Left Handed Newbie

I am left handed and trying to learn how to play the guitar. I have two questions: 1. Should I buy a left handed guitar? The one I have now is a right handed one that I flipped the strings on. 2. Will this program help me learn? I've read things on the internet where it says that the chords are different and TAB is written different but I am not sure if that is true.

Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated. Thanks!!

I am 100% left handed. A year ago I went into the guitar shop and told them my intent on learning and asked them which way I should go.

They asked me "Ever seen a left handed piano?"

So I learned right handed. Best decision I ever made. (And cheaper). Both hands are important.

imo if i was left handed,then i would buy a left handed guitar.why put the struggle into learnin other wise.u gonna have ur hands full with just learning how to play ,dont make it more difficult.secoud i would suggest takeing the lesson on this site,on how to read tab.tab is tab,know difference.good luck,and welcome aboard...newbie.......axe

If you're left handed, your left hand is more used to doing complex things. What is more complex then moving finger around a fret board making chord. Which hand and fingers would be stronger by some degree.
Like ThorfinnFrisken said, "cheaper". Also a lot better selections for righties. Just flippin the strings is not all there is to switching a rightie a to leftie..
Food for thought, hope this helps..

Thank you Thorfinn, axe2, and compart1 for your replies.

I think I am going to look around and see if I can find an inexpensive left hand guitar to learn on and then invest in a better quality one as I get better at playing.

"So I learned right handed."- post #2

Wow. That is impressive. I can't even scramble eggs with my left (sub-dominant) hand.

Cudos

I've read that you should try to learn on a right handed instrument first. After that, if a left handed instrument feels more natural in your hands, then switch to a left handed instrument.

Both hands are involved with some of the most intricate work being done by the less dominant hand (left hand) for a right handed person.

I know 2 people that are lefties that are learning to play guitar with a right handed instrument and aren't having any issues.

It is more of a mind game. Learning guitar is taking movement in both hands. If you have never done it before, no reason to try a right handed guitar. It is all in the training of the muscles and the mind.

They don't make pianos with the bass cleft part on the right for left handed people. I see it the same way.

I'm a lefty. My wife is a righty and has been playing guitar since before I met her. I briefly tried to learn to play on some of her right handed instruments, but they always felt awkward to me. Once I found a lefty it felt much more natural. I think if you just fingered cords and used simple strumming patterns, playing backward (right-handed) would probably be a good way to go. Personally, I find that my dominate hand is more capable at taking on the intricate tasks of the relatively complex picking patterns, finger picking or hybrid picking than is my right hand. I understand Mark Knopfler is a natural leftly who finger picks with his right hand. Obviously, he does just fine.

That said, the selection of left handed guitars (compared to righties) is terrible. Go into any Guitar Center and you might find a Mexican made Tele or Strat and maybe an Epiphone Les Paul. That's compared to scores, if not hundreds of right-handed versions. If you want anything other than those, any advice about playing an instrument before you buy it pretty much goes out the window. Forget about hollowbodies. You might find a single acoustic, but don't count on it. The majority of other music stores don't even carry any lefties. You can get a pretty good selection of lefties online, including some very nice models. Just don't expect to try before you buy.

well what i would do is try out all the guitars at GC find one you really like.then have them place an order for the same guitar but in a lefty.case closed.

I have seen countless students that were left handed try to play right handed.
Usually driven by the parents because of an existing guitar or cost. Even though many thing think the fret hand is more important is not true. The biggest issue with lefties playing right handed guitars is the rhythms. Intricate rhythms are easier with the dominant hand.

I have seen both work out but it always works better to get the correct guitar

Originally Posted by: maggiorI've read that you should try to learn on a right handed instrument first. After that, if a left handed instrument feels more natural in your hands, then switch to a left handed instrument.

Both hands are involved with some of the most intricate work being done by the less dominant hand (left hand) for a right handed person.

I know 2 people that are lefties that are learning to play guitar with a right handed instrument and aren't having any issues.

I would follow this advice.

I'm a lefty as well, but I started learning on a right-handed guitar, so it just became natural :-)

Originally Posted by: tweety67I am left handed and trying to learn how to play the guitar. I have two questions: 1. Should I buy a left handed guitar? The one I have now is a right handed one that I flipped the strings on. 2. Will this program help me learn? I've read things on the internet where it says that the chords are different and TAB is written different but I am not sure if that is true.

Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated. Thanks!!

Hey Tweetie,

I am in the same boat. I just figured I would try righty, because of the selection of guitars and not having to transpose everything when trying to learn from right-handed players or teachers. This was suggested to me when I was young (and didn't learn much), but it now feels more natural to hold a right-handed guitar.

I went to a Music Go Round store that is close to my house to try out a guitar that they had on their website. It was a Fender Hellcat which is an acoustic/electric and it felt good. It is smaller than the guitar I have now and it is a Concert where mine is a Dreadnought.

It sounded nice too and it is a really pretty guitar, the only thing I didn't like were the hell cat fret markers at the 3,5, and 7 and the double skulls at the 12th fret.

So I am going to keep looking but I think I found the right style that I need.

Buy a left handed guitar! I do everything with my right hand but I am learning to play left handed. It feels more natural to me. I always tell people to put on their favorite metal album and do air guitar. This will tell which way is comfortable. Try playing air guitar the opposite way you normally do! Uncomfortable huh?

Joeyourmom, I tried the air guitar trick and that is what convinced me to keep looking for a left handed guitar. I ended up getting a Fender CD-100 CE and it has made all the difference in the world.

I can pretty much play all the major chords, the F and B are still a little tough though, and I am working on my scales and trying the minor chords. I am working my way through the fundamentals course and hope to start the Acoustics course when I am done.