So, I'm going to begin to revise next week and I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of music to listen to whilst revising. I'm fairly open-minded and will give most things a listen - they don't necessarily have to be "Classical" (ie. I don't mind Pop/rock, jazz etc.)

Any ideas?

You probably need something as pleasant background noise, that's not going to grab your attention away from your revision too much. I can really recommend a CD I got for Christmas....it's called Remasterpiece, by DJs Chris Coco and Sacha Putnam, and the tracks are reinterpretations of classical works mixed with contemporary pieces. It's published by EMI Classics

Sounds good!

Any specific pieces that you'd recommend - I'm a bit skint atm so can't buy too many CDs but could see what we'd got in my dad's extensive CD collection!

I could never revise with background noise, let alone music! But each to its own; some people work better with music. I wouldn't recommend anything that's too upbeat, catchy etc, because you'd end up listening and singing along to it. I would recommend classical or instrumental music, because it isn't too distracting and it's quite relaxing.

I'll have to try a wide variety of music so that I don't get one particular piece connected with revision - that would be awful!

I tended to listen to fairly good but boring contemporary music while revising. Anything too good just distracts me, I needed it quiet, melodic and relaxing. So I ended up listening to lots of REM, along with Coldplay, Elbow, The Coral, Snow Patrol and so on. Hadn't really got into The Smiths during GCSEs but I'd imagine they'd be good too. Classical worked well too (the lack of words made it much easier to concentrate), as long as it wasn't too dramatic.

It might be worth associating one piece or song with each subject you cover. Then if you get stuck in the exam, you could sing the music in your head and see if it jogs your memory. There's some psychology research that suggests that students get higher marks if they take their exams in the same classroom as they had their lessons, or in the presence of the same teacher. It ought to work for music as well.

I was going to try this when I did my psychology exams by chewing different flavour tic tacs for each subject, and then eating the same sort in the exams, but I ran out of flavours.

Hehehe, when I was revising, I usually listened to this panpipe music CD I bought in Portugal. I wouldn't recommend anything with words, as you end up singing along. I used to be ok with background music, but now more often than not, I need silence. Piano music is good too to listen to

I always find Einaudi really good to listen to when im concentrating/revision. His music is so relaxing it focus's your brain.

Also good for lsitening to whilst in the bath and chilling out

Einaudi is good. Apparently you concentrate better if you do exercise before you revise.

English Pastoral stuff like Butterworth or Vaughan Williams which is pretty bland but not objectionable will not detract from work, but will provide a nice background noise. Personally, it's not my choice of music but I think it's best for revising. I can't listen to pop/rock because I end up singing along and losing my focus! Ditto with any really great works, like violin concertos (Mendelssohn in particular), I end up thinking about playing it and not about photosynthesis or whatever.

One of Gavin Bryer's albums is great to revise to: have a look here.

It's a person singing a phrase which has been made into a loop. It builds to a climax after a while with strings and another solo voice and then ends as it began with the person singing unaccompanied. I've never heard anything else quite like it.

The Officium album is wonderful too.

I wonder if Classic FM has seen the commercial opportunity and produced a "Music to Revise to" collection yet?

There is research that suggests that if you listen to music with a BPM of about 60, you will concentrate better. There is a CD called Whistle While You Work that I play when my class are working and it seems to help them focus. Music that is slower will relax you while music with a very quick beat will energise you. I would suggest listening to something really upbeat before you revise, then listen to music with a BPM of about 60 and then find something really relaxing to listen to afterwards.

I remember when I was revising for exams (quite a few years ago, it has to be said), the advice was to have your revision environment as close as possible to the exam environment- i.e. in silence, sitting at a desk, this helps the recall process. Otherwise you associate the subjects you're revising with music that isn't going to be there in the exam hall.

