[Silly Moustache]

In Junior school (5-11) we sang a lot, rondo (London Bridge is falling down etc) and other choir things like Bobby Shafto, but no music studies.

I went to secondary school at 11, and we had a music teacher. Loved his lessons, lovely bloke, but during the second term he was stabbed in the playground, and died. (it was a very rough school). He was not replaced (I wonder why!?0

That was the end of my music education, but he did leave a large cupboard full of instruments, and I "liberated" the drum kit.

I tried once to learn notation, but my teacher and I both got bored at the same time.

I didn't discover tablature until I started going to a bluegrass camp. By then I had developed a way of "seeing" music in my mind, and it didn't look like tab.

I stopped going when I discovered that most of the tutors just handed out tab sheets and left.

I mostly taught myself theory as I needed it.

Edit. I have a friend whose Mum is a Music teacher - piano and clarinet. In their house they have a fine baby grand piano that she is very proud of.

Once I asked her to play it for me. She said !I haven't got any music here at present"
I said just play anything o I can hear the tone.
She looked at me as if I was an idiot -"You can't play music without the sheet music!"

I wonder what kind of teacher she is.

Seems to me that playing only from notation (or tab) is more like being a musical instrument "operator" rather than a "player".