Forcing a lefty to play tighty

mmr7 · #1 06-19-2001, 11:52 PM

The other day I was in Mars music and saw a salesman trying to make a sale to a young kid (teen) and his mom. The kid was a lefty and seemed to enjoy the lefty guitar he was playing. To my surprise the salesman kept trying to talk the kid out of that guitar and into a righty guitar and stressed that it was more important to play the guitar right handed as he would face nothing but problems down the road. I don't know why, but his insistance pissed me off. Do you think a left handed player should learn from the start to play right and don't you think it will ultimately limit his fretboard dexterity? Have any of you forced yourself to make the switch? I ask because my son (7 yrs) want to soon play drums or guitar (he hasn't decided) and he is a lefty. Any thoughts?

chilln2music · #2 06-20-2001, 12:14 AM

I'm left handed and ultimately ended up playing left handed, however I started on a righty acoustic for about 2 months. It felt very awkward but that was the only guitar in the house. Anyway I remember my dad telling me to learn on that so he didnt have to buy me a new guitar! ...but everytime I played "air guitar" to my favorate cd I played like a lefty. That's what truely made me decide to learn lefty....it just felt more natural.

As for drums I dont know..this could be more debatable because both hands have to learn independance (unlike guitar where they have to be coordinated to one another). I'd say bring him to a music store and see whats more natural...thats the only way he'll truly feel comfortable playing so he can enjoy it more.

kennydoe · #3 06-20-2001, 12:30 AM

The salesman makes a good point. *An ignorant one, but not an entirely bad one.

His intentions were probably good, saying that there are better and certainly more plentiful instruments available to righties...maybe the salesman was a JEM fanatic and knew that one day the kid was going to want a Vai guitar and would only be able to get a cheesey 555 if he learned to play lefty. :biggrin:

At a guitar (might've been bass) clinic, this particular artist said he was often asked why he didn't play lefty (he was lefthanded, obviously) his answer..."I do play lefty - my left hand is workin' a hell of alot harder than my right when i play".

Just a different perspective for ya. *

It's all in how you're taught, i think. *I'm self-taught on guitar. *Guitar players watch me play and say 'what the heck are you doing???'because some of my positioning is a bit ****eyed...but at the same time, the notes still come out the same and if you close your eyes, you can't tell whether i'm playing wtih proper technique, or righty or lefty or upsidedown and backwards. *Play it how it feels right. *Listen with open ears to people's suggestions and ideas and then make your own decisions.... don't let anyone tell you what's right and wrong...decide on your own.

The same holds true for music theory.

~Kenny

PS. *geez did that post get preachy or what!?! *sorry.

Roland Schemers · #4 06-20-2001, 01:53 AM

I'm a lefty and have always played as a righty. I doubt its hurt my playing, it kinda seems natural to want to
do all the fretboard work with my left hand :-) Kinda makes you wonder why they aren't flipped.

I do wonder how I would be if I had learned to play as a lefty, like if maybe my strumming/rythm would be a little better...

roland

Anonymous · #5 06-20-2001, 09:10 AM

For guitar, keep him on left.

For Drums, keep him on left. *I've played some drums and I'm a righty. *I know that I would not be able to play left handed because my right hand is just more capable of playing the hi-hat and other cymbals (requiring a lot of moving around), and my left is better on the snare.

Chan · #6 06-20-2001, 04:22 PM

I know some will disagree, but I say learn to play right handed. Mattais "AI" Eklungh, Shawn Lane and Steve Morse are all lefties that play right handed. Anyone that's haed them knows they have dextarity. I think people put too much value into handedness. They don't make any left handed pianos, sax, flute, ect. *If you practice right handed you'll be just as good as if you played left handed. Not only that, but you'll have a better selection of guitars to choose from. *Not only that, but to play classical guitar you have to play right handed. If none of those things are concerns then go ahead, but I doubt it will be that much easier to play left handed.

mmr7 · #7 06-20-2001, 04:55 PM

Wow, that's cool. I didn't know so many of you are lefties and play right handed. That is good to know. Thanks for all the feedback!

**jemsite** · #8 06-20-2001, 05:16 PM

i am righty so my comments are limited from experience

i would really try to learn righty. The benefits include having more tools (ie. guitars) at your disposal, having an easier time with lessons (most instructors are righty) and vastly increased possibilities of testing & swapping guitars with others.

if you have a major problem playing righty after a few months, then flip the righty axe over and restring it for a lefty

...glen

Wicked Blade · #9 06-20-2001, 05:17 PM

I'm left-handed too and I play 'regular' right-handed guitars. I never felt limited in any way (nor helped).

I won't go through all the arguments again, but I'll say this. When I began learning the guitar, I asked my guitar teacher the same question and he said (quote from memory) :
"Well, you need both hands to play the guitar, so why complicate things ?"
This may or may not be valid, your choice. Worked for me.

Food for thoughts

P.S. : and yes, before that I played air guitar left-handed, but that soon stopped when I played 'solid' guitar...

vmx23 · #10 12-07-2006, 08:39 PM

I agree about trying to play it righty style too. I know people who are lefthanded but play righty style. Not a problem for them.

And get this, I am a righty and when I first grabbed a guitar (a classical), I was actually holding it left hand style, cause I thought that was how it was supposed to be done.

It just felt so natural and all.

Heck, if my friend did not correct me, I would have probably be playing guitar lefty style now. Now that's cool, a righty playing lefty.

**elcid** · #11 12-07-2006, 08:46 PM

I try to get all my new students who are lefty to play right handed, and most left handed players I know play right handed for the reasons Glen mentioned

LonePhantom · #12 12-07-2006, 11:27 PM

My aunt who was my first guitar teacher is left handed but plays right handed. I'm left hand predominant too. She said if you think about it your left hand needs to be doing more so why try to get your right hand doing all that work when your left hand is already fairly co-ordinated.

I secretly think that the guitar as it stands today was originally invented by a left handed person but everyone learned that was so now it's like it's playing right handed!

no1spretty · #13 12-08-2006, 04:24 AM

I know a lefty who plays right-handed guitars and is the best guitarist ive ever seen in person. It's all a matter of prefferance. If i were a lefty i would try my best to learn on right-handed guitars though. The RG20th won't come in a lefty version

crevis · #14 12-08-2006, 04:38 AM

Did anyone else become a little more ampidexterous after you started play guitar?

I dont think your handidness(??) matters, everyone should start off playing righty.