Other pieces of advice where not to work too long at a stretch, you tend to recall better the areas you cover at the start and end of sessions than those in the middle, so more shorter sessions are better than a 3 hour marathon. I think we were told that 40 minutes at a time was optimal, then to take a short break. I always found I did more clarinet pratice when I was revising than at any other time (I wasn't doing music as an exam subject). I used to do 40 minutes revision, then 20 minutes clarinet to clear my head. Another tip for that 20 minute break is to re-read a book you've enjoyed. Because you enjoy it it's a good break. Because you've already read it you don't get to the can't put it down because I need to know what happens next stage.

Other tips are to make yourself a revision timetable and stick to it - list all the areas you need to cover for each subject and cross them off as you've been through them. If you have time you can revisit particularly difficult or important areas. Don't try and over study the night before an exam either, it will only stress you out. If you're well prepared beforehand than an hour's chill-out time is probably going to benefit you more than an extra hour's study.

Good Luck with the exams - if you're starting to think about revision now for exams in May / June I'm sure you'll do just fine.

Mozart Clarinet Concerto is said to be very good for revising, something to do with the fect that it doesn't have much syncopation in or something so it doesn't disjoint your brain.

It can be useful as a memory jogger though. I'm sure I can't be the only person with an internal ipod

Best advice I had was music without singing, or at least singing in English. That takes your mind away.

The best music for revising in my experience is music you can forget is playing, and which doesn't interrupt your thinking.

I can't revise in silence, so I listened to Vertical Horizon, Semionic, Dire Straits, REM, Crowded House and Del Amitri. On the classical side I tend to listen too much to what's going on, so I avoid it. Radio 5 works well too...

Husband found that he had to have recordings of works he knew; if he had the radio on, he'd find himself concentrating on the unknown works or performances being broadcast rather than the actual revision!

I wish I could remember where I heard that Mozart's music is supposed to be particularly good for concentration...
I'm not advocating this approach, but there was someone in my year in medical school who did her revision whilst somewhat...er...pickled in vodka. The exam she did in a similar state was the one she passed, and the other she failed. Really the only message I'd want anyone to take away from that is the point already made, that revising in similar surroundings to the exam conditions helps. Thinking back to the exam hall in which I did a statistics exam, I ought to have revised in a large broom cupboard. It was so dark that I had to hold my calculator out sideways to get enough light for the little solar panel thing to work.

I tend to listen to anything that I'd normally like...though nothing too catchy oir I end up singing.

Coldplay is good, and though I've not tried yet, Bright Eyes, Jose Gonzalez..Foofighters, Jimmy Eat world and *whispers* Blink 182 also work for me...basically anything
I also revise along to any new age stuff...If i'm on the computer, the 'new age' section of soundclick.com is really good (e.g. Tetsuya Ibuki, Eric Chiryoku, Patrick Swanson)
...and of course..Hisaishi!!

Bascially I hate revising in silence, I can never work in school properly because I dont have windows media player on.

WHAT
I heard that

I've seen a classic FM CD about Study...might've been....I think...I have also heard that music of about 60 BPM is good - and Baroque is meant to be good too.

So, baroque at 60 BMP! What can we find!

Baroque is fab What about a slow movement of a Bach flute sonata?

Talking of Bach, I had this going through my head today:



The feeling of such power - looking over the moor to North Hessary tor...brought a tear to the eye....probably aided by endorphins...

*snaps headphones over Trebors ears* Now you can't hear anything! *CPPF hums along to Blink merrily...*

I just listen to anything!

I tried proper, disciplined revision a couple of weeks ago with music on my speakers - speakers are probably better than headphones as it means it's very definitely background music.

I would recommend Music without words or with unintelligible words. I find words quite distracting as I write notes while I revise. If you have some music you like but which has words, put it down low so they're unclear.

Other than that, nothing overexciting or too funky - put on some Stevie Wonder and I get distracted and start grooving along instead of revising! If you have an MP3 player, try making up playlists of music that's nice (not brain-numbing!) but not distracting. Also make sure if you can that you have enough music and won't have to get up and change the CD or track halfway through as I found doing this a bit distracting.

Good luck with the revision