Decision time. Any help appreciated

[PaulCannon]

Originally Posted by Bob Rogers

No. In fact, my post assumed that you were not a racist and would not enjoy having the parallels between your attitudes toward left handers and the attitudes of racists pointed out.

Dude. I don't care that you're left-handed. There's a standard way of playing the bass, and it's far easier to learn it that way. I was using the word "right" as a pun. Jesus.

[Tbeers]

I would encourage you to try to learn right-handed. I am left-handed but when I began to learn bass, there was never even a question of playing a lefty instrument.

Maybe you think that your left-handed slab experience will make it easier for you to learn lefty double bass. I think you should seriously consider whether your years of playing electric bass will really help you at all with URB. You might be surprised how little an advantage it will give you....

And won't you want lessons? Best of luck finding a teacher who will even deal with that.

[Bud Rink]

I'm left handed and play rightie. It's no big deal when starting because it *all* feels so unnatural, but I couldn't imagine switching after playing 35 years LH on EB. Even after years of study one thing that frustrates me is my bow (right) arm - it still has the feeling of throwing a ball with your off arm. The fluid motion for producing 16ths and tremelo is lacking - even after countless hours of practice... following instructors suggestions.... I guess the only remedy is practice, practice, more practice. Wait.... Jeff B has my bass.

[Bob Rogers]

Originally Posted by Tbeers

And won't you want lessons? Best of luck finding a teacher who will even deal with that.

I have interviewed two. Both were willing to work with me. I've chosen one to work with when I get a bass. Thank you for your wishes of luck.

[Silversorcerer]

Do you have to be Jimi Hendrix to be left handed and get respect here?

There is nothing to be gained by forcing a person who has been left handed all of their life to suddenly switch to right handedness (or vice versa). In fact what is introduced is an unnecessary obstacle, which in fact changes the complete thinking instruction set that has already been learned on other stringed instruments. Switch hands and none of the neural pathways are relevant anymore. One half of the head controls the right hand and the other the left. Now pizz plucking and string stopping are controlled by totally undeveloped nerve pathways. How many right handed folks would willfully subject themselves to this if a right handed instrument is available?

Granted, the DB is different from the EBG, but hands pluck and stop on all stringed instruments and the way the hemispheres of the brain sends those instruction sets must be completely reversed. In fact the whole musical thinking process has to form new neural paths.

Tbeers, you are a bit younger and your head is still adaptable in these ways. It is not so in an adult whose handedness by this time is pretty fixed. I'm right handed and 45 years old. I know I could never learn to play a stringed instrument left handed. Back when I first picked one up, maybe, but right just felt more natural. Some people are ambidextrous and others of us are severely dominant handed. It is better to just build a mirror image of the tool in most cases and double basses are not different from anything else that way.

I know Ray Parker will probably show up here about now ...

[T-Bal]

Bob - good luck with the bass search. It's fascinating how you can ask about one thing and get all sorts of advice on another. Someone who might be able to help you with your search who has a lefty perspective is Steve Varner. Google him if you want to get his contact info. And don't forget, left-handers are the only people who are in their right mind!

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I can't imagine why any teacher would have a problem teaching a southpaw on a southpaw bass unless the student wanted to play in an orchestra, and even then I'd have to wonder if it was insurmountable. The body is the body, and it is symmetrical, after all. If I was approached by a bass newbie for lessons I'd probably suggest learning righty just because of the availablility of instruments, but for someone who already played - even on slab - I'd just deal with it...but that's just me. If it was freaking me out during a lesson, I'd probably just watch the student play in a mirror. Hell, I watch myself play lefty in my practice mirror every day, and it doesn't seem to have scarred me too badly*. YMMV.





...but then I'm dyslexic, so maybe that explains it!

[hdiddy]

Curious question: Is there anybody out there who's a lefty who just happens to play a right handed bass without having to reverse the order of the strings?

For instance in the guitar realm, Albert King was supposed to be able to flip a right handed guitar (strung for a righty) and play with total facility. Might seem a little weird, but I don't see why a lefty couldn't do it that way. Would screw up the whole mirror image thing tho.

[Bud Rink]

Originally Posted by hdiddy

Curious question: Is there anybody out there who's a lefty who just happens to play a right handed bass without having to reverse the order of the strings?

For instance in the guitar realm, Albert King was supposed to be able to flip a right handed guitar (strung for a righty) and play with total facility. Might seem a little weird, but I don't see why a lefty couldn't do it that way. Would screw up the whole mirror image thing tho.

Yeah, Dick Dale plays the same way.

As far as the LH bass player goes, maybe that's a way to get back into the orchestra everyone says he will be banished from. He's playing with the treble strings closest to the body - just like the violinists

[Bob Rogers]

Originally Posted by Bud Rink

As far as the LH bass player goes, maybe that's a way to get back into the orchestra everyone says he will be banished from. He's playing with the treble strings closest to the body - just like the violinists

Yeah, but I'm going to have to do some pretty mean stretching exercises before I can get that thing under my chin.

[drurb]

I'm offering advice regarding the original posted question! The folks at Upton Bass are quite adept at turning out "lefty's." They have some of the best laminates available for the $$$ and their hybrids are superb. I'd put their hybrids up against a "low-end" carved model any day of the week and, in most cases, their hybrid would win. Just my opinion.

Les

[Ben Rose]

Originally Posted by hdiddy

Curious question: Is there anybody out there who's a lefty who just happens to play a right handed bass without having to reverse the order of the strings?

Lyles West does that here in Dallas. Helluva bassist, too.