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Post subject: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 8:56 pm
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OK, this really is a serious post, so please bear with me. I'm new and don't quite know all the rules yet, but I figure if I break any, it's better to do it in the Lounge. Forgive me, for this is long. Move on if you want. I would. It's for lefties anyway. I am left handed and always been this way and I am really left handed.

At the age of 11-12 (I told you, looong) and after 4 years of classical piano, it was time for something else. I wanted a guitar. Mama & Papa always encouraged the music idea and bought me a Sears-Roebuck Tru-Tone sunburst acoustic guitar. It was made of plywood and the strings stood at 1 quarter inch above the 1st fret. This was not a problem. I would fret the note using a pencil eraser and everyone clapped with glee. Eventually I fixed that with a kitchen knife. I began to happily play with my Mel Bay guitar book. Then I got edition 2 of Mel Bay which had photographs of Mel playing and chording the guitar. He was playing it backwards. I asked Mama about this and she said it was because I was left handed. That made no sense. Then I asked, can I have a left handed guitar. She gets on the phone (she always knew who to call). Hangs up and says you have to learn right handed. So I turned my guitar around and the rest is history, until now.

Later, I got a Sears-Roebuck Silvertone electric with a small matching amplifier. It had a tube. After watching the Beatles, my buddies and I started a band. I always wondered why Paul got to play left handed. This went on and we were pretty good for 12-13 year olds. Really. The Beatles came to town and Mama wouldn't allow me to go (this was New Orleans, 1964). My first taste of resentment against Mama & Papa. I had a ticket too, but I heard I didn't miss anything. :evil: Couple years later and the POS (oops,sorry) guitar finally died. My bandmate knew a friend who's big brother played in a band and I could borrow his guitar one night. So I did. It was this beat up dark blue colored piece of junk. Looked like a car ran over it. We had to borrow an amp to, so we lugged over this Twin Reverb thing that weighed a ton. Anywho, plugged her in. The angels sang. What is this? It's called a Fender Stratocaster, he said. We were outside that night so I cranked it. Whoa! The sheer power in my hands was something I cannot describe. I've got to have this!

Mama & Papa always encouraged the music idea. I want that Fender Stratocaster hanging on the wall at Weirlines (sp, old music place) on Canal St. Today, I can describe it as a 1966 Fender, 3 color sunburst, RW fingerboard Stratocaster. Next, it was the amp. All eyes set on that Twin, until I saw the Super Reverb. Then, I saw the Vox. Yeah, just like the Beatles. With my Strat in hand, I played all 3 until the doors closed. It was the Super. No contest. Two years later, had to quit playing and that was that. Sold the stuff for less, but was OK. I don't want you to think I was just a little rich kid. I sort of was, but we gigged twice a week for $200/night and that was not pocket change in '67-'68. So we paid for our stuff by earning it (even though it was an advance). I never was any good. Only played rhythm. We were a "horn" band and did not shred.

So now I'm retired from life through fault of my own. I want to play electric guitar again and do it right. So I just bought a 2014 Fender American Strat, Twin Reverb reissue and online lessons with the "Guitar System" (plug, it's good). The first thing I learn after all of these years is, I can't pick. I can strum decently enough, but I can't pick. It doesn't work. I tried an experiment tonight after trying to get past 120 bpm on my scales for the 1,000th time. I took a pencil with an eraser and vigorously erased something with each hand. The left hand does it with ease, in very small fast motions. The right hand can barely hold the pencil. Oh no, I'm left handed. I get my guitar and try to pick with my left. It's awkward. But I persist and soon I'm making small rapid alternate picking strokes. It's messy, but I've never done this before. Right hand? Same ole thing.

Now what? Can anyone encourage me not to pursue any further this crazy thought? Yes, it would be crazy to relearn everything my fretting hand has learnt over the last 50 years (not like it's much). Has this happened to anyone? Does anyone pinch hit the guitar or dare I say, cross over? Is this a temporary dilemma and I should just go to bed? Someone talk some sense to me before this goes any further. This is my retirement we are talking about. I only collect Social Security and was hoping to play guitar to supplement. Will the wife have to scrub floors again? Thank you for your patience. Perhaps, I'll just wake up and smile. As I said, this is a serious post. I'll check in later.


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:31 pm
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I suppose the cheapest, easiest way to find out if you can switch to playing left handed , is take the strings off, turn the nut around and re string as a lefty (re intonating the bridge of course)
Try that for a couple of weeks and see how you go

I have a similar problem , lived in the UK for 67 years (where they drive on the left ), moved to Turkey this year where they drive on the right, got a scooter and it was alkward coming up to roundabouts or left turning at first,but after 2 weeks I seem to have mastered where on the road I should be before a manoever

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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:29 am
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Hey thanks Ted. My 2nd guitar is a 12 string acoustic so probably not that. My son is next door and I recall that he has a banged up old acoustic lying around. I'll be nice to him and see if he'll loan it for an experiment. Driving on the other side of the road would reduce me to a dead man in short order, Especially if the steering wheel is switched over as well. I used to love driving, but after 40 years of commuting 50-100 miles/day (which is what we do here in Oklahoma), I let my sweet wife handle that chore. :|
Larry


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 9:15 am
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I started out righty in 1970 and switched to lefty in '76. If I were you, just pick up a lefty and see how it feels or take the plunge with a Mexican made left handed Fender Tele or Strat. American Standards if you're flush with cash.

