I write while I listen to music too. However, the type of music depends on the type of scene I am currently writing. If it is action paced, I will play a Hans Zimmer track from the Dark Knight rises. A more lighter scene, perhaps between a husband and wife will have lighter music. It is strange that I can write with music, but put someone in the room with me and my mind goes blank.
true, but i often find that more upbeat songs can get me writing an upbeat scene a lot better, otherwise it seems too relaxed. I also usually tune out the singing and it just blends in with the rest of the music when im concentrating. Especially if it is a song that I listen to a lot
generally, Yes i do listen to it, and im very particular about the type of music it is that i listen to when im writing certain things... im trying to type something up with my nans classical music playing, but its distracting, so i may have to get my headphones back on and listen to some metal to get me back on track
Most of the time I listen to music when I write, I just vary the volume setting. Currently, when I want to feel chilled out, I listen to Angie Stone's early albums or Alicia Keys, when I want something moody, it's Nick Cave's new "Push the Sky Away" and when I want something edgy and stimulating, it's Beady Eye's new album "BE".
wow... Hans Zimmer. I decided to go and listen to the 'Crimson Tide' soundtrack tonight while writing. Definitely up my work rate
Lot's of Handel, and Brahms, with a spattering of Bach, Vivaldi, Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Grieg, Chopin, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky to name a few.
I can't listen to music - the rhythm is too distracting. However, I do have the TV on for white noise - absolute silence drives me up a wall.
I tend to write in complete silence, or as close to it as I can get being in close proximity to a motorway, a railway line and a flight path to an international airport. I do use music to provoke certain emotions, but never when I'm writing. I find it too distracting.
Very rarely do I write while listening to music. I usually alternate between writing and a piece of music appropriate to what I'm writing. Sometimes, I just turn the volume down a bit. That way, it's not completely silent - so random small noises don't bother me - and so that the mood setting music is still in the background.
when writing about a place i've been, such as greece, italy, or mexico, i've put on instrumentals [bazouki/mandolin/mariachi music] to 'take me back there'... but i never write while vocals are playing, since the words get in the way of the ones i have to put on the page...
I think it's safe to say that I and KaTrian never write without music playing in the background. We have specific playlists for each WIP and the contents of the playlists vary depending on the story's setting. For example, our current WIP is a space adventure / military sci-fi piece, so we have lots of ambient and darker metal / noise on the playlist (anything from Gnaw Their Tongues to Merzbow to Bolt Thrower etc) or if it's a medieval fantasy, we listen to anything from renaissance music (think John Dowland, Luiz de Narvaez etc) to "fantasy" metal alá Arkona (the Russian pagan metal outfit, not the... Polish [?] black metal band), Ensiferum etc. We find that music adds to the atmosphere of the writing process, especially if we have a specific song for a specific scene.
I made a Pandora channel called "Yo Yo Ma" and it plays very repetitive classical music that I can ignore. Otherwise, I tend to want to listen to the music, rather than write.
have you thought to try Symphony X for the last one. Particularly their albums Iconoclast and Paradise Lost.... id highly recommend that band, as they are one band i listen to a lot. my current playlist is those albums and Nevermore's song Enemies Of Reality. and epic song!
Since I'm writing in Afghanistan I was originally writing at work. I work at night and not much happens, but it was hard to tune out Afghans talking (they're the loudest people I've ever met, and I've been to Italy). I tried listening to music but I listen to lyrical music that would distract me. Then someone on this forum suggested music without any lyrics. I will never go back. With the music in the backround I have noticed a sharp increase in productivity. I listen to mostly folk type music as I'm writing a fantasy novel. Celtic folk, Norwegian folk, also have the LOTR soundtrack. I will see if classical suits my tastes in the future.
I know of the band but haven't listened to them yet. I'll check 'em out, thanks for the heads up. Btw, This Dying Soul is one of my fave DT songs.
Pretty sure I will. Being an amateur musician, I always enjoy well played material. If you like folk metal, I'd definitely recommend Arkona (Nevidal is probably my fave song from them, but they've got so many great ones, it's hard to pick just one). It's a humorous band, at least lyrically, but Dethklok is another fantastic band technique- / musicianship-wise, a good combination of death metal and great melodies (Murmaider 2 The Water God is my current favorite track off of their Dethalbum II).
Ill certainly have a look into them, I, like you love decent quality musicianship, my List of awesome musicians include DT, Chris Broderick [Megadeth, Jag Panzer], Yngwie Malsteen, Trivium [a bit more thrashy but these guys are about musicianship, not just slinging albums out]
I'm the type of person who has to write with some kind of background noise (usually the tv on), but it can't be loud enough to grab my attention. Odly enough, I get distracted more easily in complete silence. So, I really can't write with music on, because it ends up distracting me, but I do have a big playlist of songs that remind me of the story that I am writing at the time. So if I get stuck on a certain scene, I go look for a song that gives me the feeling that I am trying to transmit, and then go for it, sometimes just listening to the song on a loop until I get it. I have been meaning to try for a while using just instrumental music as a few people have talked about here, and given the positive feedback that i've read I think I will really give it a go
