Interesting question. This may be a bit unusual, but I prefer the works of Frank Klepacki.

Atomixkid wrote:

I know music can help concentration, but what is the best type of music to help people program?
If anything what do you listen to when you are prgramming?

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Hammerfall
Sonata Arctica
King Diamond
Stratovarious
Black Sabbath
Danzig
The Whitlams

I think that covers it.

I don't get how you guys below can concentrate with that kind of music on.

Some music helps me concentrate and helps my creativity, but it can't be really distracting music with catchy lyrics or it just takes my attention away from my task.

I prefer anything I like that doesn't have lyrics, like say, Nobou Umatsu, but sometimes the music is still so catchy that I begin going "dun dun da da dun dun dun" and it still distracts me.

One time I did a Science Fair project on this sort of thing. It was to see which music helps people concentrate the best. I gave them all the same sheet and let them listen to their favorite music. I timed them and calculated the number of correct answers they got. Then I let them listen to their least favorite music with another worksheet and did the same thing. They did not know what I was doing.

Out of raggae, rap, rock, classical, techno, and country music, the results were:

1. No Music
2. Classical
3. Rock
4. Raggae
5. Country
6. Rap
7. Techno

No music was easiest to concentrate under (provided that there was not much other noise) while Techno was the hardest. I'd give you the numbers, but I don't remember them.

However, people have different opinions and music they don't like they may pay no attention to, while when they listen to their favorite music, it's catchy and distracting. Also, this experiment was flawed because everyone does not like the same thing and some were smarter than others. Just find something that works for you.

I like to listen to symphonic black metal, some rock, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 while I program.

CaptFalcon33035 wrote:

No Music
Classical
Rock
Raggae
Country
Rap
Techno

Yeah, it would help to know whether this is ascending or not.

I did a similar study when I was a kid, and found that

-people retain information better when listening to music vs. listening to no music
-people retain information better when listening to music they don't like vs. music they do like

My conclusion as to the second point was that if a subject is listening to music they like, they're more likely to subconsciously anticipate the next word, note in the melody, or musical phrase, and thus the concentration is spread out.

I can't believe no one said eurobeat or jpop! What's wrong with you all!

Seriously, that's 90% of all I ever listen to. And (loud) Eurobeat is definately my music of choice while programming. It keeps me awake and attentive.

That other 10% is pretty big though, since I seem to be immersed in music nearly 24/7. I even have it on when I sleep.

When I'm listening to something else, it's usually classical or instrumentals like video game soundtracks and what not. Although I'll pretty much like anything as long as it doesn't have vulgar lyrics (in english, hehe) in it.

Vortezz wrote:

I did a similar study when I was a kid, and found that

-people retain information better when listening to music vs. listening to no music
-people retain information better when listening to music they don't like vs. music they do like

My conclusion as to the second point was that if a subject is listening to music they like, they're more likely to subconsciously anticipate the next word, note in the melody, or musical phrase, and thus the concentration is spread out.

Rats. I like to listen to music when I program, but I don't want to put in something I don't like because that music which I dislike, I tend to outright hate (and therefore, not own). Then again, my hatred of bad music can wreck my concentration too.

Lummox JR

Atomixkid wrote:

Erm... Actualy what I meant was that I wanted to make a program to that can be used to help a person concentrate and that I would use music. Although I asked for a few requests of music to put in it I mainly wanted other ways to keep the person concentrated. Can anyone help?

Let them put thier own music tracks in. That simple.

I'm going to change the question to one more relevent to the topic title.

Does anyone know how to make a program where the user can make music, save music and load music? (Not neceserily in normal music file format)