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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 3:06 pm
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:14 pm
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Location: Linningrad
LawFlow wrote:
Go figure.

I've already told you. So easy.


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:29 pm
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Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:48 pm
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Hey LawFlow, I'm a natural left-hander. I do everything lefty, from writing to throwing to kicking to brushing teeth.

When I started playing many years ago as a teenager, I first learned on a right-handed guitar. I started out on a righty because the guy at the music store said that I'd have a better selection of guitars to choose from, and that most lefties learn to play right handed, anyway.

I played right-handed for several years but always struggled with it. It's true that some things came a little easier, like vibrato and barre chords. But for the most part everything I played sounded very sloppy, even relatively simple songs. I simply had no coordination in my picking hand. I couldn't strum easily, couldn't pick very fast, and my string skipping was a total mess.

After about four years or so of struggling with a right-handed guitar, I decided to make the switch to lefty. It was not easy at first; you are truly starting from scratch in many ways. But I could tell from the beginning I was headed in the 'right' direction. Picking was instantly faster, strumming was easier...it just felt significantly more comfortable.

After about six months or so of daily practice, my left-handed playing had more-or-less caught up to my right-handed playing, and I never looked back.

So, yes, it CAN be done. If you really want to make the switch, I'd recommend buying a relatively cheap lefty Squier or MIM Fender Strat. You might even be able to find a used one on Craigslist. Experiment with it for a few weeks and see how it goes -- you've really got nothing to loose. Worst case scenerio: you try it for a few weeks, you don't like it you re-sell the guitar and go back to playing righty.

For a little more on the lefty vs right guitar debate, you may wish to check out this interesting article on Leftyfretz.com:

http://leftyfretz.com/should-i-learn-guitar-right-or-left-handed/

It is true that there are a ton of left-handed people who play guitar right-handed. For some it works, for others it does not. I was one of those people for whom it didn't work; you might be, too. Good luck!!

- Steve


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:08 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:21 pm
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Wow - that article describes my experience completely. I was just about persuaded to continue my righty endeavor until I read your post and the article. As I said, I've been playing right handed for 50 years, but my playing is very basic with barely any picking technique at all. This never bothered me until now when I decided to play electric and learn lead stuff. The thought of relearning and starting over was just too much, so I decided to stick with it based on all the advice given me. Now you come along making me think different again!

My amp fritzed on me yesterday and it doesn't look good. Perhaps now would be a good time to experiment with this. I've only been taking lessons since August so I'm really not too far gone and I've made very little progress after practicing hours every day.

Thank you very much, I think. :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 5:14 pm
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You're welcome. I know the idea of switching over can be a bit daunting. I struggled with it quite a bit myself at the time. But, like I said, the most you have to lose is a few weeks of experimenting and you can switch back at any time if you ultimately decide it's more trouble than it's worth.

In my case, I'm glad I made the switch to playing lefty. I, too, had several years of playing under my belt (practicing a couple hours a week for about four years or so), but my playing had not progressed beyond a very basic level. All in all, it took about six months of steady, daily practice for my left-handed to catch up with my right handed playing (with better picking control coming almost immediately!). This was all about 15 years ago, and I've been playing lefty ever since.

Again, everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you. But since you seem to be at a point where you have the time to experiment with this, why not give it a go?


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Post subject: Re: Musings from a Lefty
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 7:30 pm
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:21 pm
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schnepf13 wrote:
You're welcome. I know the idea of switching over can be a bit daunting. I struggled with it quite a bit myself at the time. But, like I said, the most you have to lose is a few weeks of experimenting and you can switch back at any time if you ultimately decide it's more trouble than it's worth.

In my case, I'm glad I made the switch to playing lefty. I, too, had several years of playing under my belt (practicing a couple hours a week for about four years or so), but my playing had not progressed beyond a very basic level. All in all, it took about six months of steady, daily practice for my left-handed to catch up with my right handed playing (with better picking control coming almost immediately!). This was all about 15 years ago, and I've been playing lefty ever since.

Again, everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you. But since you seem to be at a point where you have the time to experiment with this, why not give it a go?
Yeah, I'll likely give it a go. Someone admonished me about not getting a junker, but find something decent to work with. I can assure myself and anyone, an indecent guitar is what I started out with and know the pitfall. However, I have no intention of spending much, if any money. I'm retired and living off SS. Time is something I do have for now, however.

Thanks for the encouragement


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