▁learning ▁how ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁to y ▁accord ion ▁before ▁moving ▁on ▁to ▁piano . ▁On ▁his ▁ 1 6 th ▁birth day , ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁W oll ens ak ▁t ape ▁rec order ▁that ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁experiment ▁with ▁recording ▁songs ▁and ▁early ▁group ▁vocals . ▁With ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁some ▁college ▁courses , ▁his ▁understanding ▁of ▁music ▁theory ▁was ▁self - t aught . ▁Most ▁of ▁his ▁education ▁in ▁music ▁composition ▁came ▁from ▁de construct ing ▁the ▁harm on ies ▁of ▁his ▁favorite ▁vocal ▁group , ▁the ▁Four ▁F resh men , ▁whose ▁re per toire ▁included ▁songs ▁by ▁George ▁G ers h win , ▁Jer ome ▁K ern , ▁and ▁Cole ▁Por ter . ▁Another ▁major ▁influence ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁Ron ettes ' ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁song ▁" Be ▁My ▁Baby ". ▁For ▁the ▁dec ades ▁that ▁followed , ▁Wilson ▁fix ated ▁on ▁Phil ▁Spect or ' s ▁Wall ▁of ▁Sound ▁technique ▁show c ased ▁in ▁" Be ▁My ▁Baby " ▁and ▁similar ▁records . ▁Some ▁of ▁Wilson ' s ▁sty list ic ▁markers ▁include ▁slash ▁ch ords , ▁key ▁mod ulations , ▁" step wise ▁fal lo ff s ", ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁minor ▁sevent h ▁ch ords ▁drawn ▁from ▁B urt ▁Bach ar ach , ▁piano ▁tri ads ▁" ham mer ed " ▁in ▁e ighth s , ▁and ▁a ▁t endency ▁for ▁his ▁harm onic ▁progress ions ▁to ▁w ander ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁t onal ▁center . ▁ ▁Only ▁ 2 1 ▁years ▁old