Why did you start playing lefthanded?

[KevWind]

The good news for musicians is --Everyone is different----

With careful observation of the photos below ,,one can observe two entirely different approaches to playing lefty in a world dominated (numbers wise) with right hand guitars

[Howard Emerson]

[QUOTE=Bob Womack;7136607]Preface: I am left-handed. Repectfully, because I am interested in your theory, for some reason, when I demonstrate rifle form as "air rifle," I naturally seem to do it right-handed. However, I am profoundly left-eye dominant and shoot only left-handed. I shoot at marksman level as a lefty. Makes you wonder.

As a lefty I play righty. I started as a righty because in my little town there were no left-handed guitars and Sears didn't offer them, either. I later found out that many of my favorite guitarists are lefties who play righty. It is interesting that I was drawn to these guys before I knew they were lefties, by the way.

I do disagree with all who maintain that there is no difference. The same people talk about the struggle of getting their non-dominant (left) hand to learn what it has to do. Surprise! As a lefty I have no problem getting my left hand to do its job. The right is my difficult hand. Rapid flatpicking is profoundly difficult for me. After taking classical lessons, I developed finger plucking on acoustic and electric to get more interesting articulation. I've had to come to conclusion that I'll never be a blindingly fast shredder or flatpicker.* Once I got past that, I found my niche in music.

Bob

Bob,
I do many things with either hand, including writing as I've mentioned, but I was always told I was 'left handed' because that's how I write.

I feel your pain! To this day I can barely hold a flat pick, but carpet tape on both sides of the pick has negated that problem, but I'll still NEVER be a shredder. My synapses just will not comply.

Any yes there absolutely is a difference. The most important thing is to let the prospective player find what their natural preference is, and where applicable point out the long-term pros & cons of their choice.

Elizabeth Cotton, et al never saw a right handed guitar they couldn't just flip over and play.

HE

[Methos1979]

Oh, is it time for our semi-annual playing guitar lefty vs. righty post already where we rehash the same old opinions? How time flies! As I've stated many times before, I'm a lefty that plays righty. THANKFULLY! I feel for those poor individuals that play lefty and struggle to find guitars!!

All my life I've been very lefty dominant in any of the fine-motor skill endeavours like writing, eating, drawing, shooting, to name a few. But with the gross-motor skill things (usually sports related) it became more of a case of how I picked something up the first time or even more so, how I was taught. Baseball? Catch and throw lefty but my dad taught me to swing righty (he was a righty) so I bat righty. Hockey? Lefty. Golf? The only clubs laying around were righty so I golf righty. Tennis? Lefty.

I grew up a drummer and try though they might, my instructors could never get me to lead with my right. When it came time to learn to play the drum set I would always struggle with the band drum set which was of course set up righty. Then I got my own drum set and after struggling with that, reversed the setup and viola! Instantly could play so much more comfortable. Then came the guitar. It was the first time I was left to my own devices to decide which way I wanted to play. I chose righty. Not because there were only righty guitars left laying around and not because of any knowledge that lefty guitars were harder to come by.

Why then, you ask? Here's why: For me, at least, it always seemed that what was going on with the fretting hand was WAY harder than what was going on with the strumming hand! The fretting hand required the fine-motor skill control while the strumming hand only needed gross-motor skill controls. Therefore as a lefty, it was way more natural to have the left hand doing the fretting and the right hand doing the strumming. I have always maintained that when it comes to guitar, what we call a right-handed guitar IS actually a left-handed guitar and vice-versa! So, in conclusion, the vast majority of you people really are all playing left-handed guitars!

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Oh, is it time for our semi-annual playing guitar lefty vs. righty post already where we rehash the same old opinions? How time flies! As I've stated many times before, I'm a lefty that plays righty. THANKFULLY! I feel for those poor individuals that play lefty and struggle to find guitars!!

