Music as a window into the Autistic mind | Jonathan Chase | TEDxSalem
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- Опубликовано: 16 ноя 2014
- This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Have you ever wondered what it is like to live with autism? Musician Jonathan Chase was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 14. Autism has given him a unique view of the world and interpretation of music that he shares in this talk.
ASL interpretation by Cynthia Anderson.
Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 14, Jonathan Chase is an advocate, speaker, and mentor to young adults on the Autism Spectrum. He has worked in the Autism field since 2008, partnering with agencies, nonprofit organizations, and families to spread a message of understanding and awareness. Jonathan is also a musician. His musical background includes working with bassist (and former TED speaker) Victor Wooten, whose unique approaches to music and life have greatly influenced Jonathan’s work as both an advocate and a bassist.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
i feel like everyone wants to clap after he plays but they don't so he can continue speaking and there's a weird silence where everybody's mentally clapping and he knows it through autistic telepathy
smackspoon hahahaha 😂 am dying
This is a very creative talk.
Hello World: with Miyah
Deatherman102 _ He is not only playing guitar but he is also explaining how his mind works. So yeah, this is probably the most creative type of speech that I have ever seen on TED.
Uh that's not a guitar
It's crazy to think I have been doing this the entire time I have played bass and just never thought anything of it. The relationship between music and the way we think is just remarkable and will always be fascinating to me.
I do the same. Btw I’m a stutterer. I often wondered if being a stutterer helps me play. I hope someone understands what I’m trying to say. Ty.
This is great. I'm an Aspie and ALSO only think in shapes and patterns when I play. Very rarely do I think in notes, other than simply to find my start point. I loved this vid. I identify with everything you said. Thanks.
Mine is like a 8Track car radio
I have an Autistic daughter who is 27 now, music is a tool I have used for years to communicate.
It is great to hear you verbalize this so others can understand different perspectives
I completely agree. Music is our family language.
I am autistic (Asperger's) and I am far from a visual learner. I am a kinetic learner. Just goes to show that it really is a spectrum. Amazing! Great vid!
Same. Rather then broad concepts I felt I needed to first memorize every scale, chord, interval. I struggled to apply my knowledge in a spontaneous, coherent, fluent manner. It wasn't until I spent time predictive eartraining vocally that I progressed. My ear and voice are still weak, but any advancement in these areas yielded tremendous results. I went from not being able to solo, to being able to change scales at chord changes, visualizing the overlapping scales in my mind.
Humanity is a spectrum isn’t it though? It always strikes me as odd that people describe us Autistic people as ‘being on a spectrum’… we all are! It’s almost like it’s seen as striking that there is diversity between Autistic people. Of course there is - we are humans after all ;)
@persistentpedestrianalien8641 - what you’re describing here sounds really relatable to me. I’m literally an hour away from driving to buy my first guitar, my first ever instrument and setting out on a journey to finally learn to play an instrument! I’m Autistic and have always had a beautifully special and emotional relationship with sound and music, and I have always felt that there is another language there for me to communicate with… but like many Autistic humans in our genetic ‘silo’ it turns out I have had clipped wings since I was born because of ADHD. Now that I have identified and managed that an incredible outpouring of effectiveness has occurred for me and I’m thrilled to be able to learn anything I turn my mind to with fluency - so f**k it, I’m picking up musical learning now, in my late 40’s. It’s never too late and *every* day is a school day.
What I want to find is an effective system for learning that’s not straight out of musical theory, because whilst we are systemisers by nature, I feel and emote music, I don’t read it.
Consequently what you have touched on sounds like it might help or give me a start in the right direction!
Are there any websites or search terms that you can suggest mate?!?!
Best TED musical talks I ever seen. He has not only the talent, but also grit and sense of mission to heal the world.
