Help With a Left Handed Beginner

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by s2y

Over the years, I find that the "can do" guys don't have too many problems. If the attitude is that "it can't be done", it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Lefties who’ve taught themselves to play right-handed tend to be the biggest proponents of the “if I can play right-handed, then ANYBODY can” theory. Unfortunately, it isn’t a matter of willpower or fortitude or Little-Engine-Who-Could persistence, hard as it might be for you to accept or understand that.

We all tend to view the world through the lens of our own perspective, which - naturally enough - is heavily influenced by our own experiences. You persisted and learned how to play right-handed instruments, so it makes perfect sense to you that everyone else can, as well, if all these mollycoddlers and enablers like me would just butt out.

But the truth is that it’s not that easy, and there is a substantial percentage of your fellow lefties who simply don’t have that option. They’re not slacking, they’re not a bunch of wimps who need to man up and put on their big boy pants and force themselves to learn how to play right-handed.

Because that simply will not work. Believe it or not, their brains are wired a bit differently than yours, and trying to convince them that they can do it “if they really try” is futile.

When it comes to degrees of handedness, that “anyone can do it if they work hard at it” idea is completely incorrect.

Anyway, in the immortal words of Jimmy Bookout, why do you care whether someone else plays guitar left-handed? The ones who really need to are going to do so regardless of whether you, me or anyone else approves.

Because that’s the only way they CAN play, believe it or not.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Puerto Player]

My son is left handed and I taught him right handed when he was 7 years old with a right handed Zager 3/4 size guitar. He's still playing right handed to this day and he's 22 now. Teach her right handed.

[guitararmy]

I have known at least one lefty that couldn't play righty. The majority can, and it certainly makes buying and selling guitars easier. Which can be a good and bad thing...
I learned righty because it was what you did back then.

[Oldguy64]

My third son is a lefty.

He has chosen to learn guitar and bass right handed.

His logic being rhat he’s rather have his “smart” hand doing the fret work.



I have found that playing guitar has made my non-dominant (left) hand much smarter.

I’m the only dialysis nurse I know of that is equally adept putting in needles with either hand.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

My third son is a lefty.
He has chosen to learn guitar and bass eight handed.

Holy mackerel your son is an octopus

[menhir]

Speaking only for myself...

I'm a lefty who was "converted" to a righty back from my elementary school days. After testing, the teachers told my mother that my right hand was adept enough to make it worth while in a right-handed world. That's where I'm at on the scale.

I play guitar right-handed. Back when I started, I never knew there was such a thing as a left handed guitar. Certainly, I could never have afforded one anyway...I had to save stamps to get my first one.

So I learned on a right handed guitar, not even aware that there was a choice.

Given that there are people have varying degrees of right and left handedness, I would recommend that she at least give right handed playing a decent try before making a choice.
She's young, she now already has a right handed guitar, and there's little to risk by trying. She's still going to go through the initial process of fumbling fingers, sore fingertips, frustration, and all the other things that are the initiation rite of a guitarist Right or left handed.

If it works out, fine. If not...like I said, she's young.

I've come across many budding guitarists who just assume that they must have a left handed guitar because they themselves are left handed. I say, "Whoa," You're making assumptions before making the attempt.

So for the record: I am not against left handed guitarists (or left handed players). I just recommend trying before buying.

PS: I'm not a guitar teacher by trade. I'm a martial arts instructor. For twenty years I have had people tell me that "they could never do that."
If they give it a try, they may find they can.
If they never try, they'll never know.

[MHC]

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. The issue off a range of dexterity between strictly right and strictly left handed is fascinating and important to consider.

What makes it difficult to determine is that learning and instrument IS already hard, so how can you tell which part of hard is due to the lefty/righty issue and which part is simply the normal course of things.

Unfortunately I'm in New York and my niece lives in Michigan so I cannot sit with her and teach her a few chords to see how it goes. BUT, I gave her a call and we talked about it. She plays the piano fairly well and she said that she doesn't really detect an issue with hand dominance there.

We also talked about all sorts of activities, including air-guitar (which made her laugh).

By the end of our conversation, she let me know that she was going to learn in a right-handed fashion. There were three primary reasons:

1) She loves the guitar and swapping it out would be a major buzz kill for her. It's HER guitar.

2) Knowing that kids immediately hop on YouTube to learn just about anything, I steered her to Justinguitar.com (I think his beginner lessons are a solid way to go). She told me that she just wants to play the way Justin plays. She believes it'll be easier for her to follow along.

3) It didn't seem to her that the right handed position would be any greater challenge and she was ready to dive in, like, now.

So she's going to be learning right handed. I'll be keeping an eye out for her progress, and I hope it works out.

BUT I just have to say that I've stepped in the shoes of left-handed players in terms of buying guitars these last few days. I did a lot of searching on-line and in stores for a left handed alternative for my niece just in case. Man o man the offerings are pathetic. There are some great shops that deal in beautiful high end guitars, but mid-range and beginner guitars is tough. Companies like Yamaha, Seagull, Ibanez do offer left handed guitars, but not their full range. Mostly, they offer lefty dreadnoughts. Smaller sized guitars are harder to come by. AND stores REALLY don't stock lefty guitars. I do understand that it's a supply and demand thing, but I also feel that if there were more lefty guitars on the shelves, there might be more lefty guitar players.

Luthiers like Lame Horse and Thomas Rein have created complex adjustable necks, so I wonder if someone could invent a system where a guitar ships with two nuts and two saddles allowing the guitar to be a lefty or righty.

Anyway... thanks again to AGF.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by reeve21

Holy mackerel your son is an octopus

Flipping auto correct!

[sakar12]

Originally Posted by MHC

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. The issue off a range of dexterity between strictly right and strictly left handed is fascinating and important to consider.

