Farfisa F.A.S.T 3

We all start somewhere.

I began my keyboard education here, learning the concept of "feet" or octave selection, learning how combining textures of Flute and Brass gave a new tone closer to what I thought Rick Wakeman was doing. With the aid of a modest Yamaha amp I was able to go where bands were and hold my own. I was in and gradually built up street cred. The Farfisa F.A.S.T. 3 was as basic an electronic keyboard as you can think of but it still held enough flexibility in tone: softer sine wave 'Flute' sounds, sharper saw wave 'Brass' sounds. I was obsessed with getting my hands on the compact, Italian-made combo organ and finally after months saving up hard-earned paper route money (plus a financial boost from my parents), it was there under my fingers. I spent hours and hours learning rock songs by ear or creating original tunes. Slowly figuring out what made song arrangements tick. This became my passport into high-school garage bands and with the separate Yamaha amp, could keep up with fledgling guitar players. One of the first rite-of-passage songs was 'Smoke on the Water,' so we jammed on that repeatedly until somebody eventually suggested 'Day Tripper.' Thanks to classical piano lessons, I gained status by helping guitarists figure out chords and helping bands navigate song arrangements at the chorus or bridge.