Should lefties learn how to play right handed guitars?

[SilentDusk]

Hey, everybody.

One of my family friends wants me to teach his son how to play guitar.

He's 5 years old and he's a lefty, and his dad was wondering if he should buy a lefty guitar or just get him a right-handed one since those are more commonly made.

I was just wondering what you guys think. Would it be easier/better for him to get a lefty guitar or a righty one?

Thanks. =]

[ljguitar]

Hi Kirsten...
As a music teacher (I've taught guitar for over 33 years now), I'd ask the dad if the son were going to take piano lessons if they would look for a left-handed piano? If not, then I'd think a conventional guitar would be the way to start.

As a lefty who plays guitar right handed, I'd suggest more dexterity is needed in the left hand for the first few months/years of playing, and that left handed people adapt well to playing right handed guitars conventionally.

Actually, with the right teacher and right amount of practice, any of us could learn to play guitar right or left handed. Some people are so left hand oriented that they may not be able to adapt, but that is very rare.

[SilentDusk]

Haha. Thank you! =]

Yeah, I was thinking.. especially since he's really young, it should be a lot easier for him to pick up playing right-handed anyway.

As for the right teacher part.. I don't think I'm qualified to teach much at all.. His dad just asked me if I could since they're at our house every weekend anyway.

[Howard Klepper]

IMO it's not coincidence that all the bowed and plucked string instruments assign the bowing or plucking to the strong hand (in this right-handed world). If the issue were only the better way to play, it would be a no-brainer. What clouds the issue is the availability of lefty instruments. It's also the case that most left-handed people are better with their weak hand than most right-handed people are, mainly because the left-handed have to develop the use of their right hands in order to cope with everyday objects.

[Lefty Guy]

As a lefty playing lefty I think it depends on his individual situation. I simply cannot strum effectively with my right hand, which has zero rhythm "feel" to it, so I am a confirmed left hander.
I get upset when I constantly hear people urging lefties to learn right handed - these days most stores stock some lefties, particularly at entry level & I think the only disadvantage is not being able to play most other peoples guitars.....not a problem at Kaufam Kamp (see below)! We also have our own forum: http://www.leftyfrets.net/

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by SilentDusk

Hey, everybody.

One of my family friends wants me to teach his son how to play guitar.

He's 5 years old and he's a lefty, and his dad was wondering if he should buy a lefty guitar or just get him a right-handed one since those are more commonly made.

I was just wondering what you guys think. Would it be easier/better for him to get a lefty guitar or a righty one?

Thanks. =]

What makes you think he's a lefty? Because he writes with his left hand?

Ask him to play air guitar for you................If his first response is to 'play' lefty, then that is the way he pictures himself doing it, which is one of the most important factors in determining what side he'll be best playing from.

If he 'plays' air guitar righty, then that's what he pictures himself doing, so do not force the issue or look into it any further.

HE, who writes lefty, plays righty.
http://www.howardemerson.com/

[Talentless]

Originally Posted by Lefty Guy

As a lefty playing lefty I think it depends on his individual situation. I simply cannot strum effectively with my right hand, which has zero rhythm "feel" to it, so I am a confirmed left hander.
I get upset when I constantly hear people urging lefties to learn right handed - these days most stores stock some lefties, particularly at entry level & I think the only disadvantage is not being able to play most other peoples guitars.....not a problem at Kaufam Kamp (see below)! We also have our own forum: http://www.leftyfrets.net/

I am the opposite, a strong left hander who learnt to play right handed. This gives a decided advantage on the fretboard but the rgight hand work takes a lot of practice and feel, and you never really get complex rythms working correctly. On the other hand, this is often not a problem and I can play complex chords and runs effortlessly.

Pass the child a guitar and see how natural he is with it after a couple of lessons, if he is fine then just continue right handed; if not switch.

[actaylor]

I'm another lefty who learned to play right handed. I'm glad I did because, while lefty guitars are more readily available than they used to be, when I also wanted to play mandolin and even try the banjo it was easier to find right handed instruments.

[Tony]

I taught my friend (a lefty) to play right-handed guitar, and she picked it up quickly. Her reasoning to stay with the right-handed guitar was twofold: 1.) More instruments available; and 2.) If she ever went to a party or wanted to play somebody else's guitar, she could just play it without any worries.

