Left handed guitar? How does that work for you?

tchall · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:45 pm

I'm of the opinion that "left handed" guitars just plain aren't really left handed...

I feel fortunate that I never picked up one of those backwards strung things.. picking up a standard guitar felt just right for this lefty...

Playing what was laying around the house wasn't much of a real problem since "lefties"must have invented the instrument... and the mainstream guitars show the how and why...

It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that fingering the chords with the left hand and strumming/picking with the right takes advantage of a left lefty's best coordinated (south) paw...

Getting a guitar strung backwards only increases the learning curve for a lefty while they're learning the instrument ... and afterwards prevents them from enjoying guitars actually designed to complement their best/easiest coordination.

One of my friends built a dozen bass ackwards guitars before realizing he was swimming up stream...

He's probably not going to change being in his 60s... but he's kicked himself a bit realizing how many more guitars he'd have been able to enjoy if well meaning, but wrong, advice had not pointed him toward a backwards strung instrument when he was a kid...

"lefties" that get ruined on a backwards guitar have my sympathy... but the "standard" is the result of lefties being more likely to go into arts and invention than the average...

At some point it was a lefty's world in the arts<G>

If you don't believe it... just look at the string section of an orchestra or watch the lead player from your favorite gold record selling band shred and see which hand is doing the more complicated work odds are it's the South Paw!

Martian · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:20 pm

I'm a 'lefty' who learned 'righty' for the bulk of the reasons you've described.

I agree that 'lefties' who play 'righty' have a natural advantage but this is where it ends. Many people learn many skills in life 'opposite' handed and excel at them, oftentimes better than those who use their 'natural' side. Consequently, I disagree with 'lefties' having a lock on (what is known as) right handed instruments.

Danny Duke · **Joined:** Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:00 pm **Posts:** 3063

I am a natural lefty, that learned right for one reason. They all told me that lefties were not legitimate guitar players. B.S. I don't think I ever met a lefty that wasn't Damn Good I think I may have become a better player If I had learned The way that was natural to me. Oh well that was almost 60 years ago.

----Danny,

tvr1979 · **Joined:** Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm **Posts:** 603

I'm left handed and always look at it this way. Do you ever see a left handed instrument in a symphony? I'm sure there are many left handed musicians in the group.

Screamin' Armadillo · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:33 am

tvr1979 wrote:

I'm left handed and always look at it this way. Do you ever see a left handed instrument in a symphony? I'm sure there are many left handed musicians in the group.

Left-handed oboe players?

tchall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:39 am

For the record Jimi Hendrix was one amazing Guitar Player... and puts the idea that you can't learn to work opposite your natural tendencies to bed in one example...

OTOH, the whole string section in an orchestra is fingering with their left hand, and bowing or plucking with their right... That left handed Oboe player isn't having a problem and probably learned to control her higher valves quicker than the lower ones..

When I was a brass player I had a lot of time to observe while counting rest notes till the next blast of brass<VBG>

That's where I decided that most(all?) strings were lefty designs.. Most brass seems right handed (but no problem for a lefty) except French Horns and their ilk being designed by demons, just to make them frustrate new players<VBG>

Just kidding, I LOVED playing French Horn! But look where the valves are...

What about new talent; though, should we be locking them into reverse strung instruments?

Is explaining the lefty design going to smooth the road as much as having a quality guitar to learn on?

AND the biggest question of all, how do we keep the secret so the righties don't feel "left" out?<G>

oneal lane · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:52 am

TC

Up until a couple of months ago, I would have agreed with you. I am RH and played RH all my life. Due to an temporary injury, I started to play LH and bought myself a LH MIM Strat. after playing an upside down re-strung Squier for a couple weeks. I am progressing along quite well, and its already apparent to me that it really does not make a difference in the long run. If your a LH playing right or RH playing left your body and brain acquire the messages and mastery of the fretboard is a matter of practice.

The fretting hand is only half the equation. How well you "emote" from your strumming and plucking hand is perhaps equally if not more important.

I have enjoyed starting afresh on a lefty Strat and plan to continue to progress as a part time lefty. My injury is healing and eventually my fretting hand will be totally recovered. I plan to continue playing and improving on both RH and LH.

Again, I think it's just a matter of practice. The real handicap for lefties is the lack of LH models and colors to choose from.

CAFeathers · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:40 am

I'm Left Hand and I play Left Handed!!

