culture and music

As I struggle to learn guitar I can’t help but think of all the players who are self-taught, although I’m not sure self-taught is the right word. It is definitely possible to teach yourself how to play an instrument, but I don’t think you can teach yourself what sounds good, I think that is all in your ear. If someone isn’t telling you every step of the way why this note is good and that one bad, the kind of recognition of what sounds good is more of what the culture you live in thinks sounds good. If nobody is teaching you any theory on why this and that sounds good, then it is up entirely to your ear to decide what to play, and your ear decides based on what it has heard already, which is your culture’s music. The interesting question would be, what does someone play who has never heard any music, what would they think sounds good? Or is it an impossible question, is it impossible for someone to have not heard any music at all?