# What do savants who excel in music, maths, art, and/or memory experience?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-savants-who-excel-in-music-maths-art-and-or-memory-experience/748267>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 8, 2016, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-savants-who-excel-in-music-maths-art-and-or-memory-experience/748267 "2016-03-08T09:16:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GlowingDarkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f04885/32.png) [@GlowingDarkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GlowingDarkness)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-savants-who-excel-in-music-maths-art-and-or-memory-experience/748267/1 "2016-03-08T09:16:31Z")

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I know autistic savants have a major disadvantage when it comes to everyday tasks but I’ve wondered for example what a savant at the piano experiences in their head.

Do they see notes that correspond with a key on the piano ? Especially when they can play by ear? If not do they see notes light up on the keyboard?

And how do they avoid pressing the wrong notes. I know even after practicing 10 times I’m bound to make a mistake or two. I’ll never be as good as them? :rolleyes:

What really happens in their head?

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**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-savants-who-excel-in-music-maths-art-and-or-memory-experience/748267/2 "2016-03-08T12:17:27Z")

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If I had to guess I would say nothing really happens in there, they don’t really have to think about what they’re doing its just some innate talent that doesn’t require a lot of mental effort on their part. This is also true to a point with regular musicians, in that if they start thinking too much about what they’re playing for a lot of people that’s when they start making mistakes and stumbling around hitting wrong notes or getting off time.

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-savants-who-excel-in-music-maths-art-and-or-memory-experience/748267/3 "2016-03-08T12:27:03Z")

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Centipede’s Dilemma

If you start to think about it you won’t be able to coordinate everything.