Programming while listening to Music? | Hacker News Reader

Programming while listening to Music?

12 pointsadam010121 comments

I struggle to be effective in really noisy environments (starbucks), so i will usually listen to music, but that also seems to be a detractor as I will stop what i'm doing to listen to the words. Instrumentals seems to be the solution but I cant find a good source that just has instrumentals.

Does something like Pandora exist with just Instrumentals?

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I've had the best luck with electronica/techno. Long time favorites include heavier non-vocal Ministry, which has a nice cadence for typing. Lately I'm on to Aphex Twin's Drukqs double album.

Classical tends to draw my attention too much, as the good stuff is really complex and deep, and will pull me right out of flow when it gets to the tricky parts. Same problem with Jazz.

Most "easy listening" music makes me want to puke and throw things or stab someone, so I just don't go there.

Can you please point me to songs/albums by Ministry without vocals? Can't think of anything (not that I know a lot of their songs).

Many of the songs on Land of Rape and Honey, for instance, either have no vocals, or the vocals are repetitive bits that seem (to me) more part of the music than typical lyrical vocals.

* The Missing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzXpzDwwbI vocals don't bother me.

* Hizbollah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JRxVov_0a0 has vocals I can't understand ;-)

I too have difficulty focusing in noisy environments. If you're interested in filtering environmental human-sound out while still being able to listen to music, or hear an approaching train, check Mack's Earplugs out.

Clickable: http://www.macksearplugs.com/details/ear-plugs-for-loud-musi...

I use them when flying, or working in a common space. Worth buying in bulk and keeping. They can stay in comfortably on a 13 hour flight without impairing your ability to hear someone approaching/speaking to you.

You could try some musicians earplugs, they have the effect of reducing the noise around you without muffling. http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETYPlug-Protection-E...

They have them (something comparable at least ) at Walgreens, $5 or so, blue with yellow/green string connecting the plugs

I have tried earplugs, but they cut out too much sound, I am always uncomfortable when trying to concentrate when wearing them (I had three younger brothers who liked playing nasty tricks).

You might try classical - Mozart and Vivaldi concertos have worked well for me. Also some techno has no words, try the TranceGlobalNation cds, the first one was the best. I like these in particular because the music is upbeat, which seems to help me keep going. Note that when you really concentrate, even without words music can be distracting; sometimes a fan, or fan-forced heater in winter, is just the thing for white noise to help close out the world.

As a European, I don't have much trouble with most of the music since my brain doesn't recognize English words so easily.

I strongly recommend some Finnish songs. They have powerful voices and pretty strong instruments with roots to classical styles, but with a metal twist. It might be your cup of tea as well.

The point is, do not necessarily avoid human voice as long as it's not your primary language.

There's always Finntroll, who do most of their vocals in Swedish.

I recommend the following (mostly instrumental) styles - all of them works really well for me:

* Neoclassical (Arcana, Ophelia's Dream)

* Post-Rock (God Is an Astronaut, Explosions in the Sky, Mono)

* Shoegaze / Dream Pop (Beach House, Cocteau Twins)

* Nu-Jazz (Parov Stelar, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Essamble)

* Dark Ambient (Lustmord, Desiderii Marginis, Sephiroth)

If you're into the BPM-heavy electronic stuff, I can recommend Kniteforce Revolution with DJ Luna-C. Mostly Hardcore, Breakbeat, DnB, Jungle. For me, some tracks really have shivers/goose bumps potential.

http://www.kniteforcerevolution.com/music/mixes

Classical, electronica, and soundtracks all make excellent programming music. Grooveshark provides ample quantities of all three.

I've been on a dusbstep kick lately. Heavy bass and fast beats tend to be great for getting into a groove and coding like a maniac.

I have to seal myself from any disturbance with an exception for Vivaldi's four season music.

Do you like classical music? If so, there are plenty of shoutcast streams out there with classical with no vocals. There's also plenty of electronic music (some techno, some trance, etc.) with no vocals, that you can find to listen to.

Rock, some elctronica, and hip hop would be ideal. I'm more into indie rock, stuff like company of thieves, band of skulls, the hush sound, jack's mannequin, etc. Although I can listen to some electronica like mgmt and can also listen to some hip hop.

Can't help with the rock/hip hop, but for electronica (and its ilk) I would recommend: soma.fm (or, apparently, somafm.com, now.)

(For example, the "cliqhop/idm" shoutcast stream is what I use when I need non-distracting music in the background, for working.)

If you like electronica, this is pretty good:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/EdBangerRecords

no vocals (or very little), never enough to distract.

Pandora has classical stations. I've also setup some channels such as Howard Shore and Nobou Uematsu.

Try creating a Pandora station for artist Mozart or Bach.

how about this: create a HN group on last.fm, use it while working, and everyone can all refer to that instead of these threads popping up every 3-6 months.

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