My experience relates here. I grew up playing woodwinds - my first instrument (along with gtr). As is typical among school band students, my sax time was playing from scores/ensembles. My gtr study was also under formal tutelage, but still very little theoretical training at that point. I put the horn down for many years, then when my kids started in band I began playing again. Thereupon I had under me years of jazz theory (scales
) and applying theoretical training to an instrument on which I formerly possessed only mechanics and rudiments was like night and day; in my 'second life' I could improvise and solo - something I had little facility with previously; i could always cop licks, but putting it together in context, style, etc suddenly made perfect 'sense.' So as with any tool depending on how you intend to use, methodology varies.
*Btw, if you know theory, learning other instruments is *only* a matter of mechanics, technique, (*stylistic wherewithal, etc - for example, was just posting on accordian fora - theoretical musicians are often able to execute ideas on a keyboard instrument, yet expressing musical feeling, rhythm, form, dynamism, etc, is another aspect - working the bellows may take some practice ..)
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