Summary We examined the effect of no music, classical music or rock music on simulated patient monitoring. Twenty‐four non‐anaesthetist participants with high or low levels of musical training were trained to monitor visual and auditory displays of patients' vital signs. In nine anaesthesia test scenarios, participants were asked every 50–70 s whether one of five vital signs was abnormal and the trend of its direction. Abnormality judgements were unaffected by music or musical training. Trend judgements were more accurate when music was playing (p = 0.0004). Musical participants reported trends more accurately (p = 0.004), and non‐musical participants tended to benefit more from music than did the musical participants (p = 0.063). Music may provide a pitch and rhythm standard from which participants can judge changes in vital signs from auditory displays. Nonetheless, both groups reported that it was easier to monitor the patient with no music (p = 0.0001), and easier to rely upon the auditory displays with no music (p = 0.014).