It is a very interesting observation and question with excellent responses. How a child learns language is magical, and I share your wonder. At 64, I am just a year and a half into my guitar experience. But I have played clarinet for more than 55 years and sax for 50. I was trained classically and learned to read music at an early age. Regrettably, I had no theory training. And when I started to play jazz in my teens, I could not read the changes on the chart. And it was a handicap. But I overcame it by having the very kind of musical conversations you mention. I'd put records on and play along. Brubeck, Evans, Garland, Stitt, Desmond and countless others. Over the years I developed a very good ear through that exposure. Ultimately, if I can hear the changes, I know my horns well enough to be able to create improvised lead lines on top of them. I play (or did in pre-Covid days) lead tenor sax in an 18 piece big band. Most of our charts have tenor solo features. I might look at the changes to get the root, but then I close my eyes and just listen. And my fingers seem to know where to go.
I have started to do the same thing with guitar. I put on satellite radio, like the bluegrass station, and play along. This is how I will learn the fretboard from a musical perspective. Give it a try. It is funner than running scales (though I do that too). Enjoy the journey.
David
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