[agjameson]

I am left handed. When I wanted to play the guitar when i was 6 or 7 I used to grab a frying pan and pretend to wail left handed. My dad, who was and still is a great guitarist, used to flip the pan around into the right handed pose.

So when it came to getting a guitar I got a right handed one to learn on and now I would have to say it am glad i'm a right handed player. More choice in stores and you can always pick up friends guitars and play...

There are no rules to this. who says the 'stronger' hand should be used to strum? Surely the stronger hand (and more accurate through writing presumably) should be used to work the neck?

I would always push someone to learn right handed.

[rbachman]

Lefty ... of course!!

These days there are plenty of "lefty guitars" available. Why shouldn't a lefty play lefty

That's easy for a righty to say that plays righty ...

I just don't get it ... Why should righties play righty and lefties play righty?

Why don't the righties play lefty if it doesn't matter!!

[ResoN]

I am left handed and play right handed. I couldn't imagine playing any other way. It would be impossible for me to play left handed.


I agree with agjameson.

"There are no rules to this. who says the 'stronger' hand should be used to strum? Surely the stronger hand (and more accurate through writing presumably) should be used to work the neck?"

I would say start the 5 year old with a right handed guitar unless it really feels awkward to him.

[1cubilindo]

Originally Posted by SilentDusk

Haha. Thank you! =]

Yeah, I was thinking.. especially since he's really young, it should be a lot easier for him to pick up playing right-handed anyway.

As for the right teacher part.. I don't think I'm qualified to teach much at all.. His dad just asked me if I could since they're at our house every weekend anyway.

Hi Kirsten,

I already weighed in on this in a recent post but the subject is of personal interest to me. I have a 12 yr old lefty in the house who started by picking up my righty guitars and strumming away. In his case, and without prompting, he picked things up in a very natural way.

He throws, bats, and writes lefty. He plays the guitar, violin, and trumpet righty. The key I believe is to be given the opportunity, (at a young age being key) to try without feeling self-conscious of it.

The advantages have been that we share the use of all our equipment (sometimes not so good?), and without a doubt more learning literature, and equipment opportunities in general.

I realize one size does not fit all, but if the kid is 5, maybe let him try righty first.

[skiltrip]

I'm righty, play righty. After 20 years of playing, I sometimes flip the guitar around lefty, and try playing some notes. And I'm instantly reminded of what it was like the first time I picked up a guitar the righty way. I don't think it was any more natural that first day than it feels when I try to play lefty now.

I think any lefty owes it to themself to learn righty, as I think most agree it can be done with little or even no increased learning curve. Most right handed people can't do very many things accurately with their left hand, yet you've seen guitarists work that fingerboard in amazing ways.

The other thing is the availability of guitars. Anyone can argue 'there are plenty of left handed guitars out there now', well, more than years ago? maybe. comparable in number to the right-handed ones?, not by a long shot.

I think either hand can do either job (fretted or picking) very well, it all depends on which one you decide to assign to each job. Why not just learn right handed.

* Disclaimer: this assessment was made by a right hander, therefore was very easy to make. though I do have a left handed mother and a left handed president.

[Wade Hampton]

This is a topic that keeps coming up, and the lefties who play right-handed (and think all other lefties should, as well,) have made their usual strong recommendations.

The problem is that handedness is a continuum, and not all lefties are on the same place along it. Some are much more strongly lefthanded than others.

So it'll depend on just how strongly lefthanded this child is.

I'd also caution that five is pretty darned young to start. In terms of hand strength and coordination, not to mention attention span, this may well be too early for him.

If he's genuinely interested, it may make more sense (as well as considerably cheaper) to start him on a uke. And while it make seem wise to start him playing righthanded, if he's strongly lefthanded trying to force him into a righthanded playing style might scare him off playing for life. Or at least the rest of his childhood.

So while playing righthanded is something you can try to steer him towards, in my own long experience as a teacher I feel it can be damaging to insist.

So proceed with caution and flexibility, and try to avoid vicarious involvement. In another two weeks the kid might get totally into playing with Transformers, and abandon guitar/uke entirely, even if you all DO get the handedness issue resolved.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller