Personally, I've had an ear for melody most of my life, but I'm not sure whether it was an environmental factor (family of musicians) or something more physical and genetic. I don't really remember understanding melodies and harmonies until I was about 8 or 9, and by that time I think I just had matured enough to make the proper musical relationships and connections I was constantly surrounded in.
The thing about it was that most of the music I was immersed in was either from jam sessions to church music groups as a child, and all you can do is watch, listen, learn and do... so I think that played a big role in my situation.
I think there has to be a difference in a situation like that, being intimately involved in the creation of music on a lot of different levels and for a long time, than in comparison with a situation comprised mainly of just listening to music without any real background in what goes into it, whether it be something complicated as composing and producing an entire song on all instruments, or simply being able to expertly handle a guitar or a sax or whatever and pour your heart into it effectively.
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