left handed?

left handed v guitar playing

the senario

experienced guitar player to wanabee "do you want a go of my guitar" ....no
ive got no chance im left handed.....well you use your left hand to do all the
tricky bits.........yes but all right handed guitarists use there left hand
to do all the tricky bits so if im left handed i need to use my right hand
yes ? the end




left handed guitaring is illogical
but there again why do right handed people play the guitar with there left hands(tricky bits)
can somebody explain why we have left handed guitars
or should it be learnt "left handed" using the right hand to
do the 'clever bits'

please respond to this thread with sensible comments
im all ears(left and right)



al saunders
uk

Well, I know two left handed people who play guitar.

One is my brother - he's a year younger than me, and learned on my guitar. He plays 'left-handed' but with a right handed guitar upside down, hence all the strings are backwards. But he learned this way, so no problems for him.

The other is the rhythm player in my band. He's left handed, but plays like a rightie. Says it's easier to do the fretting with his dominant hand.

As a right handed player, playing 'right handed'... maybe I'd be a better lead player if I used my right hand to fret? After playing for 21 years it'd be tricky.... ;)

i would like to know .. why did your brother from the first instance
decide to play the guitar upside down. against 'convention'

the mind boggles

Nope - he learned to play that way because it was my guitar and there's no way I was gonna re-string it every time... (!)

I've seen a few players do it... I imagine they did it for similar reasons. I guess if you think about it, you have to teach your hands to play guitar, so if you start that way, maybe it's no more difficult...

but if its no more difficult (or easier)
why not just play it as it is supposed
to be-from scratch
i still cant understand why people have to
play 'left handed'

ive never seen a left handed violin cello
or double bass
(but there might be)

what about a left handed piano
that would be worth seeing

there must be thousands of brilliant left
handed musicians playing convensional
instruments

I'm left-handed, but I play guitar right-handed. I figure it's because I learnt on my dad's guitar, and he plays right handed, so that was just the way to go.

Strangely enough, my dad is also left-handed, and I have no idea why he plays right-handed. I guess it's a comfort thing; I feel like I have more control over my dominant hand.

When I was just starting out, I actually tried switching, because I thought being a lefty guitarist would make me stand out more (I was also a pretty huge Nirvana and Hendrix fan at the time, and you know how kids are with imitating their heroes). But it just didn't feel right at all, so I gave that up and went back to how it felt right.

I'm sure there are right-handers who play left-handed, though. There must be.

Hi. I'm new here and this thread caught my eye because A) I'm a beginner and B) left-handed. I chose to play lefty on a lefty guitar. That's ultimately just what felt best for me. I also came to the conclusion, after considering all of the different ways I could have approached it, that this would be the easiest way to learn as it pertains to the way that tabs and chord frames are notated.

Before I actually bought a guitar I gave some consideration to both playing right-handed and playing left-handed using a right-handed guitar. They're both really attractive options because they would both allow me to pick up and play pretty much anyone's guitar, as well as the greater breadth of purchasing options. Luckily for me I have a friend who plays guitar and is right-handed, so I was able to try both of these approaches before I actually went out and spent my hard earned dollars on a guitar of my own. Ultimately it boiled down to what felt best for me, and after exploring all of my options I felt that a true left-handed guitar was simply the way to go.

I'll also mention that I used to play the trumpet when I was younger and I played it right-handed. I can still remember trying to play it left-handed initially but because of the nature of the way the instrument is built, I can't imagine that I would have become nearly as good at playing (not that I was incredible, but I was okay) had I not learned the instrument right-handed. I hadn't really considered it until now but I suppose that my years spent playing a trumpet might have some impact on why it feels more natural for me to use my left hand for fretting notes. Working a trumpet valve and fretting a not, while not the same, do share some degree of similarity.

I also think that the guitar, because of the way it's played, presents a greater challenge than pretty much any instrument that I can think of with regard to handedness. In my mind, I'd imagine that because of the way you hold them, instruments like violins or cellos would lend themselves slightly more to being played "off-handed" by a lefty.

Sorry for the long-winded post but I hope it provides some insight for you.

Hendrix did it thats why. There need be no other reason.

I've seen a lot of right handed people start setting up their guitars like hendrix or other weird ways for no real reason. Sometimes it's just more natural for people. It is not really "better" but it lets them get going faster even if they would have been fine the conventional way, it just may have taken them a bit longer to get used to it.

I know thats why I set up my drum set the way I do. I am right handed but I play the bass with my left foot, and put the hi-hat on my right foot on my right side. The toms and snare are pretty much were they normally are.

