I am naturally left-handed but I play the "normal way", that is, right-handed. I play this way because when I was 9 and we were looking at a guitar for me to take lessons on, the store manager said to just play right-handed, for these reasons:

1. More options.

2. Cheaper options.

3. Your brain doesn't know the difference, because this is totally new to it.

4. Your hands are able to play either way, and because of the aforementioned
reasons, right-handed is a better choice.

I believe him, and +1 to you, Nevin.

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'07 Squier Affinity Sunburst Strat SE
Fender Frontman 25R
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Danelectro D-2 Fab Overdrive
Delta Lab Multi Effects

Once you get beyond strumming simple chords, the picking hand begins to do an awful lot of work. I would argue that for many styles (bluegrass, for example), the picking hand is often performing significantly more complex actions than the fretting hand.

If you're left-handed and have no trouble playing right-handed, by all means keep playing a right-handed guitar. You'll have a better selection of instruments to choose from, and probably spend less money on them in the long run.

I'm just saying that, there is, in fact, a portion of the left-handed population that has tried playing guitar right handed and it simply doesn't work all that well for them (I count myself among this crowd). Given that fact, I would never discourage a novice player from learning to play left-handed if it truly seems to feel more comfortable for them.

I have a friend who is right handed, but he plays left handed--I wonder what he would think about all of this?

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

My wife is right-handed, but plays bass lefty. When she first picked it up, a right-handed instrument just wasn't comfortable to her. So, she switched to lefty and away she went. She's been playing about 6 years now and won't even think about switching to a right-handed instrument. There's no reason why she should.

exactly, that's why I expressed mine!

OR, you could become a Switch Hitter

But physiologically speaking the right side of the brain coordinates actions on the left side of the body, and vice-versa for the left side of the brain. I believe this is actually flipped around for people who are left-handed. This isn't to say though that left handed people can't also fret with their left hand and strum with their right hands - there are people who still find this comfortable.
I guess what I'm getting at is to just play the side that comes naturally to you. There shouldn't be any reason to fight it

Cool, nice to know my friend isn't the only one who plays, "backwards" from right to left.

I have no problem with it--except it makes it awkward for me to play his guitars

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

In 1964 when A friend of my parents tried to teach me guitar, it didn't feel natural so he told my parents not waste their money on a guitar because I didn't have the talent!

Feb Ed Sullivan show, Beatles, & I have had a great career in playing & working in the music business (over 40yrs) & just retired

not bad for no talent!

P.S. I still play though!

Lefty Guitars:
Ricky 4001
Hofner Beatles Bass
Fender MIM Jazz
Fender Hwy1 Strat
Squire Strat
Epi Les Paul Standard
Epi Dot
Epi G400
Gretsch 6122

I am a southpaw ( Lefty ) and play regular right hand Fenders prettty much normal like anyone who plays right hand guitars does but I am ambidextrous so it really never phased me ....
But I could play backwards and lefty fretting with my right hand upside down lol
so 20 years back I bought a left handed Stratocaster in Ny and played it rightie lol just to bug people out .

My friend Darryl is a southpaw ( lefty ) like me played my strats flipped upside down we had fun 2 south paws

Purposely we played our guitars in opposite directions because it is fun .

I'm left handed and like most lefties have spent a lifetime overcoming life's little day to day obstacles like buttons, writing left to right (no place to rest your hand on the notepaper), etc. without complaint. I think most of us are proud to be a little bit unique in this world.

That being said, I prefer to play lefty, it's just more comfortable and I could care less what anybody else thinks. I can still remember walking into the local music store when I was 12 for my first guitar lesson and the look of disgust I got from the "instuctor" when he saw I was a lefty.

Rant over.

Brian

My thoughts exactly!

The only way you SHOULD play is whatever way feels right to you, not the way someone else thinks you should.

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'08 Fender Am. Std. Jazz bass, maple fretboard, charcoal frost metallic finish
'10 Squier VM Jazz bass, maple fretboard, natural finish
Ampeg BA115
'09 MIM standard Strat, maple fretboard, sunburst finish
Fender Super Champ XD

I guess I can understand a righty questioning why play left because it means focusing on the dominant hand but I don't think that's always the case.
Just speaking for myself, it's a right handed world and left handed people are regularly forced to do things that come easier for righties. Not complaining at all, majority rules and I support that. Please don't start making lefty parking spaces or anything like that. We can overcome.
My point is that we are kind of forced to be better at using both sides regularly where righties generally are not. As a result, it's possible that my overall combined left and right hand coordination may be better than a righty. So choice to play lefty is based on how the guitar feels to me, from just holding it to strumming to fretting. Just feels so wrong the other way.

My god, there a point in there somewhere.....

Brian

Agreed!!!! What's so wrong with playing lefty??? I do everything left handed. And why do you care??????

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08 American Strat - Blizzard Pearl
04 MIM Strat - Black Maple Neck
07 Gibson SG - Heritage Cherry
11 Gibson Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute GT
Martin Acoustic - 00CXAE
Marshall Class 5 Head
Blackstar HT5 Combo
Mustang V Head
Behringer AT108

I was at a family reunion/wedding this weekend past and my lefty uncle who plays a lefty strung for left was passed a right hand guitar and just flipped it over and played lefty just inverting the chords-it looked quite impressive.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.