Lefty Bass player

[Suzi72]

Any insight on learning left handed? I'm a lefty and just starting out. I wondered if I need any special learning techniques or will a typical bass training be sufficient.

Thanks,
Suzi

[Deacon_Blues]

No, you will not need any special learning techniques except from that you will have to mirror every scale diagram or so that you will see. I don't know if there's any education material made exclusively for lefties.

By the way, try both left and right handed basses unless you have purchased a lefty already. There's a lot of lefties playing right handed basses here on this forum, myself included. Anyway, there's pros and cons with both. Do a search here on TB, there have been a million threads on left vs right already.

[Slax]

I'm a left handed person playing right handed. (When I started, I couldn't afford a left handed bass). I feel it's helped my fretting hand but my plucking hand was slower to become useful. lol.

I'm not sure if there's special left handed bass playing instructions around... I haven't really checked. I think standard stuff should be fine. Notes are notes, technique is the same, rhythm is rhythm, etc.

A teacher would probably make this easier for you though.

[mrokern]

I'm a lefty playing...well...lefty. You'll get the hang of re-doing the diagrams in your head pretty quickly. Of course, if you learn to just read the music it won't be an issue at all...

It can actually make things a little easier for you if you're watching someone play...it's like looking into a mirror.

Play whichever way you are comfortable. I can't play righty to save my life, but give me a lefty and it feels perfectly natural.

-Mark

[Suzi72]

Thanks for your input!

[slybass3000]

I'm a lefty and I teach a lot.
One of the thing that is helpful is the fact that when I play in front of the student it give the mirror effect which is very practical for the teacher AND the student.

So, find yourself a right-hand teacher which shouldn't be too hard LOL

Sylvain

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by slybass3000

I'm a lefty and I teach a lot.
One of the thing that is helpful is the fact that when I play in front of the student it give the mirror effect which is very practical for the teacher AND the student.

So, find yourself a right-hand teacher which shouldn't be too hard LOL

Sylvain

I love being lefty for this reason. And the fact that no one can play my instruments.

If you want to learn righty you can (I've seen it done), but I don't necessarily advocate it. I maintain that the best way to learn is the most comfortable.