafur Arnalds
- I could go on and on and on .. but that should be a good start :wink:
 
#24 ·
Er, I've fallen in love with the soundtrack to The Social Network. It makes everything I do seem like a secret mission and like I'm the only genius that can handle it.
I listened to it while modifying my NERF gun for Humans versus Zombies, and it was SO GREAT.
Plus, it's not particularly distracting.
 
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