All my life I've been very lefty dominant in any of the fine-motor skill endeavours like writing, eating, drawing, shooting, to name a few. But with the gross-motor skill things (usually sports related) it became more of a case of how I picked something up the first time or even more so, how I was taught. Baseball? Catch and throw lefty but my dad taught me to swing righty (he was a righty) so I bat righty. Hockey? Lefty. Golf? The only clubs laying around were righty so I golf righty. Tennis? Lefty.

I grew up a drummer and try though they might, my instructors could never get me to lead with my right. When it came time to learn to play the drum set I would always struggle with the band drum set which was of course set up righty. Then I got my own drum set and after struggling with that, reversed the setup and viola! Instantly could play so much more comfortable. Then came the guitar. It was the first time I was left to my own devices to decide which way I wanted to play. I chose righty. Not because there were only righty guitars left laying around and not because of any knowledge that lefty guitars were harder to come by.

Why then, you ask? Here's why: For me, at least, it always seemed that what was going on with the fretting hand was WAY harder than what was going on with the strumming hand! The fretting hand required the fine-motor skill control while the strumming hand only needed gross-motor skill controls. Therefore as a lefty, it was way more natural to have the left hand doing the fretting and the right hand doing the strumming. I have always maintained that when it comes to guitar, what we call a right-handed guitar IS actually a left-handed guitar and vice-versa! So, in conclusion, the vast majority of you people really are all playing left-handed guitars!

Methos,
I believe you’ve cracked the code!

HE

[Athens]

I’m a natural lefty who had it beaten out of me in Catholic school. If you’ve ever seen my handwriting, you’d understand.

I play right handed guitars, almost exclusively finger style. I may actually be at an advantage being a natural lefty with finger style, but you could go either way with that discussion.

I will point out that there are no left handed pianos, harps, etc, etc, etc and lefties do fine with those instruments.

With the limited availability of left handed guitars and the limited resale market I always advise lefty’s getting into guitar to go with right handed guitars.

Just my less than humble opinion.

[TheJackal]

I have been told and tend to believe that the challenge for exceptional playing is the technique for the "picking hand," rather than the "fretting hand."

Have I been led astray with bad information?

My struggle with complex strumming is primarily with my right hand technique (I play traditional righty) than fretting.

What say ye?

[gerhardp]

I wish I had done it.
I'm lefthanded, but was convinced to write with the right hand (ah well, the 60s).
When I started with the guitar, I had the desire to strum with my left hand, but there was just a friends guitar around and learning chords from chord pics seemd odd, when holding the guitar upside down, (like Jimi does).

Too late to change now.

But I still have a better rhythm feel in my left hand.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Why then, you ask? Here's why: For me, at least, it always seemed that what was going on with the fretting hand was WAY harder than what was going on with the strumming hand! The fretting hand required the fine-motor skill control while the strumming hand only needed gross-motor skill controls. Therefore as a lefty, it was way more natural to have the left hand doing the fretting and the right hand doing the strumming. I have always maintained that when it comes to guitar, what we call a right-handed guitar IS actually a left-handed guitar and vice-versa! So, in conclusion, the vast majority of you people really are all playing left-handed guitars!

Interesting. To my mind (as somebody else also noted ) I think the control in the strumming -picking is the the more critical, for the timing/rhythm. And while anyone can develop the none dominant hand motor skills and be more or less ambidextrous
But my guess is because of the timing element as to why the traditional method taught for a right handed guitar player was to strum/pick with the right hand

No question the fretting hand requires timing as well (especially) picking BUT it is I think less critical than subtle timing going on with the strumming/picking
hand ---But it is just a theory

[LeftyKev]

It's whatever feels more natural.

Typical right hander's question tbh.

[sinistral]

In the infamous words of Geraldine:

[donlyn]

Why did you start playing lefthanded?

First off, I fret with my left hand and pick with my right, but I play guitar with both my hands, and also my ears.

The word sinister derives from the latin word for left. Probably for awkwardness in facing a lefty sword fighter. The boxer Marvin Hagler used to switch back and forth between lefty and righty stances depending on tactical advantages, sometimes in the middle of a round.