As someone who has Asperger's, this is pretty mind blowing, yet relatable. As a drum player, I often try to visualize how a beat is being played on a drum set. It's not dots, shapes, colors, or lines like this guy; it's more like placing camera at different angles around the drum set and watching the person play. And I often find that it helps if I can see someone playing a song when I'm trying to learn that song.
ohhhhhhhh i am this way too. i visualise the sound in my head and visualise how things would be played. i don't understand the whole shape thing but i def understand.... well.. our thing lol
This dude actually gives an amazing presentation, well done bro
i once met an autistic buddy of mine who was musically inclined in percussion i realized this and so i tried to play s well as him and now he is in Saudi Arabia probably being a musical genius. I also believe that autistic minds are some of the best musical minds n the world just because of the way they think and can adapt to the music they are given it is extremly fascinating and amazing
Marc Mathura I don't know about that. I am autistic and I can't even mess about with music. Let me tell you a story, back in the day when I was messing about in school and stuff I had this teacher that taught us how to play recorders. I was shit, but we had to play the teenage mutant ninja turtles theme to pass and stuff, so what I did is I just kinda imagined every note as a character (the hard note to play was made Krang because he is the funniest) and I finished right when I did that. Never looked back I did, so I think it is more the individual than the autism
+Waltard Teh Burban TMNT theme song? What a shitty song to play on the recorder.
Marc Mathura I used to be able to memorise music and play piano but have since lost the skill due to lack of practice
A Genius not just as a musician but as a person. Wow..
As a musician with Aspergers, this is an excellent explanation of how I see music.
The only difference is my visualization is for the saxophone, but no matter the instrument its the same concept
Can you help me ?
I can see things in the air as well. Not hallucinations, just an exterior screen. I can shift emphasis on interior and exterior and turn images around. Music is spacial thinking to me just like poetry. I;m a visual artist. Usually. I loved this talk. thank you for sharing. It's great isn't it!!! Brilliant. I described my understanding gof layers for most of my life and only this year, was diagnosed as Autistic. I am thrilled to hear this.
''This gotta be fun for deaf people!!''
doesn't mean you are deaf that you can't hear music. Depends on your hearing level.
what if music no hear yes?
stallion maybe but you can sure feel it you know i heard that, (and i'm sure this is true, no doubt in my mind) when someone looses a sense, the other senses are way more sensible(fragile) like smell, touch, taste...
One thing i'm sure, it's not because you are deaf that you cannot feel the music( as in vibrations)
It's like when you bite a guitar at the end of the neck, your body becomes the amplifier.
but music no?
stallion I'm not a scientist so can't really answer this but let me tell you, my friend' parents were both deaf but at different levels and the mother would listen to the backstreet boys ( i remember lol it was like 1998-1999) on her walkman B-l-a-s-t-i-n-g with earing aids...the father did not i if recall correctly, he could not.
This guys kick many pro bass players right out of the water. I know already based on this video that this man is not getting the recognition he deserves as a bass player.
Jonathon is a coward antifa member!
Wait... you mean it's not normal to imagine riffs like this? I'm pretty sure I'm not autistic, but I always imagine a riff as a pattern on a grid in much the same way.
I'm glad I saw your comment. I wouldn't wanna be the only one who does this.
I was actually diagnosed with Asperger's when I was about 5 and I've been playing guitar since I was 13 (I'm 21 now.) Since then I've grown out of almost all my tell tale signs to where people are shocked to hear I have it. But guitar was honestly what helped me break out of it. And this guy perfectly described exactly how I see and imagine music. Which is why I can't go too long with out playing because then it's like my brain is overloaded with all these images and thoughts of music that I can't get out of my head.
Yea me too man, doesn't take an autistic to see music in that way. Takes an expert to see more complicated lines though ;3
7:00 bud. He explains everything.
ohhWitness
Nailed it
I love the ending, we're all different. But we need to respect those differences because (to quote Zappa) without deviations of the norm, progress is impossible.
+daarhebikschijtaan I think respect should be earned
It is not wrong to expect others to earn your respect, but a person should be treated with respect by default.
Nah, everyone who has been through the troubles of being born (let alone staying alive) can count on my respect.
