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#1
02-19-2001, 11:09 PM
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Any tips for a lefty trying to play normal(right hand)
I'm a newbie to guitar and this forum stuff.
I was born hopelessly left-handed, after alot of evaluation/advice I was convinced to buy a right-handed guitar (2001 Big Baby). Anybody out there have effective first hand info/advice on learning to play in this way? ***TO ALL*** Thanks for the advice & insights!!! I went ahead and bought the Big Baby, the local dealer had their shipment of two come in so I picked the one I liked the best (at this point in my playing career-just begining-it is a hard sell to my wife to pay a grand or more for a Taylor left or right, the Big Baby is not avail. for a lefty). I hope I'm doing the next best thing. After sometime passes and playing ability gets better I'll convince her I need to upgrade. An aside: after reading JW's Post on "The Holy Grail" I was reassured in buying my daughter a Baby-K (thankfully she is right handed). [This message has been edited by waterdogmtb (edited 02-21-2001).] 
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#2
02-19-2001, 11:56 PM
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Suggest you go back to store and try a left handed guitar. Sit with it and try a few simple chords, if you do not know any, have the salesperson show you. I believe that learning to play the instrument should be made as effective as possible. Seems that if you are already left handed, don't fight it.
If after you have tried the chords, both left and then right handed you should be able to form an opinion on which feels better. ( My bet will be left-handed) Just something to think about IMHO.
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#3
02-20-2001, 01:32 AM
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waterdogmtb
I'm not trying to argue against what Dave F said...... but...  I know, I know there's always a but...Dude, I've got to tell you...I don't get this whole left-hand, right-hand debate. I'm not even sure what true meaning the expressions "left-handed" and "right-handed" have in this situation. We play the guitar with two hands. Both hands have to learn to move in completely new and foreign ways. Nobody walks around in daily life with their arms and hands in some sort of "playing guitar" position. Pretty much none of what your about to do with the guitar is natural or normal to either hand. I don't think it makes a hamster's heiny of a difference which way any of us starts out. I think if someone wanted to make the case that it does matter, we should all conclude that righties don't play the correct way. What do beginner's struggle with? Getting their hand to grab chord shapes quickly, of course. So why on earth are righties trying to grab chords with their left hand? Why don't they use their good hand for the tough part? It takes a significant physical effort to push those strings down to do chords, barre chords and what not...why wouldn't righties do it with their strong hand? ( their right hand). Bob Dole, Bob Dole here, I'll outplay you with my one good arm (Saturday Night Live skit - I'm not implying disrespect). I like Bob Dole I do have students ( two kids) who are left-handed and play right-handed (again, whatever those terms mean). It was never brought up by them or their parents when they started, and they just started imitating me and holding it the same way. A couple of weeks into lessons I happened to notice they wrote with their left hand. They're not ahead nor behind of anyone else their age. It still hasn't been brought up. Now what is true is that you never find any sort of selection of left-handed guitars in stores to speak of. I think that would stink - having to pretty much always special order guitars without being able to see them. What do you do if you want to sell a guitar? Who's going to buy it?...I'm sure you've heard all this.....and more. Of course I could be dead wrong..... I'd love to know what others think. I think I'm going to get blasted here on this..... [This message has been edited by mapletrees (edited 02-20-2001).]
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#4
02-20-2001, 09:22 AM
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I'm a lefty that plays righty. When I first took lessons at age 13, the instructor said "Do what I do". It wasn't until a month or so into the lesson that he noticed I was left handed. He asked "why didn't you tell me?" I replied "Why didn't you ask?" At that point he figured that I was doing well and that it would be easier to continue. I'm happy I did. No problem playing other peoples guitars, or finding guitars to play!
James
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#5
02-20-2001, 09:38 AM
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I am left handed. I play a right handed guitar. It is what I learned on. When I first picked up a guitar it belonged to a good friend of mine and the only one I had access to. I had no money to buy one of my own so I was grateful for the one I was able to use.
