Nobody Should Play Guitar Left Handed

sfmelo1980 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:46 am

I actually agree with you, just based on the options you would have playing right handed.

I think that fretting an instrument is new to everyone before they actually try it, but strumming is more like keeping beat, which you would do with your dominant hand since you have better accuracy. So I guess when you are first told to strum and maybe keep beat, it all comes down to which hand is better capable of keeping time.

That's what I think

One advantage to left handed playing...... cheaper used instruments, at least that is what I have noticed

strato · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:02 am

Have you ever seen a left handed piano?

sfmelo1980 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:13 am

strato wrote:

Have you ever seen a left handed piano?

I see your point but I am not sure that they are the same. Guitar playing has very different roles for each hand? I am not saying that you can't learn to play either way in the beginning, just that one would feel more natural.

Lets say you rewind time and today is the first day you are going to play. you're told to fingerpick each chord.
Would you feel just as comfortable fingerpicking with both hands not having any experience with either?

I'm thinking given the choice I would use my dominant hand to do all the leg work, because in the beginning learning stage, nobody is shredding or soloing. You learn a chord and strum. The strumming is what is going to keep the rhythm.

Tochai · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:30 am

strato wrote:

Have you ever seen a left handed piano?

A few months ago i was thinking about that, then i realised that it would make it too difficult to go to your left handed friend's house and use his piano and vice versa.

sfmelo1980 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:35 am

Nevin1985 wrote:

How many left handed orchestra players do you know?

damn

Like I said.......Nobody Should Play Guitar Left Handed :wink:

stryder1017 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:17 pm

to be honest actually, and I can't say this for everyone, but when I picked up my first guitar I found it more comfortable in my left hand than my right. It felt weird in right hand, so i switched and some odd years later me and some friends have a band. I just think it has something to do with a comfort level, you have to play it how it feels in your hands. My friend is a lefty but plays righty, i asked him why he doesnt play lefty and he said the guitar felt comfortable in his right

Rebelsoul · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:01 pm

My BIL who is a professional musician is left handed,his father made him learn guitar "the right way" right handed...the father had all the kids learn an instrument and formed a family band,moved to Nashville to make it but didn't....the kids have made a living since the 60's in music.They are really talented,but not famous.

Johnny B. Goode · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:24 pm

Well, my friend (who is a great guitarist) plays lefty and was made to learn how to play right handed by his dad but his dad had good reasoning behind it though lol.... it made sure my friend really wanted to play guitar and to show he was serious because he said "If you're serious and really want to play I want you learn to play righty... if you do that I'll buy you a lefty guitar."

So he can play guitar either way but feels better and plays better playing it lefty

sfmelo1980 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:31 pm

anybody think you can learn how to play the opposite way now.... I mean how much practice would it take, or is it even possible if you have played for many years.

I haven't gotten close to getting good the "RIGHT" way so I don't think I would be able to take the time and learn it the other way (LEFT).....
Would make for some funny youtube videos though...... learning a basic song but play it the other orientation

CAFeathers · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:58 pm

When I first picked up a guitar back in the 60's I tried to play it right handed. It didn't feel right. So I just flipped the guitar over and played it upside down with E string on the bottom and the e string on the top. I played that way for a couple of years. Then I started flipping the strings too and had to relearn to play.

radio_friendly_unit_shifter · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:01 pm

I couldn't have learn't left handed. no way im gonna be able to do all that fretting technique with my right hand

guitslinger · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:44 pm

I don't think that it has so much to do with dexterity as it does with rythym. Your dominant hand is better suited to keeping a steady rythym which is why right handed drummers have the snare and hi-hat on the left and the tom toms on the right and vice versa with lefty drummers that way your dominant hand is leading when you go from snare to tom tom.BTW although Jimi Hendrix played left handed he in fact usually wrote with his right hand.

Syeklops · **Posted:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:03 pm

Nevin1985 wrote:

Before I get beaten to a pulp, just try to understand my reasoning.

It has always perplexed me why some people learn guitar left handed. It makes no sense whatsoever. When I began playing guitar both my hands were weak and uncoordinated with each other. I could have honestly learned to play either way.

The problem seems to be that people learn guitar with their dominant hand in mind, but it makes no sense considering it is a two handed affair. My left hand is useless.... I can't write with it, can't throw a ball etc.... yet that is my fretting hand which IMO is the more complex side of the guitar.

So why did I learn to play guitar right handed?

To me everyone should play right handed (from the start). If you are already playing left handed I would say it is too late.

Just a thought I had.....

I'm left handed. I was taught to play guitar by right handed friends. I had no guitar, but they taught me on their right handed guitars. Actually, I'm glad that I learned on a right handed guitar. That way, I can pick up just about any guitar and play. Had I learned left handed....I couldn't do that.

beantown · **Joined:** Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:46 am **Posts:** 41

CAFeathers wrote:

When I first picked up a guitar back in the 60's I tried to play it right handed. It didn't feel right. So I just flipped the guitar over and played it upside down with E string on the bottom and the e string on the top. I played that way for a couple of years. Then I started flipping the strings too and had to relearn to play.

I see a few players on YouTube who play with the strings upside down as well. I'll never understand how they pull it off...but they do.

Funny that two of my many favorite guitarists were/are left-handed. Hendrix and Iommi. You would think Iommi would have wanted to switch to right handed because he lost the tips of two fingers and wears rubber thimbles to ease the pain from the strings. This happened a short time before the release of the first Black Sabbath album but I'm guessing too late to start over though.

Rebelsoul · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:02 am

Talking about playing "upside down"...I jammed with a band one time and you know how it is when you're unfamiliar with songs you will watch the other guitar player to see what chords he goes to,well this other guy was doing some of the weirdest chord fingerings I had ever seen,and he was left handed which usually isn't a problem watching.
After a couple of songs I went over and said what are you doing on that thing??? it was just strung right handed and flipped over with the low E on top...man it was odd how he had to play that way.

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