It was just more natural for me, when I started I really had no clue so I just moved stuff around till it felt right. I think this is what everyone should do really, no matter what instrument. I mean obviously there are restrictions with some instruments and I am not really sure if the way I set up my drum set is going to come back to haunt me when I get better but I doubt it. Of course now when I go to play other peoples drums it is a little hard but whatever, I can still play it it's just a bit weird.

I think people are just born genetically with one side of the brain more dominant than the other depending on whether your parents are left or right handed.
I remember when I used to play drums with my brother. He would always start rolls with his right hand. My natural tendency was to start with my left.
So when we played drums together it was like looking in a mirror.
Even now I have to set up a drum set backwards in order to play it properly.

Only way I can figure it is that my father is left handed and my mother is right handed and we must have inherited a little from both, except it got kinda twisted.

Be happy that they make left handed guitars anyways
I've been looking for a left handed piano for years and they just don't make em.

Originally Posted by: Drew77Hendrix did it thats why. There need be no other reason.

Do you do everything Hendrix did? Do you play with your teeth? Did you join an Airborne unit during war time? Do you have to out do your buddies taking drugs? They pop two you have to pop three! Just asking, cause Hendrix did all of these things. Please don't take me wrong. I'm just saying because someone does something doesn't mean you should, even if they are an idol to you.

When learning a instrument for the first time, I don't think it matters if a left hander learns to play right handed. It's once they start playing left handed and try to switch when the trouble begins.

It would seem to be easier for a right hander to learn on a left handed guitar since all his dexterity is with his right hand. It should be easier to run the fretboard with his right hand, except that all the chord books, etc. are for right handers. Don't you think? Just a thought!

Originally Posted by: looneytunesDo you do everything Hendrix did? Do you play with your teeth? Did you join an Airborne unit during war time? Do you have to out do your buddies taking drugs? They pop two you have to pop three!

Yes, Yes, Yes (but I failed the drug test), Yes, of course otherwise your not hardcore.

But seriously I was kidding, just pointing out that a lot of people actual do play the way Hendrix did cause thats the way he played. I don't though.

I think everything that needs to be said has been said here though, playing a certain way is just more natural for some people, it really isn't anything to worry about. If you play a left handed guitar and someone wants you to try their righty then flip it upside down. it will be a little weird with the reversed order of the strings but you'll at least be able to fret it. it shouldn't be that hard to play.

A couple of my picking buddies in Nashville play left handed, this guy Keith has taken my tele and turned it upside down. He is a great player either way, and a cool friend.

Jimmy was a great guitar player, with some cool ideas for show. I have actually played my tele with my teeth, and I've played with the guitar over and behind. It's not that easy to put that into your shows, unless you're having one of those nights when you can't hit a bad note, and the crowd is really into your playing. Out of 1000's of shows I've done it maybe 5 times, but the crowd loved it.

I tell all my students to play the way that they are most comfortable. I have 1 that is left handed, at first I got jumbled up sometimes when explaining a lesson to him. I just had to remember to reverse the hands when explaining.

I don't think I could play left handed, spent to much time teaching my right hand what to do. I don't think I could play as fast left handed.

You can play any way you want to, and learn all sorts of tricks. Just don't play with your teeth unless they want you to, and never set your guitar on fire.

JD

Check out my lessons
http://www.guitartricks.com/instructor.php?input=52878

http://www.myspace.com/jdjarrell

Originally Posted by: sixpickerI've played with the guitar over and behind. It's not that easy to put that into your shows

Years ago, I would come out and do a little lick just to loosen up a little. Then I would ask the audience if they would like to hear me play my guitar behind my back. They would scream, "Yeah!" so, I would turn around with my back to the audience and play a little lick and turn back around. The audience would boo, so then I would place the guitar up and behind my head , resting the guitar upside down backwards on my shoulders and start playing and the audience would go wild. It wasn't that easy because it was a Martin acoustic which was pretty big. An electric would be a lot easier. Of course, until recently I only played at family reunions and gatherings. I am not a musican, but maybe you could use this idea in your act.

Just a thought!

Originally Posted by: polyalbut if its no more difficult (or easier)
why not just play it as it is supposed
to be-from scratch
i still cant understand why people have to
play 'left handed'

ive never seen a left handed violin cello
or double bass
(but there might be)

what about a left handed piano
that would be worth seeing

there must be thousands of brilliant left
handed musicians playing convensional
instruments

the reason you dont see a left handed violin or cello is because they are symetrical, not only that you hold them in the same direction. you just string them in reverse. you can't do that with an electric guitar because the knobs get in the way. if you strung a standard acoustic reverse and flipped it over you wouldnt notice if it wasnt a cutaway.