I'm a lefty in a right hand world!!! Lefty's Unite!

wjs1820 · #1 01-28-2008, 02:55 PM

I'm tired of being kept down by the masses!!! I went for the hype that I might actually play better on a right handed guitar, so my axe points east.

I'm new so it doesn't feel too weird but I'm having difficulty strumming the right string. I figure that this is a new skill that I have train my brain for but I was curious if others are in the same boat.

Any other lefties out there playing right handed guitars?
How has it worked for you? Do you think it's easier having more control at the frets? Did you get past the weakness in your strumming hand?

Did you revolt and go back or give up all together?

andy7jem · #2 01-28-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wjs1820

Any other lefties out there playing right handed guitars?

Check out a member here called Eggy. He is the perfect example to you that you can achieve an unbelievably good level if you stick with it

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0InWsod4CJc

Plus....as a right-handed player you will have a vastly superior range of guitars to choose from purchasing

Wild_Child · #3 01-28-2008, 03:11 PM

I'm a lefty and play right handed. Although I'm a little more ambidextrous than most.. (Throw with my left but play bat/racket sports with my right ...don't ask)

But yes, playing right handed was a conscious decision for me because I knew that it would just make things easier for me in the long run. Afer all, guitar playing requires you to use BOTH hands. In fact, you might say that you're doing all the hard stuff with your LEFT hand on a right handed guitar, and certainly finger strength is most important in this hand.

I do wonder what might have been if i decided to play the southpaw way though.

Some people get around it in interesting ways. Check out Thorsten Koehne, he started off playing a right handed guitar upside down, but kept the strings as they were. Now he plays lefty bodies, but the strings are all upside-down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zug62b8jsWU

Left Lane · #4 01-28-2008, 04:37 PM

There was a big shop in Texas years ago called Southpaw guitars, Only dealt in left handed instruments. Also special runs from companies just for them. Im sure they are still around. I'm righty so I dont know much more than that

scotte_za · #5 01-28-2008, 05:06 PM

I'm also a lefty playing right handed, if you think about it, in the end you really need the same amount of dexterity and strength in both hands to play, so whether you start off playing left or right handed, as long as you practice properly you'll be fine

southpaw_lefty · #6 01-28-2008, 05:26 PM

Same here, a lefty that plays right-handed. To me, it just felt more natural to play righty.

Mmmm...seems like a lot of leftys here play right-handed!

Left Lane · #7 01-28-2008, 05:42 PM

isn't that better? your dominant hand is on the fretboard!

Lefty Robb · #8 01-31-2008, 06:12 AM

I think it takes far more control to pick then to fret, which is why really good right handed guitarists are, well, picking with there right hand. So a lefty playing right handed is actually at a disadvantage.

Yes http://www.southpawguitars.com/ is still around, but they don't deal as much in electrics as they do in acoustics. Although they have some sick Jacksons. Oh, and they are very pricey..which is why I go to Drum City..

And doing it the "Dick Dale" way is nutty, thats actually how I started playing too..

Dino · #9 01-31-2008, 04:05 PM

I play right handed as well. As long as you use a pick you should be fine. Use that extra dexterity in your left hand for pull-offs and bends. Just don't try fingerpicking...

Lefty Robb · #10 01-31-2008, 06:18 PM

I can't fingerpick worth $hit anyways

But I have fairly good control over alt picking, economy picking and I've pretty much mastered pinch harmonics. The hardest thing I find, but i'm getting better at because i'm focusing on it more, is going from 1-2-4 to 1-3-4 fingerings fast. Ring finger is the weakest of them all, and because of that I got used to playing 1-2-3 fingers for 1-3-4 fingering back in the day and I know thats wrong now and trying to get out of that habit is stupid hard.

richard1973 · #11 01-31-2008, 09:57 PM

I've always wondered why leftys would go for a left handed guitar, obviously that sounds stupid but when you think about it when you pick up a guitar for the first time, neither hand has any experience with fretting or picking and both are skills that grow together.

So i always thought if I was a lefty I'd go for a right handed guitar for the reasons already mentioned, you have a much wider choice of guitars ... that and left hand guitars just look a little weird to me, though if in a mirror it would look right (not that i pose in front of the mirror with my guitar!)

honost i dont!! and i dont put shades on too! ... or wear lingerie!

Lefty Robb · #12 01-31-2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard1973

I've always wondered why leftys would go for a left handed guitar, obviously that sounds stupid but when you think about it when you pick up a guitar for the first time, neither hand has any experience with fretting or picking and both are skills that grow together.

It just felt a lot better, and trust me I tried both, and I had no coordination when playing right handed. It all comes down to the brain, and I proved it to myself, whenever I'm at a a keyboard, no matter how much I know that the key go from right to left bass to treble, my brain can't comprehend that, it always thinks its the opposite, keys were my first instrument and that was exactly why I couldn't play it very well.

richard1973 · #13 02-01-2008, 07:03 AM

thanks for the insight Robb, I've never known someone who plays left handed before so never had that explained. I wonder if there are left handed keyboards available anywhere, or brass instruments, can you get left handed versions of them where the 'buttons' (probably wrong technical term

) face the other way?

Lefty Robb · #14 02-06-2008, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard1973

I wonder if there are left handed keyboards available anywhere, or brass instruments, can you get left handed versions of them where the 'buttons' (probably wrong technical term

) face the other way?

No, but I have seen a left handed violin though...

reguv760 · #15 02-06-2008, 11:50 AM

I'm mainly a lefty but quite ambidextrous with other things like playing my Ibby's normally... I tried classical finger picking and got to a point of slight coordination but lost interest when my right hand wasn't quite keeping up with my left hand's dexterity which can do sweeps, taps, and all that fun stuff :P
But I have to agree with Lefty about pick control; its probably much easier for righty's.

btw... are two-handed tap players considered ambidextrious?

Reg