I've played a good number of instruments in my lifetime. My first experience learning music was with the recorder in elementary school, and I never really loved it. A few years went by, and in middle school I found myself taking private lessons on the trumpet. My instructor was a coworker of my mom's. He told me I have an ear for music and a solid playing tone, but I never really cared to take the time to practice or actually learn how to read treble clef. All I wanted to do was learn the Hawaii 5-0 theme; I never did. It was more of a task than an enjoyable experience for me, and around that same time my school began teaching us acoustic guitar. 

Something about strumming and playing strings felt right, though acoustic guitar was never easy for me. I learned a few sloppy chords but picking individual notes was the most fun. Naturally, this led me to an interest in playing the bass guitar, as it was more suited to my skill set. On top of this, my best friend in school as well as my best friend in my neighborhood played the guitar, so they encouraged me to purchase my first setup so that we could play songs together. 

I think this bass and amp combo may have been my first ever Amazon purchase, and for the $130 I spent on it all, I'm still impressed. Of course I still have this bass, and despite a relatively poor build quality and user-unfriendly playability, I have always enjoyed that axe. After playing some very nice basses (I think the most expensive one I've had the pleasure to play was a Rickenbacker in the $10k range) I could tell how clunky and cheap my original is, so I kept my eyes open for an upgrade.

This step-up came unexpectedly and I am forever grateful for how I came across my best bass. It's a tuxedo Peavey Milestone II or III, and it was given to me by the pastor of the church where I attended a youth group. It plays so nice. The action is perfect, it's a great weight and sound, and it just feels right to play. It's my ride or die. With this new bass, I practiced often and started to get pretty good. I became able to play along with most every song and even do some improvisation! 

With my growing skill at the bass and my acquisition of both an acoustic and an electric, I decided to revisit the guitar. This time around was much more successful, and I learned many chords and songs. The acoustic in particular held the appeal that I could sing and play anywhere without an amp or any work to set up. These days, with the ease of just picking it up and going, I find myself playing it as much as my bass. I have always wanted an acoustic-electric bass guitar, though, and I think that having one would turn the tide back to bass almost exclusively. 

Through the years I played some talent shows, attempted a couple bands, did a ton of jamming in the garage, and even braved a few open-mics. Those were the good old days for me, as an instrumentalist. My passion for playing has never diminished, but life got in the way and my priorities shifted away from bass. It's sad to admit just how many songs I've forgotten how to play. It seems like every time I learn a song it pushes an old one out of my head and into the gutter.  Oh well, that's what tab is for! Once I see how to play it, it usually comes back to me instantly. 

Anyhow, I've recently been pushing myself to play for at least a little bit every day, and it's great to be back at it. I've been playing some electric with the song Cigarette Daydreams as my latest challenge, and am actively trying to get some country tunes in my arsenal. I learned a few Hardy songs that are super fun to sing and play as well as Jersey Giant, and am still on the lookout for more music that matches my skill level to play around the bonfire! Most of all, I'd love to jam with my musician friends again, so maybe I'll see what they're up to this weekend.