First riff I ever played on a bass guitar was in October 1964. Had worked the whole summer, and earned some real money. I was 16. That summer I ordered a Hofner violin model from the local music shop, which, by the way, lay on the north side of the Polar circle. I remember when the bass arrived to the music shop. It was the only electric instrument in there. No amplifier to try it through. Anyway, I opened the case, and there it was! The bass wasn't one of those with both pickups close to the neck, as one of the ones McCartney had. You might call mine a regular Hofner violin bass.
The case lay on the floor. I bent towards it, grabbed that little bass, lifted it up. And played! Oh, how I played! First I hit the F tone on the E string, but only once! Then I moved on up on the neck, upward to the G tone on that very same string. Hit the tone twice. Got back for a short revisit on the F tone, and then reapeted the move upwards. Hit the G tone once. That was it. I didn't even have to go to another string, not yet in any case. The shop owner, an accordionist, looked at me. He seemed puzzled, and a little hesitating... For what, I do not know... Was he some kind of music snob? I'll never know...
Now, compadres, I just can't seem to remember the name of that tune... Was it Beathowens fifth? Mozarts 42? Honecombs Have I the right? Or was it some psycedlic shit? You gotta help me, do the best you can (A-C-D)!
