I've always known that a number of studies existed as to the helpfulness of classical music when studying. I used it myself throughout college, but sometimes I found myself falling asleep and sometimes i'd be able to really focus and ignore the music. But recently i've been looking on amazon and checked out some studies about alpha-delta brain wave patterns (active thinking to deep sleep) and apparently there's classical music cds recorded in a certain way so that alpha waves are being emitted in the background and apparently, judging by all the positive reviews, they really help these people to focus or delta waves, helping these people to sleep. It makes sense. I wondered if anyone else has ever used this while studying or engaging in some serious book learning for long time periods?

yes, but it has to be "elevator music" not something with a lot of changes in mood or tempo. I also use it for white noise since I cannot stand for things to be completely quiet.

I am a teacher and have some ADHD students and they find the same thing. One time, we were doing a spelling test and I had classical music on at first and remembered a couple of words into the test that it was still on (I dicatate spelling tests, so I usually turn the music off so the children can hear me easier). One day a student asked me to turn in back on because it was helping him focus. It depends on the music, because a less soothing and relaxing song was distracting and he asked me to turn it off. I always did have classical music on during silent working times, but now always have on classical music during dictated tests too! :p (It's soft enough it's not distracting to the others).

yeah, that sounds like a good idea. have you read or tried anything using these specially recorded cds that use alpha or beta or whatever waves? the waves that apparently are the ones seen in brainscans of people concentrating and learning ?

no, this is the first I actually heard of the alpha and beta waves...I'll have to look into it. I'm not sure what would be special about those specific songs vs. cds that you can get at the store...

Well I think classical or anything soft and without too many suddent noises is good in general for anything that require use of the mind. But apparently, the brain shows different wave activity during different types of activities, one type for deep sleep, another for restless sleep, another for drowsiness, active learning, concentrating, etc. so these cds have the music (which probably could also just be white noise, but music sounds so much better) and those frequencies are laid in behind the music so you dont actually have to deal with them head on. Here, let me link you.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004NS1B/sr=8-2/qid=1145060018/ref=sr_1_2/002-9912554-0026462?%5Fencoding=UTF8

i love cliasace muisc i find it helpfull when doing thinking things ofve anykind but again if its the wrong kind music then it has opeaztix effct....i dont tend to suffer drownesss that much high freguenice drive me mad i hate it i draw to cliase muisc as well allways doing something lol.... heres something dose anyone on the site hear bats calls cos i know i do hurts when i do so was woundering if anyone eles dsoe ....;.)))))dorm

looks like they just took regular classical music and selected pieces that are known to be more relaxing and less distracting. I wonder how long the playing time is...since it's the same cost as a regular cd, if there isn't a difference in playing time I would think about buying this just because I would know it's controled for things like tempo and volume...

I listen primarily to classical music, although I mix it up with a variety. I like everything literally. Rap, rock, country, jazz, r&b, you name it. But classical is my preference. It seems to help me think and balance my emotions, and it always manages to calm me down if I'm really agitated.

Not sure about the alpha/delta thing, but it sounds like pseudo-science to me. I could be totally off though.

I listen to classical music when I am driving on my car radio.

If nothing else, it seems to be cheerfull and relaxing.

looks like they just took regular classical music and selected pieces that are known to be more relaxing and less distracting. I wonder how long the playing time is...since it's the same cost as a regular cd, if there isn't a difference in playing time I would think about buying this just because I would know it's controled for things like tempo and volume...I read somewhere that those "Baby Einstein" tapes used highly structured classical, such as Mozart and Bach, because there was something to how the structure itself increased frontal lobe activity.

That rung a bell for me, since I love Baroque (including Vivaldi and Handel) especially and it does seem to enliven me to focus more effectively.

The problem is remembering to turn it on when it's apt..

hehehe:p remembering can be a problem. I tend to forget to turn if off too!!

