T-Bone. In big white letters across the side of my dark blue High School letter jacket.

Nope – I wasn’t a rap star and while I loved beef steaks, that wasn't the point.

The words were in reference to the fact I played both the trombone and the tuba. It’s kind of funny actually – I played the trombone because it was what my dad and brother played. The tuba came later in high school when I realized that I could never beat my brother (he was first chair trombonist; I was sixth out of six), so I switched instruments (did I mention that the only tuba player was graduating that year?).

It wasn’t like I was causing the “first chair” or anything….well…maybe a bit…

Anyway, fast forward many years.[@more@]

Here I am struggling to get the strumming rhyme down for a six string guitar. I practiced and practiced – talk to folks – bought dvds and books – yet, it was like hitting my head against a wall.

One day a light bulb turns on above my head – I had just turned on a switch – maybe I should learn the bass guitar.  It would be similar to the tube only cooler. So I bought an electric bass – along with some cds, books, ect, ect…

And it sat…and sat…wait…no…I practiced. A bit… umm…do I see a theme here?

Finally, at the encouragement of my wife, I took the bass down to our church’s worship practice. The piano player (also the only musician in the “band”) gave me a few pointers and way we went.

Boom, boom, boom-boom….

It was like a duck to water. Everything just flowed!!  

The beat was there – the cords where there. Perfect.

Six days later was Sunday – and there I was, part of the band – hitting the beat perfectly!

I’ve never felt better in my live. The bass guitar is, at this moment at least, my heart instrument. The tube was too crazy – the trombone was not it – and the six string..well…I’m still practicing.

But the bass – that’s were Ardell fits.