Composition of music suitable for concentration?

Question

What are the parameters of music to consider so that the resulting composition is suitable as a background music when reading, studying or doing some mental work? I'm interested in parameters like **tempo**, **rhythm**, **instruments**, elements of music supporting concentration and make the book **more colorful** (compare it to speech and intonation or using more voices in educational tapes). Are there some **music patterns** releasing stress, some **happy vibrations** that should be added? **What else** should I consider in composition of such a music?I was looking for some sources but found only sources [without](http://www.superlearning.com/superlearning_super2.html) scientific (bibliographical) references dealing with similar topic (influence of music on learning). Read the paragraph beginning with "Baroque 17th & 18th century".thank you

Answer 1

I second Gabriela's expert answer, and want to add that plenty of this kind of music already exists in the works of baroque and classical composers such as Bach, Telemann, Handel, Gluck, Mozart and Haydn. So, by composing this kind of music, you would not be filling any kind of void in the market for background music, and you'd already have plenty of great competition.

Answer 2

Music that is made to be background or for relaxation has some of the following factors (this is not a complete list and not all background music follows this exactly):

-Moderate to slow tempo. Any music that has a fast BPM will tend to call attention to itself and increase your heart rate.

-Very mild to no discernible melody. A piece/song with a strong melody will grab a listener's attention, especially a trained musician. Your brain will want to focus on that instead of the task at hand.

-Slow harmonic motion. This is for the same reason above.

-Mid-range frequencies. Frequencies that are too low or too high (especially this one) will be distracting to the listener.

Hope this helps!