I have to agree with Mapletrees. Both hands are going to learn foriegn movements and positions. You are going to use these hands in ways, as a beginner, you cannot even imagine yet. It feels natural to me to play the guitar this way. It is the only way I know. SO ... unless it is EXTREMELY uncomfortable playing a right handed guitar I will chime in with my $.02 and say don't worry about it. Expend that energy learning to play. Go for it. practise ... practise ... practise ... practise ... Hey Mapletrees ... ever hear of a left-handed piano??  Chuck
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#6
02-20-2001, 12:38 PM
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Hi,
I have first hand experience with this, I started taking music lessons when I was 4, My mom tells stories of when I was really small and I would hear music I would just stop in my tracks and listen, so at 4 I asked if I could learn to play guitar and luckily my mom put me in the car and drove me to the local shop. I was born ambidextrous and growing up when I picked a new activity I just picked a side and stuck with it. (I play golf lefty but play tennis righty. I know strange, but I can't do the reverse after I learn......) Anyway, I really wanted to play guitar but I couldn't hold one, just to big for me ( I wish they had Baby Taylor's back then!!) so the gentleman at the music store gave me a mandolin and I loved it. In my first lesson I held it lefty, my teacher looked at me, took it and turned it around in my arms. That was it. I played the mando until I was big enough to play a guitar. I'm 27 now and looking back, that was the best thing that my teacher could have done for me. When shopping for instruments I have a friend who plays left handed who comes along from time to time, I see his face when I'm playing guitars and he just sits and listens. He has a terrible time finding instruments just to try. And also, consider how many times people ask us to play when we don't have our instrument and someone hands you theirs, those times are fun, but if your a lefty.................... If you can do it, play right handed. It helped me alot.
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#7
02-20-2001, 05:40 PM
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Another thought...just an observation...
If you ask a non-guitar player to play air guitar they tend to go crazy cuckoo with the picking hand and hardly move the fretting hand. They tend to look like some sort of starving monkey trying to crack open a big tropical nut. To them, since they've never fretted anything, the fretting hand might as well not exist. If you ask a guitar player to play air guitar they'll probably use both hands or the fretting hand alone (in fact, a lot of guitar players would raise up their picking arm as a pretend fretboard and then do fretting hand motions on it). As usual, 6,876 words later we start getting to the point, and by that time, I've forgotten what my point was going to be.......nuts. Seriously, I had a thought going here....a different reason to say just do it "right-handed"..... Honestly, the more I read what Dave F wrote, the more unsure I'm getting...he's correctly (IMHO) putting the emphasis on chords...hmmm Now I'm good and bugged........ Jabudi! (juh-boo-dee)
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#8
02-20-2001, 08:39 PM
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Being mainly a brass player, this reminds me of two valved instruments:
Trumpet French Horn There are a few "left handed" trumpets out there, maybe .000000001% of the trumpets ever made. But I have yet to see a right handed french horn! Trumpet is played by activating the valves with the right hand, french horn with the left hand. When you go to a music store, they don't ask if you play left or right handed sax or flute or clarinet. You just learn. And that's what this is about, making music. My favorite sales guy is a lefty but plays right handed, and quite well. I agree with the advice to learn "right handed" and be open to more impromptu playing opportunities. P.S. I played a Big Baby yesterday and it sounded quite nice, especially for the $$.
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#10
02-24-2001, 12:37 PM
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I bought a normal (right-hand) Big Baby 2001.
