We all know that music affects our brain, but is there something that makes particular songs better than others for concentration?
I stumbled upon Lo-fi music a few years ago, and since then, it has been one of my favorite genres of music. I have experienced noticeable changes in my focus level and overall mood, especially while solving Math problems.
As a student of MBA at IILM University, Gurugram, this is my first time living in a hostel, sharing the space with two other roommates.
While the campus is very peaceful and my roommates are also introverts like me, sometimes, you need something to cut down the noise around you for deep focus. Lo-fi beats have proven to be the best for this purpose.
The absence of lyrics and the repetitive structure of the music makes it less distracting.
The Impact of Music on Our Minds.
Music’s impact on your mind is not universal. It depends on the task at hand or the type of person you are and many other variables.
Sometimes in the case of a task that requires a lot of thinking, or, if you’re a person who can get easily distracted, hitting the mute button is your best option. The brain has a limited capacity for attention and music uses up some of those essential resources. That is why silence is still, and always will be, a better option. However, background music has it’s own benefits.
Firstly, it helps in blocking out more intrusive noises. It creates an aural cocoon that tunes out or reduces distractions by anchoring them to a rhythm.
Secondly, it serves as a stimulant. As observed in various studies, introducing music in a certain environment has a major impact on the mood of individuals.
For example, playing music in stores and malls, affects customer experience and buying behavior. Music also plays a vital role in other places such as restaurants and gyms.
Lo-Fi Beats.
So, how is Lo-fi different from other background music tracks and how does it help in increasing focus?
In order to understand this, we must first observe the structure of lo-fi beats. They consist of three major components.
- Jazzy instrumentals
- Drumbeat combo of Bass and Snares and
- Intentional environmental noise.
All the three components are assembled in a rhythmic sequence which is played at 70–95 bpm. The tempo of this music is set slow on purpose because slower instrumental music can boost focus and calm down a person.
The jazz instrumentals and drum loops are fun yet slow and repetitive. The dampened frequencies and environmental noise act a blanket that blends the music together and pushes it into the background using spatialization. This makes the music sound less like a recording and more like something in a physical space.
The genre of Lo-fi Hip-hop is obsessed with nostalgic elements such as a vintage vinyl and rainy days. This makes the music easy to process and
ideal for focus.
The perfect combination in my opinion would be,
a Cloudy Day… a Good Book to Read… a Cup of Coffee and some Lo-Fi Beats to Chill and Relax to…
