just not true that if someone has substantially more trouble learning scales and chords than his or her classmates, he or she is "worse than them at music."

Following this analogy, is it also true that almost anyone can learn scales and chords then, then? Is it true that being bad at scales and chords will not forever be a major limitation? Is this because scales and chords are not fundamental to music, or is it because anyone can learn scales and chords given enough time and effort, after which innate musicality decides the rest?

(basically, should those who previously said "aaah bad at math" shift to "aah bad at superficial trappings of math which are nevertheless deeply necessary for practical purposes" or "thank goodness, the part that I'm bad at isn't a big deal"?)