Music in Chess

I listen to Counting Crows, led zeppelin, my morning jacket, sarah Mclaughlin.  So this theory that aggresive music makes you a better player is just nonsense; its not scientific.  All the good people that posted here proved the hypothesis is wrong because they they listen to all types of music. When there is a study for us to cite from a reputable university, and we have the hard data to scruitinize for ourselves, then we may agree that there exist a specific type of music that makes you a better player or more aggresive player.  But what I am hearing is nonsense.  It's nothing short of pseudo-scientific hogwash.  What determines if you are good or not is your own talents, and practice practice practice.

Sorry for the diatribe but it just irks me when false statements are given credibility, false claims begin to take a life of their own.  We humans deserve better.  Things that are not true are allowed to propagate and taken for granted without facts to back them up, and before you know it they're accepted and defended as fact.  I'm a molecular biologist and if there is one thing I hate is pseudoscience, fake claims based on nothing. That's how we ended up with religion, politics, and miles of red tape on city hall.  Some people play better with no music at all, I know some of my students prefer no music.  It all depends on your innate ability.

I WOULD like to see a study conducted though, with fMRIs, galvanic skin response meters, petscans, and the whole works to see which parts of the brain light up according to which kinds of music you are hearing at the moment, and then analyze (cross reference) whether or not there is a correlation between music and wins.  It is a good testable hypothesis.  But we shouldn't go around claiming a hypothesis is fact before actually having done the science first.  Doing the science or having the data is very important.  Evidence is everything.  If there IS a positive correlation, and they prove me wrong, then I'll buy you a beer. = D

Ok ovalle1111 nice point of view and I agree with you that there are no scientific proves and that it depends from person to person but I think it helps you focusing on the game. When the music changes to annother it causes me sometimes a different mood and unfocuses a little bit but I think it's good and has some influences, bad or good it has some influences. It would be a very curious thing to study for.

Frank Zappa all the way!

I guess the consensus is that if you listen to music you enjoy, it helps you play better.  Listening to music you dislike profoundly would definitely ruin your game by a) putting you in a bad mood, b) preventing you from concentrating, c) focusing more on the ugly music than on your game at hand. I know when I listen to classical music I fall asleep, I don't care how much they say it stimulates the brain and enhances creativity and yada yada yada... in my case it just puts me to sleep.

yeah that's what I was saying of course you wouldn't go play for a tournament and listening to music you don't like. It's just non-sense. Not just classic music but the music you like to listen that's what I'm saying ovalle.

No, music does not help me at all.

classical music, Mozart is best by test, i also like stuff by Palestrina, just thinking outloud...........

 I like Metallica too but its too heavy for Chess. 

I like rock mostly, but not during Chess.  Music and Chess used to go together for me, it was always fish tank new agey stuff with no lyrics, but as I got better at the game I had to switch the tunes off.

sonata in d mayor, kv448 from mozart stimulates brain activity, this is proven.
I listen to Trentemøller now.
But i can also play isis, tool, vitalic, mr. oizo, I play chess regardless of what I listen to. It doesn't affect me. 

 I don't think its allowed at a high level, incase they're pretending to listen to music but are actually listening to the voice of wisdom telling them what play.  

I got a "coffeechess" playlist at Spotify.

Kaffeschack

Be sure to drink coffee and play chess while listening.

I think that music is ultimately going to distract you. 

I find that even the slightest things distract me.  Maybe I just have a short attention span.  My girlfriend watching tv while I play chess drives me up the wallllll.  I can't concentrate at all when I have somebody blaring about the latest hip hop trend in my ear.

I have tried playing chess while listening to music.  I find it distracts me too, though.  The simpler the better, probably. 

I do enjoy classical music.  Plus, it takes the lyrics away.  One less thing to think about..?

Well I do play sometimes listening to music and I sing the song. It doesn't affect me very much but sometimes it causes my defeat. Yeah that's true. But I think it is good because you want to strugle to the end even if you are losing in material and makes you not to resign but to fight to the end, getting possible a draw or even a victory.

Silence, please. Let me focus on the match (I'm sure you're able to read in between the lines...)

 Citation needed.