What makes it difficult to determine is that learning and instrument IS already hard, so how can you tell which part of hard is due to the lefty/righty issue and which part is simply the normal course of things.

Unfortunately I'm in New York and my niece lives in Michigan so I cannot sit with her and teach her a few chords to see how it goes. BUT, I gave her a call and we talked about it. She plays the piano fairly well and she said that she doesn't really detect an issue with hand dominance there.

We also talked about all sorts of activities, including air-guitar (which made her laugh).

By the end of our conversation, she let me know that she was going to learn in a right-handed fashion. There were three primary reasons:

1) She loves the guitar and swapping it out would be a major buzz kill for her. It's HER guitar.

2) Knowing that kids immediately hop on YouTube to learn just about anything, I steered her to Justinguitar.com (I think his beginner lessons are a solid way to go). She told me that she just wants to play the way Justin plays. She believes it'll be easier for her to follow along.

3) It didn't seem to her that the right handed position would be any greater challenge and she was ready to dive in, like, now.

So she's going to be learning right handed. I'll be keeping an eye out for her progress, and I hope it works out.

BUT I just have to say that I've stepped in the shoes of left-handed players in terms of buying guitars these last few days. I did a lot of searching on-line and in stores for a left handed alternative for my niece just in case. Man o man the offerings are pathetic. There are some great shops that deal in beautiful high end guitars, but mid-range and beginner guitars is tough. Companies like Yamaha, Seagull, Ibanez do offer left handed guitars, but not their full range. Mostly, they offer lefty dreadnoughts. Smaller sized guitars are harder to come by. AND stores REALLY don't stock lefty guitars. I do understand that it's a supply and demand thing, but I also feel that if there were more lefty guitars on the shelves, there might be more lefty guitar players.

Luthiers like Lame Horse and Thomas Rein have created complex adjustable necks, so I wonder if someone could invent a system where a guitar ships with two nuts and two saddles allowing the guitar to be a lefty or righty.

Anyway... thanks again to AGF.

Yep, it is tough for us lefties

However, pickings aren't nearly as slim as they used to be, and I'm convinced that many, many players could do just fine with a ~$300 Yamaha for years. What I mean is, I sometimes think many if not most learners / players don't really get GAS like I do and will be just fine never knowing that Bourgeois lefties are really hard to find.

[Alan Carruth]

As usual, listen to Wade...

I'm a lefty who plays right handed. One thing I've never been able to get is the use of a pick; I can't hold onto one for any length of time. Go figure.

I'm also a maker. I've never made any left handed guitars because the demand is so low. Lefties are a minority, and lefties who can't learn to play righty also seem to be a minority of lefties, so that doesn't make much of a market if you want to build one 'on spec'. No matter what you make, it probably won't be exactly what the potential customer wants. I have considered making a 'convertible', but the issue of cutaways complicates that as well. In short, if I find it hard to justify simply 'having one on hand' the factories must feel the same pressures with less incentive.

Bill Staines is one lefty performer who plays 'upside down'. He can do some things that most players can't (and, of course, can't do some things that other folks find easy...).

[Jengstrom]

I agree with Wade's response.

Depending on who's numbers you look at, 10-15% of people are left handed. However, only 2-3% of guitars sold are lefties, so there are clearly a lot of lefties playing rightie.

I'm a lefty. When I was a kid, I had a right handed guitar. I could play some cowboy chords, but could never play melodies.

As an adult, I decided to learn to really play, and bought a lefty guitar. Now don't get me wrong, I still really suck at guitar, but I am lightyears ahead of where I was on the righty. I am much more comfortable and feel more natural playing lefty.

Then there is the degree of lefthandedness. I do almost everything left handed by choice. The one glaring exception is golf. I can't even look at a left handed golfer without wincing. Batting, no problem. Go figure. And in some situations, you just plain don't have a choice. I am so used to right handed scissors, for example, that I can't even use left handed ones on the rare occasion that I see them.

Sorry to get so long winded. I agree that if she can learn righty, she will avoid a lot of hassle. However, if she is more comfortable playing lefty, encourage it.

John

[Arthur Slowhand]

I'm a lefty that does a lot of things as a righty, including guitar - which is probably why I'm so bad... so thanks for highlighting the problem.

But seriously - she might just be literally 'mirroring' (ie. left appears on the right) what she sees on her computer or TV, instead of actually being a natural leftie guitar player.

I think she'd learn faster if she played right handed, because most online tutorials are done right handed - and as far as I know, most tablature assumes right-handedness and is drawn that way.

Nice of you to get her started though, especially with such a nice guitar.
.
.

[Pinetreebob]

Even more rare than southpaw guitars is the left handed piano. I have heard of them but never, ever seen one in the wild. It's tough being left handed but we live in a right handed world. Most power tools such as skil saws are set up for right handed folk too.

[Gabby84]

As a lefty, sounds like she is a natural lefty-just based on her comments to you and her mom.

get her the left handed guitar, she seems to be more comfortable with holding the guitar as a left-handed player.

I agree with the other comments-being a lefty is non-binary. My brother, also lefty, cannot even use a computer mouse with his right hand. I can, and do.

[Bob Womack]

I see you've decided to go right-handed and I'm glad you guys have come to a resolution. I am a profoundly left-handed guy who plays right-handed. Let me tell you about the next phase: Back in 1970, my first instructor gave up on me after four lessons. He felt I was hopelessly clumsy with my right hand. Seven years later he served as a promoter and brought my rock band back to town for a concert. In between I took a couple of years of classical instruction with a person who was far more patient with lefties! That improved my right-hand work.

These days I play recording sessions. So you see, there is a future for her.

Bob