&gt; why it is our brains have evolved to be &quot;tuned&quot; for notation<p>I&#x27;m not sure they <i>are</i> tuned--is there any reason you say this beyond personal experience? Music notation is noriously difficult to learn for most people, and many non-classical musicians avoid it entirely.<p>Maybe it&#x27;s just self-selection. Those with a natural gift for reading are likely to become classically trained musicians, and those without it are likely to find other means of creative expression.