So I've had this Arturia Keylab Essential for 9 months now...

[Mánibranðr Studios]

...and I feel that with every song I work on, I get better at playing on the keyboard. There were also times when I just fire up a standalone synth and play some the instruments for practice and to grind out some musical ideas. One of the things that really stood out to me is that prior to all this, I had absolutely no experience playing on keyboards, and yet playing it for the first time, it just felt like I had done this in a past life.

There's also the bittersweet memory that I flashbacked to of my abusive mother flat out saying no to helping to save up and helping to purchase a keyboard. I've always had a passion for music, and all this time I had been expressing it through manually entering notes on a sequencer, until now. It feels really good.

Does anyone here have had one of those moments when they held an instrument for the first time?

[Bapu]

I had been playing guitar for about 4 years when I was at a high school dance (as a freshman). My friends band was playing. Their bass player could not make it that night (sick or something). So he asked me to play bass on "Sunshine of Your Love" which was relatively new song.

I was ecstatic to hold that bass or any bass for the first time. 

To this day I cannot recall what make it was.

That was when I made the decision to switch to bass. Got myself a cheap knock off bass first. Oh what joy equal to holding that bass at the dance.

Then I was fortunate enough to acquire a non-working "slightly" hot 1965ish Fender P-Bass for $15USD. I opened it up and opened up my cheapo bass and figured out the wiring (that was corroded and broken off at the terminations) and got that bad boy working. So not only was it my first pro bass but first time working on the guts of any guitar. I was in heaven.

Every trade up (poor musician at the time) was also a joy.  I only had one disappointing bass then. My Gibson EB-0, which I immediately traded up for an EB-3. That was joy to play from the first time on. 

Then came the traded up to Rickebacker bass. Still not able to afford more than one bass. Another joy to hold.

Then came (big secret, please don't tell anyone) the tradeup to the Alembic Series I bass. Oh what joy. After 30 years of playing that bass exclusively I began to miss my other basses. So now that I could afford it, over time, I purchased a P-Bass, an EB-3 and Rick. I still get the same "first time" feeling when I play any of those including the Alembic.

Since then I've acquired a Squier Fretless Jazz Bass, a custom 5-String bass, a Kala Uke Bass, a Hofner "Beatle" bass and a Line 6 modeling bass. All give me a feeling of joy when I play them.

I am forever grateful for the blessings I have received in all my basses and guitars (a Strat, a Tele and a Line 6 JTV). I hope I never take them for granted.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Bapu

[InstrEd]

I ended up buying an Alesis QS8 in the nineties to get back into playing the piano and I was in heaven.  Headphones on I could play when I wanted and not disturb anyone.  

[Mánibranðr Studios]

2 hours ago, Bapu said:

I had been playing guitar for about 4 years when I was at a high school dance (as a freshman). My friends band was playing. Their bass player could not make it that night (sick or something). So he asked me to play bass on "Sunshine of Your Love" which was relatively new song.

I was ecstatic to hold that bass or any bass for the first time. 

To this day I cannot recall what make it was.

That was when I made the decision to switch to bass. Got myself a cheap knock off bass first. Oh what joy equal to holding that bass at the dance.

Then I was fortunate enough to acquire a non-working "slightly" hot 1965ish Fender P-Bass for $15USD. I opened it up and opened up my cheapo bass and figured out the wiring (that was corroded and broken off at the terminations) and got that bad boy working. So not only was it my first pro bass but first time working on the guts of any guitar. I was in heaven.

Every trade up (poor musician at the time) was also a joy.  I only had one disappointing bass then. My Gibson EB-0, which I immediately traded up for an EB-3. That was joy to play from the first time on. 

Then came the traded up to Rickebacker bass. Still not able to afford more than one bass. Another joy to hold.

Then came (big secret, please don't tell anyone) the tradeup to the Alembic Series I bass. Oh what joy. After 30 years of playing that bass exclusively I began to miss my other basses. So now that I could afford it, over time, I purchased a P-Bass, an EB-3 and Rick. I still get the same "first time" feeling when I play any of those including the Alembic.

Since then I've acquired a Squier Fretless Jazz Bass, a custom 5-String bass, a Kala Uke Bass, a Hofner "Beatle" bass and a Line 6 modeling bass. All give me a feeling of joy when I play them.

I am forever grateful for the blessings I have received in all my basses and guitars (a Strat, a Tele and a Line 6 JTV). I hoe I never take them for granted.

I have a Fender Jazz Bass, maybe one day I will pick that up for real beyond noodling for just a few minutes.