When I first started, we didn’t have a piano yet,
I continued to lose interest in classical music.
so I had to practice on the piano key pictures
One day the bass player decided that he would
that were on the covers of my repertoire books.
rather play rhythm guitar, so suddenly that
Over time, as I got more proficient on the
position was vacant in the band. He had a
piano and more particular with my musical
Gibson EB-0 copy that he was playing and when
preferences, I became more and more interested
he decided he wanted to change instruments, I
in progressive rock music. I remember trying
said, “Hey, I wouldn’t mind trying the bass!” He
to learn keyboard parts that were in the songs
lent me his bass for a while so I could work on
I was listening to from the bands that I loved.
learning the songs, and that’s how it all started
for me. Because I was still playing keyboards,
When I was about 12 or 13, I started playing
sometimes I would play both instruments at
in a garage band with my school buddies. One
the same time by tapping out the bass notes
of them played guitar, one played bass, and
with my left hand while playing chords on the
the other played drums. The real challenge
keyboard with my right hand. It was a great
was always trying to find a singer who could
challenge and exercise in dexterity, and to be
actually sing well and had the range we needed
honest I felt pretty cool when I was able to pull
to play our songs. Depending on what week it
it off! Although at the time it came across as
was, we may or may not have had a singer at
a little gimmick that I had put together, those
that time. There was a lot of turnover!
exercises in fingering independence on both
bassmusicianmagazine.com | 02.16
instruments ultimately really helped to improve
My parents had been kind enough to buy me a
my playing.
Korg Poly-61 synthesizer after I had joined the
band, since I needed something to emulate the
You just picked up a new signature bass
keyboard sounds I was hearing on my records.
with Ibanez that will be coming out
The synthesizer purchase was also part of their
shortly as a production model.
effort to keep me involved in piano lessons as