Some people can play and understand music almost instantaneously whereas some just can’t seem to get the concept. Some take years and some never get it. Does it have anything to do with how people think? Can we tune our brains to be musically inclined?

In Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence, music is one of the seven. Most people call that “talent,” and it works just as you describe. The theory of multiple intelligences is not universally accepted, and there are new types of intelligences being added to the original list of seven.

I think we can “tune our brains” through practice and the right learning/teaching approach. Anyone can teach “naturals,” a great teacher can translate the material to whatever intelligences you already have.

Just a few examples: People who are good at math, for instance, are often able to translate that type of thinking to understanding music theory. And people who are athletic or kinesthetically gifted have an advantage in learning the posture and holds for an instrument without needing to be told how to do it. Other people understand technique and color without having to study. Visual learners have the advantage in reading music.