Grady Philpott I'd say just don't be a dick.
thats rich coming from him now that we know he runs an antifa twitter page calling for the death of my favorite Asian journalist, so hes not that cool lmfao
My son is Asperger’s and has just started playing the drums. He’s 13 years old had No lessons or anything and he’s incredible ! He watches or listens to his favourite music which atm is Mad Season Alice in Chains Nirvana and he then just plays it !
He has 2 acoustic guitars one of which he’s taken the two top strings off and downtuned it to a bass.
He’s 13 and just so talented and the weird thing is that as a younger kid he absolutely hated music of any kind. He even stormed out of his classroom if the word “music” was on the board! He wouldn’t go into the school hall for assembly because they would sing the national anthem. Crazy. Love it
one thing my aspi mind noticed. when it came to my music ability was learning shapes and patterns. specially with Van Halen's playing there's a lot of repetitive shapes and patterns in that what people would consider complicated playing and so those I found very easy as soon as I learn the shapes and patterns he was using the most former repetitive you look at that intro for Hot for Teacher that's mostly a repetitive pattern he's just moving it to different strings
Been playing guitar for 16 years, always used 2 patterns to play one pattern for any multi note shape on the board. I have aspergers. Also see my fingers performing notation when listening to music.
I play bassguitar too, and i also happen to have autism. And consider myself a visual thinker aswell.
Yet i don't see patterns like he does in music. I experience music in a different way personally.
The way i experience music/melodys, is i translate a certain song/melody into a certain perticular emotional state like 'hope' for example. In that case i literally FEEL 'hope' while listening to that perticular song or melody.
Even if it's a instrumental song of the lyrics aren't about that at all.
But maybe a lot of people experience music like that, and it's nothing special at all.
I have no idea to be honest. :-P
+RikB251087 We are both very similar, I have aspergers & got my first bass around when I was 14. I see music in patterns, but not in shapes like he describes - I feel the music I hear & play, as in it doesn't feel like an external emotion but as a solid feeling, much like how you described.
+Aaron Rankin Patterns.. Exactly.. I see patterns in EVERYTHING.. and then try to put those patterns into different instruments.
Everybody sees music differently. Me, personally, base almost all of my musical thinking in my head. I hear the note in my head and then play it, and I hear the song in my head as well as through my ears. Even if I'm not playing, I'll still hear it in my heam
And I've been playing guitar for 25 years and do see shapes: squares, rectangles and triangles. And chords have different levels of heat. And I'm not autistic.
RikB I am a lot the same. Can you help me ?
I'm a musician with Asperger's as well (or possibly just high-functioning Autism). I play tuba primarily. When I was first learning how to play, I was able to quickly pick up what valves to press down for where a note was on a line, but it took me years before I was able to look at a note on a staff and say "that's an Ab" or have my director say "play a C" and immediately know what that was.
I had a similar experience... I could play really well, and also hear music and play it but i could not play sheet music for the life of me. Or name any of the notes. Took me many years to learn it all, that by the time i had it memorized it all seemed pointless and I dont use it anyway. I just learnt music different.
Jonathan, this is fabulous! We just shared at Autism Empowerment and will be adding your video talk to our favorite playlist. Congratulations on a great talk! Thanks as always for being such a positive self-advocate for the Autism / Asperger / Autistic community.
wow that playing is really beautiful
I find it funny that they have sign language at a musical performance..
Sir Naught thats what i was thinking.
I was thinking the same thing. It would have been better if they had had some visual music when he played in order to translate the sounds into visual representations.
catinthemachine he is speaking as well. geniuses.
Sir Naught this is not an exclusive music performance but a pretty great explanation about how a very complex thinking process relates to playing music
and here we go, none of you seemed to have gotten anything out of the last few lines of this video...
you know, about respecting anothers view on things?
What I'm inferring from this talk is that "normal conversation" is a skill for the autistic mind to master that's as complex as playing an instrument. Most of us are born with the ability as instinctual, but for people with autism social interaction is a natural talent replaced with a mind designed for logical, mechanical thought. Now that I've been presented with autism in a way that feels mentally tangible, it feels both terrible and not so bad, especially in our age of technological leapfrogging.
