▁of ▁music ▁theory ▁was ▁self - t aught . ▁The ▁first ▁instrument ▁he ▁learned ▁to ▁play ▁was ▁a ▁to y ▁accord ion ▁before ▁quickly ▁moving ▁to ▁piano ▁and ▁then ▁bass ▁guitar . ▁From ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁Brian ▁demonstrated ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁skill ▁for ▁learning ▁music ▁by ▁ear ▁on ▁keyboard . ▁By ▁age ▁ 1 0 , ▁Brian ▁could ▁play ▁" gre at ▁bo og ie - wo og ie ▁piano ", ▁according ▁to ▁brother ▁Carl ▁Wilson . ▁Carl ▁taught ▁Brian ▁how ▁to ▁play ▁bass ▁guitar . ▁Initial ly , ▁he ▁st rok ed ▁the ▁strings ▁using ▁only ▁his ▁thumb , ▁but ▁switched ▁to ▁using ▁a ▁pick ▁about ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁Brian ' s ▁experiments ▁with ▁his ▁W oll ens ak ▁t ape ▁rec order ▁provide ▁early ▁examples ▁of ▁his ▁fla ir ▁for ▁ex ot ica ▁and ▁unusual ▁per cuss ive ▁patterns ▁and ▁arr anging ▁ideas ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁rec ycle ▁in ▁later ▁prominent ▁work . ▁At ▁some ▁point ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ▁all - original ▁mel ody , ▁lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁D ion ▁and ▁the ▁Bel mont s ▁version ▁of ▁" When ▁You ▁W ish ▁Upon ▁a ▁Star ". ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁eventually ▁known ▁as ▁" Sur fer ▁Girl ". ▁Though ▁an ▁early ▁demo ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁at ▁World ▁Pacific ▁Studios , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁re - record ed ▁and ▁released ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁top -