Should a lefty start out on a left handed guitar?

[SouthpawJeff]

The one thing that I can’t understand is why these threads seem to attract so many really bad analogies....left handed pianos, Bicycles, cars...what are we talking about here? None of these things require different levels of hand dexterity and so are complete nonsense. I took piano for a little while, guess what, there’s no handedness with a piano, both hands make the same movements! On the other hand I can’t play a basic open chord on a right handed guitar. When I bought my first guitar 30 years ago it wasn't even a decision, I couldn’t hold a righty guitar correctly. It was totally unnatural to me.

Not sure it has to do with being ambidextrous either? I can’t write or throw wth my right hand, but can swing a bat either way....though better lefty. Scissors are a right handed operation, can’t use lefty scissors , hammer either/or no difference.

There a reason that lefty guitars exist, and have for a very long time. Some people are simply unable to play on right handed guitars and I’m one of them. Someone used the example of Hendrix as an example that one could learn either way. I see it as the opposite though, Jimi unlike the majority of the free world could indeed play lefty or righty, but he chose to play lefty even though his life would arguably have been much easier as righty.

So I say, as many others have, leave it up to the students to decide. Explain that there are indeed advantages to playing righty. But if they gravitate towards playing lefty they’re in good company, besides the often mentioned Hendrix and McCartney, let’s not forget Tony Iommi, Elizabeth Cotten, Iggy Pop, Kurt Cobain, Jennifer Leigh, and many others including almost half of the Gypsy Kings!

Good luck,
Jeff

[Jambi]

Being lefty is kind of awesome, actually. I have a blast playing friend's guitars upside down. As a player who does nothing more than write riffs/arrangements, it is a refreshing look at the fretboard and quite fun to experiment with.

I highly doubt right handed players would do the same with the random left-handed guitar...

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

...try to find a left-handed scissors...

Piece of cake. We had two left handed scissors at my photo lab.

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

...lefty guitars and drum sets...

Drum sets are not handed, they are ambidextrous. It's all up to the individual to set it up to their needs.

[vindibona1]

I have to wonder if one shouldn't start off a lefty right handed and then things go where they go. But this is something that is hard to know before you begin. Some lefties may have an advantage playing righty while others may be hampered. The brain is such a crazy thing. If the guitar only required one hand operation, only on the neck would the lefty naturally grab the neck with his right hand? Somehow I don't thinks so. And while there are some bowed instruments that now offer a few lefty options, most violinists, violists and cellists play right handed, regardless of their orientation and do so beautifully.

The brain approaches things to differently from left side to right. As an example, if you shoot (guns) most folks shoot dominant hand/dominant eye. But there are systems that teach you to shoot dominant hand/SUB-dominant eye (Quell System). And while the dominant hand is still in play, sighting with the sub-dominant eye changes the entire thought process of shooting.

And then there are other instruments... Take trumpet and French horn. They require similar activities, but with opposite hands. Even as a righty and long time trumpet player I have no difficulty switching to horn and playing lefty; perhaps that because one expects to do so. But I have a friend who plays trumpet (and was on one of Rod Stewart's albums) and injured his right hand. He switched to lefty while his right hand healed. After it healed he stayed lefty even though he's righty.

I guess it depends on the individual.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by SouthpawJeff

The one thing that I can’t understand is why these threads seem to attract so many really bad analogies....left handed pianos, Bicycles, cars...what are we talking about here? None of these things require different levels of hand dexterity and so are complete nonsense. I took piano for a little while, guess what, there’s no handedness with a piano, both hands make the same movements!

That's not true for a great deal of music and at higher levels. For much of it, rhythm is on the left hand and melody is on the right. Righty jazz pianists often discuss needing to develop the "other" hand. Research shows lefty pianists are at a disadvantage at competitive levels.

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

As I've written before in previous threads, something I've never understood is why this entire issue of handedness inevitably draws such a visceral response. In non-Western cultures the attitude towards left-handedness is even more intensely negative: during the times I've been in Japan, for example, just using my left hand for ANYthing drew worried looks (I'm ambidextrous.)

Indeed. The response among violinist is scary! But, if it's a fiddle, well, fine, whatever. I worked for several years in Asia and had to train myself to always reach for food with my right hand. In Uzbekistan, where I first picked up guitar, I was told they have no left-handed people - something about the Soviet days...? I restrung an old Russian classical to learn on. I do have a place here willing to switch the bridge on a cello for me, and, beyond the charge, they didn't care at all.

[Wade Hampton]

Sunny Dee wrote:

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

I'm not sure why right-hand players think it's difficult for lefty learners. It's not at all difficult to mirror what other people are doing. It takes a little bit of orienting in the beginning to see chord stamps the right way, but that's not difficult either once you get it. Iow, in my experience teaching myself from youtube, internet, watching, playing left-handed while looking at right-handed players was no problem at all.

Right. Teaching lefty players who mirror me is also easy. It's kind of fun, as well.

As I've written before in previous threads, something I've never understood is why this entire issue of handedness inevitably draws such a visceral response. In non-Western cultures the attitude towards left-handedness is even more intensely negative: during the times I've been in Japan, for example, just using my left hand for ANYthing drew worried looks (I'm ambidextrous.)

So this is something that's hardwired deep within us, for whatever unknown reason.


Wade Hampton Miller

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Piece of cake. We had two left handed scissors at my photo lab.


Drum sets are not handed, they are ambidextrous. It's all up to the individual to set it up to their needs.

The set up is the handedness. If you look at sites like this that discuss teaching drums, there is often discussion from teachers who don't want to change the set up for different students, including the idea that people can be left-handed and right-footed and vice versa. Ringo, himself, talks about having to play a righty set up.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Sunny Dee wrote:



Right. Teaching lefty players who mirror me is also easy. It's kind of fun, as well.

As I've written before in previous threads, something I've never understood is why this entire issue of handedness inevitably draws such a visceral response. In non-Western cultures the attitude towards left-handedness is even more intensely negative: during the times I've been in Japan, for example, just using my left hand for ANYthing drew worried looks (I'm ambidextrous.)

So this is something that's hardwired deep within us, for whatever unknown reason.


Wade Hampton Miller

One reason for that in many non-western cultures when food is eaten with the hand is that it was expected that you would clean your butt with your left hand and eat with your right. They idea that for some people it would be natural to reverse that just seemed... wrong.

One reason that thieves would have their right hand cut off is because then they could not eat from the community pot.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

One reason for that in many non-western cultures when food is eaten with the hand is that it was expected that you would clean your butt with your left hand and eat with your right. They idea that for some people it would be natural to reverse that just seemed... wrong.

One reason that thieves would have their right hand cut off is because then they could not eat from the community pot.

Yes, and that's still the expectation.

In India, where I worked for 2 1/2 years, they do still have typhoid and such in some areas, although it's more likely spread by people cooking. But, in places where people have access to soap and water, the ideas are relaxing a little bit, so that, for example, modern parents are a little more inclined to allow children to eat with their left-hand if it's natural for them to do so. But, still, in polite society, yeah, reaching with your right-handed is always safer.

[gfa]

Based on my anecdotal experience with lefties, yes, encourage them to learn lefty.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

One reason for that in many non-western cultures when food is eaten with the hand is that it was expected that you would clean your butt with your left hand and eat with your right. They idea that for some people it would be natural to reverse that just seemed... wrong.

One reason that thieves would have their right hand cut off is because then they could not eat from the community pot.

Yeah, I understand that, but it's kind of a chicken or the egg sort of thing, isn't it? Did the taboo against left-handedness arise because of this cultural expectation of which hand does what, or did the cultural expectation arise because of a visceral, deep-seated aversion to left-handedness that's already hardwired within us?

I'm inclined to believe it's the latter, frankly. Obviously, I don't know for certain and couldn't tell you how to go about proving any of this. We're not going to solve this conundrum in an acoustic guitar forum discussion thread. But it goes deep, whatever the reason is.


whm

[guitararmy]

As another lefty playing righty, I've found that although most lefties can play righty, not all can.

But simply for ease of buying selling instruments a lefty should at least attempt playing righty...

Of course I wouldn't have as many guitars as I do if I played lefty.

[SunnyDee]

You know what would be super interesting (to me, at least) and probably this is a new thread, but I would love to see video of a lot of lefties here playing right-handed to see how/if their style or musical choices or even choice of electric/acoustic show their dominance or not - like are a lot of them a lot more active with their fretting hand or maybe doing more whole arm strumming or simpler rhythm or... whatever? I'd love to see if there's any difference in the lefties playing lefty.

[jimmy bookout]

Well, as "left handed" threads go, this one has been pretty tame (thank goodness). As usual, Wade hit the nail on the head. And BTW:
I'm a righty that plays lefty. From the first time I picked up an ukulele 53 years ago, it felt more comfortable to have my dominant hand (right) doing the fretting. And now, as Chet used to say, "I'm too rich to quit"

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

Well, as "left handed" threads go, this one has been pretty tame (thank goodness). As usual, Wade hit the nail on the head. And BTW:
I'm a righty that plays lefty. From the first time I picked up an ukulele 53 years ago, it felt more comfortable to have my dominant hand (right) doing the fretting. And now, as Chet used to say, "I'm too rich to quit"

That's funny. I've been thinking of getting a baritone uke to see if I could play it right-handed, just for the challenge.