I think the hardest part is to be an autistic artist. Dealing with intangibles must be maddening. It's hard enough for me as a borderline sociopath with severe depressive disorder.
The dots on the fretboard while listening to music i can relate to, so much! Even a song i never heard before plays a visual in my head of every chord being strummed or every triad/power chord being plucked/chugged.
The upside down triangle solo was amazing!
Lol.
I wonder what his brain wiring looks like
yeah, man. When I play a bass solo I often think of little squares. a triangle would be a blue note or a minor 3rd hahah
This was crazy interesting. I am on the autistic spectrum, so is my oldest son. He became an incredible 6 string guitar player playing Guitar Hero. As a matter of fact, he won a Les Paul Gibson Standard in a local Guitar Hero contest after only a few months of playing the game! He plays 6 string electric and acoustic like he has been playing for decades. He can play almost anything, no music, just hearing it once. Thank you for the video.
And people say super powers aren't real, they just dont see it as it is supposed to be seen, this guy doesnt have. disease or disability or whatever it is, its a power, sure its not flying or super strength, but its still a power. this guy is an inspiration to me, as i am a guitarist
I'm not autistic, but I am a visual thinker, but for each note is attached to my emotional spectrum. I feel that line as I follow it, and it dictates how I attack each note. All the old players I've played around make about the same comment, "oh yeah, he feels it!". I do. 😀
amazing, him, the performance and the final message...
What a talent! Thanks for taking us on a tour of your genius and explaining it so well, while shredding!
I'm a starting bassist and I also have Asperger's :)
He is a wonderful musician, but he is also correct that other musicians see music as visual cues.
Ever since I was a child I "saw" music, even orchestral music on the piano keyboard as it progresses. It is both visual and auditory.
I am NOT unusual in this regard.
Even though I am not autistic I have always had this "way" of both looking at and hearing music at the same time.
I bet a large number of pianists can do this. It is just a matter of how our brains process the musical experience.
sanjosemike
This guy (and please believe, I'm serious) has the most amazing face in the world, it's just the right face for him, can't explain why but I love its 'design'... would love to make his portrait
Best Ted talk I've seen for a very long time.
Amazing guy with incredible talent. I love how he describes his views, abilities and challenges in a concise, simple to understand manner. He seems so kind hearted as well. Thanks man
This guy should help develop a video game integrating his visual cues for guitars!
It has already been done! Guitar Hero.
That end piece he play was phenomenal!
This is actually a very interesting talk, it's amazing that people can do this.
That’s so awesome!!! I too have always visualized chords as different shaped triangles or lines. I’ve been learning piano for the past couple months since I got one for Father’s Day and it’s not as intuitive for me to play as guitar was. I’m getting better, but I started guitar when I was 13 and I’m 43 now. I really hope I can develop the muscle memory and an intuitive way to remember scales and chords for piano like I did when I was learning guitar.
Give it time and keep at it buddy.
What a great guy and musician!
Tobias Heyl
Tobias Heyl
muff patrol you're the second person replying to my comment with my own name. What does that mean?
Lord Error999 yes?
He really is and he's actually what researchers would describe a "pattern thinker."
Pure, pure brilliance & genius.........
Love this guy. He's so smart and warm. Many of us are somewhat autistic, whether we're aware of it or not. I got to try to apply this method of visual thinking into my memorization of guitar scales / chords. I'm 100% sure it'll help!
you're either autistic, or you aren't. How that manifests can vary to a large extent if you are on the Autism Spectrum. Neurotypical people aren't "somewhat autistic". I know this is an old comment, but it's important to highlight this for those passing by who may not know this.
I am amaized by this man... its the totally different way of seeing world !!!
Hes such a good bassist . Aside from his unique perspective on music .
Heard a lot of Victor Wooten influence and techniques. One of my faves. I like this guy. I'm glad you gave us insight into your mental imagery of bass playing.
Watching this in 2020. Super awesome! 👏🏾❤️👏🏾❤️
This is the most amazing way to explain guitar.