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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 10:34 am
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Hi linnin

No cash here, but that's an idea. Continue my lessons with my nice strat and maybe look for a pawn junker that I can convert to a lefty. Perhaps I could play rhythm right handed and lead stuff left handed. I'm not gigging or anything (like to someday) so that wouldn't be too awkward. I wish I had stuck to my left hand inclination, but there were no left handed guitars and you would have to find someone to convert it. I was just a kid and Mama wouldn't go for that (Mama's still alive going on 90, so I need to be careful here).

If I may ask - why in the world would a righty switch to a lefty?


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 10:40 am
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linnin - Nevermind the question. You're left handed. Duh


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 2:36 pm
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Don't waste your $$$; time, or effort converting some piece of junk from righty to lefty. That's sure fire failure right there. Buy a guitar that was made lefty right from the start. Look at Squiers.
http://www.fender.com/squier/guitars/stratocaster/#&productsPerRow=3&prefn1=orientation&prefv1=Left-Hand
and
http://www.fender.com/squier/guitars/telecaster/#&productsPerRow=3&prefn1=orientation&prefv1=Left-Hand

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2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:47 pm
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You know, I just forget that you can get decent cheap guitars now. It's been so long getting back in the game, all I remember is pawn shop junk. And it was junk. We have a GC not too far and maybe I'll take a look. They sometimes have a sale and the holidays are here.

Thanks for the tip


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:32 pm
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Location: On the loo, regretting that gas station burrito.
They have some sort of sale going on now, or this weekend. I saw the commercial last night on TV. By the way, I'm left handed as well, but I've always played right handed instruments. It's never bothered me at all, since that's how I learned it. They didn't even have any left handed basses in the store and it was something I never really thought about at the time. I thought it made sense to fret with the left hand since that's my dominant hand and that's what does all of the work with the notes.

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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:34 pm
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Just a thought, if your location allows it . . . we all know rentals for right handed axes are prevalent; but, unless you ask you'll never know if a left handed one is available. Perhaps, some caring dude knowing your position would be willing to loan or rent one out. Ask all the questions, and maybe someone will fill in the dots. There could be several reasons why you might manage to try one out for a term. With a promise to purchase something, you can often negotiate a trial basis. Maybe, you could get rental charges deducted from a purchase.

I wish I had a nickle for every opportunity I missed from not asking. You just never know. :wink:
PS My little bro' is a lefty, but, taught himself to be somewhat ambidextrous. Truly ambidextrous (such as writing equally with either hand is said to be 1% of the population, while being a lefty is 10%. Southpaws (such as baseball pitchers and boxers) can often excel in their position, and other activities, such as playing percussion instruments, work well. It's those darn stringy things that present a problem. But, I needn't tell you. I hear your pain. :roll:
Best of luck in your quest, Larry.

FSB

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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 9:14 pm
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Thanks for all the replies. I knew I wasn't alone. I may try the suggestions doing a trial thing without a significant commitment. After a friendly exchange with my instructor today, he confirmed what is being said. Us lefties have a great advantage over everyone else. Ideally ambidex... (what he said about both hands) would be great. However, as a true lefty, my strength is in my fretting hand. I really could fly if righty would catch up picking-wise. The reason I easily picked up acoustic 12 string was because it was easy and sounded better than I am. Kind of like chorus effect.

This issue wasn't a bother until I wanted to pick a little fast and bought a strat. The awkwardness was obvious. I may experiment, but wisdom tells me it would be easier and faster to master my picking hand than try to get my right hand to do the heavy fretting work.

Thanks for the kind suggestions and I welcome anymore. Thank you also for a pleasant baptism into the mighty and influential Fender Forums. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 8:17 am
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I'll just add to this.... the two best guitarists I know personally are left handed but play guitar right handed. I say do whatever you feel most comfortable with.


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 8:51 am
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I still don't understand why most people only feel comfortable using their preferred hand for picking/plucking, and the less favoured hand for fretting.
Unless playing Flamenco, surely most of the action is on the fretting side? So shouldn't it be more advantageous to use the "best" hand on the fretboard?

Similar for archery - why pull the bow forward, point it and hold it steady with the weakest hand, and only use the strong hand for the release? I'm right-handed, but when I did archery, I always used a lefty bow. And I wonder whether I would have been a better guitar player if I had started with a lefty guitar. It's too late to switch now, though.


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 9:30 am
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Whatever hand you use to masturbate with is the hand that should do your fretting. If you are ambidextrous in this regard, then you should forget guitar and become a drummer and/or keyboardist. If you are bi-sexual, then become a DJ and dancer as your hands will be too busy to play a musical instrument nor will you have time for practice. :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:21 am
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Hey arth1 - that's funny that you bring up the archery thing. I am a true born and bred lefty and anything I do right handed was forced on me (scissors?). However, what about eyesight? When I shoot, whether it's a gun, bow, slingshot whatever, I have to sight with my right eye and thus hold the instrument of destruction right handed. That's the way it's always been. Now if I have to shoot from the hip, like in Gunsmoke, it's the left hand. I've tried archery the Robin Hood way, but couldn't use my strong arm because of the sighting issue, but that was the only reason. And I agree that it makes sense to use your strong arm to fret rather than pick. Having said that, when I picked up my first guitar, I played using my left hand for strumming, etc. Go figure.


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