Green Day's Mike Dirnt gives the best advice to young musicians

August 30, 2017

In a recent interview with Ernie Ball, Mike Dirnt, bassist of Green Day, talked about his beginnings as a musician and the early days of Green Day. In the interview, he had some pretty solid advice for aspiring young musicians or those who are just starting to learn an instrument.

Watch the video below!

In the interview, Dirnt chats about being a bass player, but explains that he also plays guitar.

“My introduction to playing music was probably when I realized that most of the bands that I liked played guitar, so I actually started off playing guitar. And then my mom had an old pawn shop bass, so I jumped on that. It had two strings, an E and an A.”

He continues, “I met Billie in the fifth grade, and he already played guitar. I've always gone back and forth with bass and guitar. I am a bass player, 100%, but it's funny because growing up people say you have to be either-or. Well I've always, since I was 5-years-old, sat up at the piano and banged on it, too.”

“I don't think people should be afraid to approach any instrument. I think your heart and your soul are going to gravitate towards one of them eventually, but introduction to music is really about not being afriad of instruments and being able to walk up to them and put your hands on them.”

Yep, you heard it here: If you let your kids play with every instrument they might grow up to be as cool as Mike Dirnt. We really do think that's some solid advice, and it's also approved by music teachers around the world, being familiar with multiple instruments forces you to learn more about music theory, the way notes relate to eachother and so on, and will make you a better player on your main instrument.

Check Mike Dirnt's full interview below!