A train story. While an engineer drives the train, the conductor is actually the 'captain' of the train. It was Fuller, the conductor of the stolen train, who chased the "General" and the Andrews raiders after they stole his train (American Civil War).

Why the train story? I am naturally right-handed and fingerpick all my guitars. I am also somewhat ambidextrous, and can do most anything lefty unless it involves a throwing or kicking motion. I can legibly print lefty and righty, hit a baseball lefty or righty (though everything goes to left field), shoot pool lefty or righty (can't use a 'bridge'), swap a tennis racket to left hand on the run for an extension on a ball hit to my left side (surprised many opponents), and stir lefty or righty, but always counter-clockwise.

Again the train thing. While I fingerpick all my instruments, it's my left hand that conducts the train, and my right hand just naturally follows whatever the left hand frets (directs). When needed to play, or even learn new stuff, it's always through the left hand. (No, I don't actually think while playing; it just happens that way.) Right hand just naturally plays whatever strings and notes I fret. So I view this as the left hand is always in charge on whatever I play. And I started fingerpicking because I could never handle a pick very well. Maybe it's just my brain dividing the work as appropriate.

And I think my left hand has the tougher guitar-playing job.

Don
.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Interesting. To my mind (as somebody else also noted ) I think the control in the strumming -picking is the the more critical, for the timing/rhythm. And while anyone can develop the none dominant hand motor skills and be more or less ambidextrous
But my guess is because of the timing element as to why the traditional method taught for a right handed guitar player was to strum/pick with the right hand

No question the fretting hand requires timing as well (especially) picking BUT it is I think less critical than subtle timing going on with the strumming/picking
hand ---But it is just a theory

An interesting thought with merit. I should note that because I was a drummer my whole life before going over to guitar, timing was never an issue for me as I already had a deeply-ingrained sense of all things time. So the ability to strum in time was quite easy and required no deliberate thought or effort. That said, I should also note that I struggled for many years to strum well with a pick to the point where I eventually gave up and started playing fingerstyle.

Fingerstyle came fairly quickly in just a few months (thus supporting your theory that anyone can eventually develop non-dominant hand motor skills. It was only after a few years of simulating strumming with my thumb and index fingers pressed tightly together that I eventually - and successfully - attempted to play with a pick again and I was delighted to suddenly find I was able to control it with enough fine-motor skill to make is sound and feel good.

Another argument for learning to play with your dominant hand in the strumming position vs the fretting position is that to this day I cannot play leads at all, although I'm quite sure this has more to do with my lack of structured-practice discipline than any right or left-handed dominance issues!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

An interesting thought with merit. I should note that because I was a drummer my whole life before going over to guitar, timing was never an issue for me as I already had a deeply-ingrained sense of all things time. So the ability to strum in time was quite easy and required no deliberate thought or effort. That said, I should also note that I struggled for many years to strum well with a pick to the point where I eventually gave up and started playing fingerstyle.

Fingerstyle came fairly quickly in just a few months (thus supporting your theory that anyone can eventually develop non-dominant hand motor skills. It was only after a few years of simulating strumming with my thumb and index fingers pressed tightly together that I eventually - and successfully - attempted to play with a pick again and I was delighted to suddenly find I was able to control it with enough fine-motor skill to make is sound and feel good.

Another argument for learning to play with your dominant hand in the strumming position vs the fretting position is that to this day I cannot play leads at all, although I'm quite sure this has more to do with my lack of structured-practice discipline than any right or left-handed dominance issues!

For me after 50 years of not being able to play lead worth squat

It was indeed taking some structured personal lessons focused on playing lead, that at least got me started , but being an old fart and a slow learner I still struggle 5 years into it

[swarfrat]

The band Third Day has two lefty guitar players. Mac plays lefty. Mark plays righty. They were high school buds and have always set up with Mack stage right and Mark stage left. Third Day toured for over 25 years.

I'd love to see the body^H^H^H headstock count.

[Lawren]

Originally Posted by TBman

If we use our "dominant hand to play" then why do we righties fret with our left hand?

Your left hand is what you know, your right hand is who you are. (If you're a righty, I suppose!)