Does it make a difference?

Airsick Pilot · #1 05-24-2003, 02:45 PM

Hey guys I have a question. Say, you're naturally left handed. Would you fret better if you play a right-handed bass considering your natural hand is left as opposed to fretting with your left hand when right is your natural hand? Same goes for picking and strumming..will you strum, pick, fingerstyle, etc better if you're naturally right handed? I hope this question doesn't confuse you guys.

A friend who's playing the guitar had some problems playing a certain song. She's right handed and of course plays a right-handed guitar and she said "it would be easier if Im naturally left handed, I don't seem to have control over my fretting fingers sometimes."

It just got me thinking. I don't know if this is true at all but I'm naturally left handed and I write with my right. I fret with my natural hand(left) and I seem to have alot of control over it even when I first started learning the instrument and my picking is sometimes a little awkward.

Cheers

JMX · #2 05-24-2003, 02:55 PM

I'm not sure if that would be an advantage.

The finger movements are so complex that it doesn't matter very much if you play with your strong hand or not IMO.

So playing righty as a lefty is mainly more convenient in terms of instrument availability.

A lot of players are lefties playing right-handed, including yours truly.

Nino Valenti · #3 05-24-2003, 06:11 PM

It's all pratice. It's all about what you get use to. I do everything righthanded. When I started to play hockey when i was younger, I had a lefty stick. Mow you give me a righty stick, I feel like a fool * can't do anything with it, the lefty stick is natural cause that's the 1st stick I used.

My daughter is 3. When she draws, she uswes both hands. Right & left. When she's drawing with me, she copies me, righty, when shes drawing with my wife, she copies her, lefty.

I've never seen a left handed piano before.

Infernal Affair · #4 05-24-2003, 09:31 PM

Actually there have been a couple posts about left handed players playing righthanded. I happen to be one of those players. I write left handed, throw left handed, and do a lot of things left handed. But I play video games (and bass) right handed, I use a right handed mouse, and I play a right handed bass. It's just what I'm comfortable with. I'd rather have my dominant hand be doing the fretting. Seems easier to me. However, the problem with this is the plucking hand doesn't have as much control. But I think this would be more of a problem if I used a pick more since that requires more arm control rather than just plucking with my fingers. Controlling fingers with a non-dominant hand seems much easier than using the whole arm.

Left handers are weird people. Some scientists have said that they're somewhat ambidextrous, but is it because they have to conform and learn right handed tools, or is it naturally like that? I think Nino's somewhat right in that it's typically what you learn with first that gets ingrained into you. Though on the outset you can start off with what you feel is "more right." When I started playing baseball I knew from the beginning that I threw better with my left hand, so my dad would get me left handed gloves. When I started off on bass fretting with my left hand seemed way more comfortable. So I bought a right handed bass.

Nino: Is your daughter ambidextrous? Seems to me that she can use both hands equally if she uses both of them to draw. That's pretty awesome.

Airsick Pilot · #5 05-25-2003, 03:06 AM

I guess I'm like you Internal. I'm naturally left handed and though I write with my right hand, I throw a ball, for example, with my left. I have more control over my left. I really can't really pick well when I play the guitar(I seem to manage pretty well with bass) and I have a feeling being naturally left handed has something to do with this.

some14existance · #6 05-30-2003, 08:02 AM

It really depends on how you learn.

If you start onna lefty bass, you're probably not going to be able to play a righty.

brianrost · #7 05-30-2003, 11:36 AM

The most important consideration is choice of lefty basses is much more limited.

I know a guy who plays lefty bass guitar and righty upright. Why? Because true lefty string basses are super rare and making a righty one lefty was too expensive!!!

CJ_Marsicano · #8 05-30-2003, 12:06 PM

Don't know how much this will help, but here's my two cents to this contribution anyway: I once worked briefly with a lefty guitarist who worshipped Jimmy Page to the point where he could do the records note for blessed note. One night at practice, he went to show me the bass part for an original song he wanted to try, took my bass, and played it upside down. I think that blew my mind even more than seeing him play "Dazed And Confused" exactly like the original recording, violin bow and all!

jive1 · #9 05-30-2003, 01:07 PM

I don't think there's much difference between using your strong hand for fretting as opposed to picking. At times your hands will be in sync, and other times they are independent. Sometimes the picking of a song can be more difficult than the fretting.

But on the other hand, finding a lefty bass can be difficult and the choices are limited. Also, if you use a lefty bass, more than likely you can only use your bass. You can't borrow one if you have an opportunity to sit in, or your regular breaks. On the other hand, if you have GAS, I guess being a lefty might help keep that affliction under control.

Airsick Pilot · #10 05-30-2003, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jive1
On the other hand, if you have GAS, I guess being a lefty might help keep that affliction under control.

Very true. The guitarist in my band is a lefty and he doesn't seem to have G.A.S for any guitars. I asked him how is that possible and he replied by saying because almost all of them doesn't come in a left-handed version.