The real issue for Left Handed players is the amazing amount of people who say: "Why don't you just play right handed?"

My answer to them is: "Because I'm LEFT HANDED!!!!"

Krab · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:09 am

I'm a left handed player who plays right handed for a few reasons. One I was learning on my fathers guitars and they were right handed. Two it seemed like it was the left hand doing all of the work. Three and the most important reason, I wanted to be able to find guitars. The left handed guitar market is kind of slim, even with Southpaw Guitars here in Houston.

sunburst · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:24 am

oneal lane wrote:

TC.

Again, I think it's just a matter of practice. The real handicap for lefties is the lack of LH models and colors to choose from.

As a lefty, I can relate to that. That's one excellent reason to build your own.

tchall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:59 pm

CAFeathers wrote:

I'm Left Hand and I play Left Handed!!

The real issue for Left Handed players is the amazing amount of people who say: "Why don't you just play right handed?"

My answer to them is: "Because I'm LEFT HANDED!!!!"

And here I thought we'd established why and how "Standard" WAS actually "Left Handed" and that backward stringing actually worked against Lefty players.. (at least in a minor way)

I think you're playing what someone else TOLD YOU was Left Handed BECAUSE you're Left Handed and justly proud to be one of We Few of the Southpaw Persuasion<VBG>

There's nothing wrong with that at all...

beatles1909 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:19 pm

oneal lane wrote:

TC
Again, I think it's just a matter of practice. The real handicap for lefties is the lack of LH models and colors to choose from.

You got it! I can't even buy a p bass lefty unless it's a Squire or USA made. (that's a lost sell for Fender) I used to get really pissed over the selection but now I figure if manufactures don't need my money, then I don't need thier products..
that being said, for me Fender are the best in making lefties readily avail.
Epiphone's are also pretty easy to find.

my 5 fenders are white , sunburst, sunburst, sunburst, black,

schnepf13 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:26 pm

Don't discount the importance of the picking hand!!!

It's true that a left-handed person playing a right-handed guitar may have an early advantage when it comes to fretting chords and bending strings, but in many cases they will have trouble when it comes to things like string skipping, tremolo picking, etc.

I'm left-handed and initally started playing on a right-handed guitar. Everything, even simple stuff, sounded terrible because I had no rhythm or dexterity in my picking hand. After a couple of years of frustration I switched to a left handed guitar and my playing almost instantly became much better. Been playing lefty ever since.

I realize that many left-handed people play right-handed guitars and it works just fine for them. But some people, like myself, really needed to learn on a left-handed instrument to fully develop their potential as players.

schnepf13 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:26 pm

tchall wrote:

For the record Jimi Hendrix was one amazing Guitar Player... and puts the idea that you can't learn to work opposite your natural tendencies to bed in one example...
<G>

As far as Hendrix was concerned...Jimi was a natural lefty whose father tried to force him to play right-handed. Jimi simply didn't feel comfortable playing that way and decided to flip his guitars around in spite of his dad's wishes...

"Jimi Hendrix was naturally left-handed but his father tried to force him to play right-handed because he believed playing left handed was a sign of the devil. Hendrix took right-handed guitars and restrung them for playing left-handed (Cross 2005:55). Hendrix did continue to write right-handed." (quote courtesy Wikipedia)

When a young left-handed guitar player starts out on the instrument, I think it's important to left him or her play whichever way initially feels most comfortable. Again, some lefties have no trouble playing a right-handed guitar, while other (like myself) are never quite able to get the hang of it. It's best to let them play in the manner that will allow them to develop their fullest potential as players.

ray_tard · **Joined:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:47 pm **Posts:** 259

schnepf13 wrote:

Don't discount the importance of the picking hand!!!

It's true that a left-handed person playing a right-handed guitar may have an early advantage when it comes to fretting chords and bending strings, but in many cases they will have trouble when it comes to things like string skipping, tremolo picking, etc.

I'm left-handed and initally started playing on a right-handed guitar. Everything, even simple stuff, sounded terrible because I had no rhythm or dexterity in my picking hand. After a couple of years of frustration I switched to a left handed guitar and my playing almost instantly became much better. Been playing lefty ever since.

I realize that many left-handed people play right-handed guitars and it works just fine for them. But some people, like myself, really needed to learn on a left-handed instrument to fully develop their potential as players.

+1

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