Definitely. They had it right. That's what makes them blues guys. How they got it right depended on the person--it is a balance of your gift and your committment. Understanding the music is also a factor--with some people, understanding is seemingly intuitive, some get it with exposure, and some have to have it explained.

A lot of the problem with White College Guy Blues(which eventually turns into White Middle Aged Guy Blues) is that the players don't really understand the mechanisms. If you can play guitar, you can learn them in about an hour--give or take. But you need the right teacher.