No Its a great way to explain autism
This trancends so well into my own favorite hobby, of flipping balisongs (butterfly knives)
All my tricks are mental visual shapes in a way not vectorized. They are as he put them, a sequence of circles that i connect with lines. And each circle can expand to different tricks.
This is the best Ted talk I've ever seen/heard. This has changed the way I view my life passion. Thank you!
I like this dude, I understand him, and the music, sweet man,, sweet like dew covered sugar on a spring morning in southern Alabama, back in the 20's
Sweet - perception is the issue here - tolerance is the lesson - and WOW! the appreciation - respect the differences!
Many musicians7have their own methods of writhing music non traditionally. Freddie Mercury seemed to write music in what their guitarist called blocks.
Strangely, I quickly recognized the symbols he used to write down the patterns because they make sense. It's the position of the notes and the movement. Although how he sees a grid with different colors that describe different patterns, is way more advanced.
That is some badass bassism.
Though we're not friends anymore, autistic people are wonderful/amazing people...
I enjoyed this perspective of visual thinking offered by Mr. Chase. I also am a visual thinker. I am not a musician, so I may not see music the same. However, during the six years that I played cello, my experience was quite close to his description. I know I don't see things in the same way as others. I hope this video helps more of us celebrate and respect our differences.
I'm an autistic guitar player and I understood the zick Zack shape immediately 😂 that's amazing!
This is truly amazing, I can't believe this
Neurobro, you totally described my way of music. Love from another neurobassist.
What a lovely person. Inspires peace, and how he plays!omg
“Inspires peace” by calling for the death of journalists???
@@Samuelon552 I don't like the comment but is funny.
1st 20 seconds were like melted butter. Love it!
Fascinating and inspirational. Thanks, Jonathan.
Great explanation! And also very experienced and courageous. Never hard such reflection by an Asperger's voice. You found Your place with us. Would love to have have bass guitar lessons by You. Your approach to music is fascinating. Thank You, Jonathan Chase.
Why would someone with autism (not "aspergers") not be able to be reflective?
One of the best Ted talks I've seen yet
Fascinating and helpful! Well done, Jonathan.
Now here's a topic that has been on my mind for years.
WOW!!! simply put, WOW !!! Just amazing to understand. Thanks, for sharing : )
Thank you for providing ASL interpreter.
That's an amazing way to think about music!
Thank you!
this makes me feel like I might be on th spectrum of autism. this is almost exactly how I see my guitar
Me too
so i see i'm not alone
@stargate i don't think you get it, has nothing to do with lights or anything materialistic...has to do with the way you think, about perception. I think maybe you just wanted to brag about your new lights.
Intriuging
That's what i thought too. Except maybe the title should read "A great explanation of how great musicians see music"
A lot of people seem to miss the point. This isn't just how he sees his guitar, this is how he sees the world: Everything in layers of patterns.
Another autistic bassist here. After playing with bands and teaching students for 42 years now (knowing I was autistic only for the past 15), I finally found someone who sees bass keys and chords as shapes like I do. That's kinda cool. My guitar and bass students are mixed whether it helps them or not to visualize my shapes, but I never thought of that as part of my autism. I guess it makes sense why it might work for some but not others.
Hmm... my music therapist will be here in a half hour. (He gave another one of these talks.) Something fun to chat about.
This guy is amazing. As a fellow bass player, fist bump 👊
IM AN AUTISTIC MUSICIAN THIS IS SO COOL!!! MY FAVORITE THINGS ALSO HOW COOL IS IT THAT HES FRIENDS WITH VICTOR FREAKING WOOTON I CANT EVEN EXPRESS HOW EXITED I AM ABOUT THIS
Thank you for this. We have much to learn.
Phenomenal playing. His slap bass technique is interesting. He's got good pops but he is thumbing his bass strings downward instead of slapping straight on. There isn't much impact or intensity to his slap. He's basically using his thumb as a pick. Pretty cool.
