Need HELP...kinda confused

[QU!CK]

What's up guys, I've been playing drums for about 6 or 7 years now and bass for aprox. 3yrs. I mostly stick to my drums but mess around with my bass every now and then but have lately found myself wanting to truly improve my playing...the only problem is, I'm a lefty.

To make matters worse, when I started playing (bass) I was playing a "right-handed" bass upside down. The bass was still strung like a normal righty, I just played it upside down for ease in my playing situations since it wasn't my primary instrument. I've tried (and failed) many times to convert to playing the righty the "normal" way so now I'm considering buying a decient true lefty to re-learn on. Could I maybe buy a lefty and string it right handed or should I just break down and finally learn to do things the right way? (haha, no pun intended) Thanks for any advice!

[Koushaku]

If you really want to try serious playing I would think you ought to relearn on the lefty strung up correctly. Though I suppose you could play around with what you have and come up with your own unique style of playing...I still think it'd be better to have it standard, if you were learning to read music and such it'd probably be easier since instruction for that would follow convention. Hope my opinion helps.

[pezoamo]

I dont think you should relearn the "standard way". If evryone played like how they were supposed to, there wouldn't be greats like Wooten or Claypool. I think it would be cool to watch someone who could play with the guitar upside down.

Thats just me talking, though.

[lowphatbass]

I know a couple of bassists that play a right handed bass upside-down and left handed. Playing a right handed bass presents ergonomical challenges, not the inverted stringing, but the bass itself. Playing bass with the strings inverted is challenging only in that you have fewer references to draw from, but it can be done, and done well. Check out J. Haslip of the Yellowjackets for example. I want to add that I think it's great that you are asking this question . On a confusing side note, it has been said that Jimmy Hendrix could play a lefty and righty, upside down or backwards, then again he was a Hendrix. What I am trying to say is don't limit yourself, with hard work you can do whatever you set your mind to!!