Music Good for Studying: Ambient Or Conventional?

I am going to say it right now to avoid any future altercations. I am not an expert in the art of psychedelic, down-tempo or any form of ambient music. However, I do believe I can advise some good samples for studying. Personally, when I am studying I keep away from instrumentals with what is called a "four on floor" beat pattern. If you do not know what "four on floor" is, think "Shiny Disco Ball" by Who Da Funk (one of my favorite DDR dance songs), or almost any song found in Daft Punk's Discovery album. Pretty much all techno songs have a four on floor background beat, which is good for dancing and head bobbing. However, it is not good for studying.

So what kind of ambient is the best kind of instrumental to listen to while studying? Well, I am torn between space and down-tempo ambient because I like Sabled Sun (a space ambient artist). However, space ambient can get kind of annoying after the first 12 minutes. If you can endure the same monotonous background music for longer than that, then I recommend it. You can get a lot of work done. But if you want something with a little more variety, then down-tempo ambient is the way to go. The best down-tempo ambient I can think of is Eastern Sun. The group produces a lot of good music for studying and meditation.

That said, I hope you enjoyed this entry and it helps you find the right kind of study music. However, if you are not an ambient music person, there are the conventional paths of classical and smooth jazz. I recommend Soul Ballet as a good place to start.

If you have any suggestions of your own or you just want to say hi, then leave me a comment. I always welcome outside input.

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