It goes well with my daughters Baby-K. The night I got it home I just sat in our spare bedroom by myself getting aquainted with the new addition, after a while my daughter came in, sat down with hers. We played for a while then my wife and the other children wandered in. For about an hour this went on. My wife asked to hold it (I gave it to her: need to soften her up for that future upgrade (514C or W12C)). It was the first time in recent memory the family was together with a mutual interest and smiling etc. This music thing can be amazing I'll do my best to nurture this, hope it can continue and grow for the next 50 or so years. After a while I hope the feeling to hold it lefty (when I first pick it up to practice) fades away. Again thanks for giving me insights/advice. MTB
__________________
Michael Mem. # 224 '01-514(w/o CE) '00-BabyK
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#12
02-24-2001, 04:42 PM
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Quote:
Remember, you don't look old to kids when you've got a guitar! Mirror says 50, feel 16. Hey, how old are your kids? Taylor used to be involved with something called 'Smartstart Guitar'. It used to be on their website, doesn't seem to be any more. Smartstart Guitar is a children's method that involves putting the guitar in an alternate tuning so little kids can play some basic chord shapes rather easily (much more easily than they'd be able to in standard tuning). No reading music, just playing chords and singing. There's an instructional book available, a supplementary songbook, and a video available, too. The video features the author and a couple of guitar-slinging (Baby Taylors) kids I understand. That might be motivational for your kids to see( you don't really see kids with guitars on TV). The author's name is Jessica Barron Turner. The publisher is Hal Leonard. You can get this from anyone who sells Hal Leonard stuff. You might want to check out Homespun Tapes (homespuntapes.com) - I know they carry it. Oh, the books have CD's that accompany them. I haven't seen the video. I do have the book. I got excited about this and then decided the following: It's only going to be successful with HEAVY parent involvement (someone there to help with tuning amongst other things) - and unfortunately I've got more faith in kids than parents! I decided not to use it. Anyone else out there familiar with this? Kids as young as 4 or 5 reportedly can get going on this. Just a thought.... Behold the power of cheese????? Cheese'll make ya fat. Behold the power of music! Who said some variation of the following... "Music let's us talk with God. Speak well." Could have been Miles Davis, but I don't think so......anyone? [ 02-24-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ]
__________________
Indeed, there is something in the current DC/NY culture that equates a lack of unthinking boosterism with a lack of patriotism. As if not being drunk on the latest Dow gains is somehow un-American. - Arianna Huffington May 11, 2009
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#13
02-27-2001, 12:59 AM
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Mapletrees:
My Daughter Breonna is 9, she has the Baby-K, IMBO she could be a natural. She has been talking lessons from an instructor who is teaching her to read music and sound fundamentals. My wife can read music and has played four different instruments during her life time (and orchestrates the family pretty well). Any musical talent probably comes from her genes, all her siblings play something I think. Jordan, my Son(and left handed but so far is playing right) is 7 he is just starting like myself. He has a 3/4 Fender Classical Guitar. Taylor, my six year old son wants to play violin(not guitar can you believe it!!!!). MTB
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Michael Mem. # 224 '01-514(w/o CE) '00-BabyK
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#15
02-27-2001, 10:18 AM
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waterdogmtb.....
I meant to get back to that post about Smartstart right away with more info...I don't want to lead you down the wrong track.... If a traditional music reading approach works with your kids, go for it by all means. I certainly prefer that approach personally. However, there are certain types of kids who are way more dramatic and theatrical in their behavior than others. Reading music (at the beginning level) tends to momentarily make folks sort of sound the same. That's not to say it limits creativity - I'm 100% convinced the opposite is true. Unfortunately, I think many parents encourage children to think that if something is not COMPLETELY to their liking or expectation, or if they can't do something COMPLETELY in their own way, then it's not "fun". Horribly damaging idea to plant in the mind of a child, I think. I started combining too many thoughts (and not very well organized thoughts, perhaps) in one paragraph.....let me get back on track here... The Smartstart method involves strumming (on very simple chords) and singing. It might very well appeal to three different types of kids (for very different reasons): - those who truly are the dramatic type...like to sing...like to be the center of attention, etc...This method might really get them attached to the guitar - the instrument might very natuarlly just become an extension of their personality...they could go back to music reading and a more formal approach later....might be a great method for that type....I don't know... - those who because of age or size find the guitar physically too darn difficult - there's a lot less motion of the fretting hand in just occasionally grabbing simple one or two finger chord shapes (as opposed to reading and playing gobs of single notes) - that other bunch who have been brainwashed by their parents (not their fault, of course) that they need a" fun", unique, modern, new, different, self-esteem building, inner-self expressive, learner-specific, throw in any pop-psychology goofy educational term you want, type approach. For crying out loud, accomplishment and smiles...that's what motivates people. Life is simple... Off on a toot again.... If by any chance in the future one of your kids got turned off eventually by a trditional approach for whatever reason, the video of this method (if they're still young enough) might get them back to music....Who knows? They might see it, and say "Well, I'd like to do THAT." Just a thought..... Once again....where was I? [ 02-27-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ] [ 02-27-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ]
__________________
Indeed, there is something in the current DC/NY culture that equates a lack of unthinking boosterism with a lack of patriotism. As if not being drunk on the latest Dow gains is somehow un-American. - Arianna Huffington May 11, 2009
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