Beautiful presentation
This is so great. I think there could be a lot of insight here into different ways to teach music as well. Made a lot of sense. And you shred! #SlapaDaBassMon
Clicked for the bass, had my attention at Victor Wooten, lost me at the music theory, but stayed because music is life and because I I see my instruments necks as shapes too when I play lol Music theory makes zero sense to me. I’m not autistic (at least that I know of lol), but I feel what this dude so much.
That guy seems like such a legend! Interesting lecture!
Jonathan,
This was completely over the top!
It flowed beautifully and your playing was brilliant!
One of the best I've ever seen!
So proud I could be a part of this...
Mark
I just learned so much ASL just now.
Thank you so much Jonathan, for giving us a glimpse into that amazing mind of yours! Very enlightening!
A great message, presented in a beautiful way. Your bass (I don't understand why it's not spelt, base) and your playing has a rich, full depth. I feel like borrowing someone's bass and playing (I played bass once or twice a few decades ago. :)
He's channeling Victor Wooten at 9:41
Fantastic bassist here, searching for clips of him after this!
The way he sees tabs would be super handy in teaching.
In addition to being autistic, I was also born with weak eye muscles that gave me double vision that took my family eight years to find out about and find exercises to improve. The exercises help, but only as long as I can concentrate and am not too tired.
So, while I'm also quite visual, how I see things is different from how many others do. I know what Jonathan means by being able to picture things in my mind and imagination both when I'm doing them or thinking about them.
I loved to sing as a kid and still do. I sang in church, schools and just for fun. My high school music teacher also needed more members in our tiny school's band. She convinced me to try several instruments, but the one I wound up liking most was the alto saxophone. I loved hearing sax in songs and loved to try to play those songs.
I tried to read sheet music but couldn't ever manage to do it. Partly because I had trouble focusing on the lines and where the notes were on them and partly because the way sheet music reading was taught where I went to school didn't make sense to me. Instead, I would listen intently to my music teacher, fellow student, or artist on the radio, cassette etc. then figure out how it was sung or played on the sax. After hearing any song three times or so while listening so intently, I had it memorized and could sing it without sheet music, including remembering rests, codas, etc. When it came to the saxophone, I visualize the key fingerings and think of them instead of the notes. When I hear C for example, I think of closing all six of the main valves plus the bottom half of the 'pinky key' at the bottom of the sax, but opening the valve for the 'pinky key' gives you the D note when you want it. I imagine the saxophone keys, valves, rods etc. in my mind as I'm playing and can see the fingerings for each note I want. I can even close my eyes and play it that way.
This video is great! Very generous and a bit brave of Jonathan to share this with everyone.
At 5:00 that's how I see Sidney Bechet's playing! He said he wanted to fill every space with notes.
Oh and I forgot to say that my sister also has Asperger’s and she’s very musically talented. I don’t think I have ASD but I do see music in pictures. I also see each weekday as a different colour and how I visualise a calendar is a bit strange too but I definitely see music as shapes and my bf and I would play a silly guess the song game and we’d just hum a few lines that the other had to guess. Often the songs I did came with a visual demonstration. LiveWire by AC/DC just has me holding my hand up and sliding along at the pace of the song. I didn’t know why the bf didn’t know what I was talking about.
He seems smarter than a healthy person to me rock on dude don't let people set u back good sir
Really impressed that Jonathan can dumb thumb that well with a thumb that doesn't curve. (If you play bass you know what I'm talking about).
This man seems to be a really cool guy. He's a great player and teacher.
He’s an ANTIFA member now lol
now he runs an antifa twitter page calling for the death of my favorite Asian journalist, so hes not that cool lmfao
He's a creepy, violent far leftist who cannot be trusted around children.
Jonathan D. Chase, 38, of Portland, Has been sending expletive-laden messages wishing death on journalists
Ok groomer.
I wish I could see music that way
such a good one! thank you it was super interesting. I believe we share a lot in our way of seeing patterns as we play. (I play classical and acoustic
That was very insightful and very well said.
He is an amazing musician
Thank you so much for this! You are a true inspiration!
RESPECT!.
I just love how the translator just watches as he plays his guitar XD
NST Kr3w bass* there's a big difference
Its bass guitar. He could mean either. Calm down.