I've always known that a number of studies existed as to the helpfulness of classical music when studying. I used it myself throughout college, but sometimes I found myself falling asleep and sometimes i'd be able to really focus and ignore the music. But recently i've been looking on amazon and checked out some studies about alpha-delta brain wave patterns (active thinking to deep sleep) and apparently there's classical music cds recorded in a certain way so that alpha waves are being emitted in the background and apparently, judging by all the positive reviews, they really help these people to focus or delta waves, helping these people to sleep. It makes sense. I wondered if anyone else has ever used this while studying or engaging in some serious book learning for long time periods?I remember as a kid, my old man had a tape of Mozart played on a synthesizer. Very strange sounding music. It would put me right to sleep. I'm talking zonk, out. My sudden transition to sleep was so evident that he'd play it just to see me go out like a light. Very weird. Nothing ever effected me that way since.
I had a teacher in high school who used to play Mozart or Gregorian chants to relax whenever he felt overwhelmed. I tried it and it worked for me as well. This was decades before I got diagnosed.

A guy in my ADD support group has this websight where he's involved with the alpha wave or beta wave stuff. Whatever it is it floats his boat. Check it out at http://www.psychinnovations.com/

I remember as a kid, my old man had a tape of Mozart played on a synthesizer. Very strange sounding music. It would put me right to sleep. I'm talking zonk, out. My sudden transition to sleep was so evident that he'd play it just to see me go out like a light. Very weird. Nothing ever effected me that way since.
I had a teacher in high school who used to play Mozart or Gregorian chants to relax whenever he felt overwhelmed. I tried it and it worked for me as well. This was decades before I got diagnosed.

A guy in my ADD support group has this websight where he's involved with the alpha wave or beta wave stuff. Whatever it is it floats his boat. Check it out at http://www.psychinnovations.com/

Nice Nice! thatsa exactly what i was looking for!

Never for me, it bores me so bad :o

Actually it wasn't Mozart at all. It was Bach, I just remembered. The tape was Switched-on Bach and its still available through Amazon. You can even listen to samples
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005ORCV/103-3751616-2485416?v=glance&n=5174

Be careful though, don't listen to it while driving:D

yes, but it has to be "elevator music" not something with a lot of changes in mood or tempo. I also use it for white noise since I cannot stand for things to be completely quiet.


I use music so much while reading I got a nice sound card for my PC then purchased a nice cushioned set of head phones with long cord…..music and the forum are now interconnected!!!!

I first used the music to drowned out Gary’s TV….bla bla bla…………..then while reading some really long complex threads I learned I was not only comprehending more I was able to read through them twice as fast…………I also noticed some people’s post read better to some music like Stabile reads well with Alan Parson’s oddly enough so does Barbyma, SB does well with Yanni and Styx as does Nova!!!

When I go into a debate forum here on ADDF I do well with Paul Parker, in the debate community I belong to I switch to The Faint, or Matalica……….I use the music to switch mood gears so to speak!


The more the music “switches sides” over my head phones the more alert I become…I prefer music that does a lot of switching when doing research……..I have actually turned the tones of some of my post by switching CDs!

I did not used music yet-but I'll try. Usually I can bring myself to ignore the background noise and focus on what I am doing-or overfocus on it, unless somebody adresses me directly-then I lost it...

some clssical music tho puts me and my kids to sleep when nothing else works...

Usually I can bring myself to ignore the background noise and focus on what I am doing

Okay this doesn't happen for me which is what makes me ADD.....medication allows me to fore ground or back ground some thing but completely zap out the stimuli doesn't happen very often when it does I find it very disquieting!

I have to use things like music to help rid me of things I do not want to hear like a television commercial for the zillionth time!

Man I have to tell you, I tried listening to classical music once before after I took an IQ test online. My friend says "Classical music makes you smarter!", so I thought what the hell and downloaded some stuff.

I wanted to shoot myself in the head before I was 30 seconds in. So in conclusion - classical music, in my opinion, is responsible for 90% of suicides.

My IQ came out 128 if you are curious. =D