Aftermath

As you probably noticed different music choices make reading and understanding the above text whether simpler or harder depending on different aspects.

And all those aspects define whether a certain kind of music would or wouldn’t be helpful for different types of work:

Tempo. Obviously, fast-paced tracks are good for hyping things up. Usually, higher tempo songs are written in a major key. This combination is great for the pre-work mood boost or for monotonous work. It helps to become active and focused on the task for longer periods of time.

Key. There are two possible keys — minor and major, and all music appears to be whether one or another. The best way to chose music for work is to match it up with emotion you will express and experience in the process. That concept is well-known and every major music streaming company, such as Spotify or iTunes benefits from it by putting up and offering customers different ‘moodlists’.

Genre. Surprisingly, there’s no straight connection between the genre of music and its influence on working efficiency. Despite the different kinds of stereotypes, such as ‘Classical music boosts brain activity’ there is just no correlation. It all depends on personal preferences. So if one could smash one task after another listening to the Thrash Metal, another will take sick leave after listening for just a couple of tracks.

However, there is one important exception: instrumental music almost always better for doing the work that requests a high level of brain activity and concentration — such as writing, math, analyzing, etc.

So if you want to prep up to the hard job, you might try some ambient, classical music, jazz — or anything else you like that doesn’t contain lyrics. But if you know the song so good that your brain would perceive it as the ‘background tune’ rather than a distraction — that would do.

Rhythm. I started this article with the fact that the first thing we hear in life is a heartbeat. It does a pretty good job explaining the human connection with the rhythm throughout life.

But music has another important feature, called Syncopation — it’s a term for different unpredictable accents in a regular rhythm flow. Jazz listeners are definitely well aware of what I’m talking about, and for those who don’t — try to listen to some James Brown, it’s a pretty easy example to learn from.

It’s proven fact that the human brain feels the most satisfied why listening to music with a medium level of syncopation (strangely, just like James Brown). So to boost your concentration level you might turn on something funky.

However, extensive level of excitement is highly damaging for the working efficiency, so you better balance it with something slow, calm, and rhythmically simple.