I've played a few wind instruments as a "yoof" so have used basic notation with that, long long ago..never attempted it with a bass or any stringed instrument tho.
My messing with keyboards is again purely by ear, including those 'string orchestra' things i do sometimes.
I had a lovely full score with all the individual parts for a Haydn piece for orchestra, this was an original 18th or 19th century printed manuscript, long lost now unfortunately, was just a nice set to have.