(newbie warning) Left handed person, which bass?

Qbushido · #1 01-30-2006, 01:28 PM

Hello all, first and foremost thanks to anyone who can help with my very silly question.

I'm looking to begin the process of learning how to play bass, I do most things in my life lefthanded but am wondering if it makes more sense to try and learn right handed or just go with a left handed setup initially?

Thanks in advance.

stretchcat · #2 01-30-2006, 01:35 PM

I would try some left handed and right handed basses and go with what feels most comfortable to you.

chasfr · #3 01-30-2006, 04:22 PM

It probably depends on how dominant your left hand is. If you're strongly left-handed, just go with a lefty instrument--it won't make any difference musically. If you're closer to ambidextrous, you might find that playing righty gives you more instruments to choose from. Like Stretch says, try both, use what's most comfortable for you.

Good luck!
chas

Minger · #4 01-30-2006, 04:41 PM

Your left hand may also be better for fretting because you may have more control over it...:P

guy n. cognito · #5 01-30-2006, 07:39 PM

Learn to play right-handed. The lack of available gear will make you regret playing left-handed.

7flat5 · #6 01-30-2006, 08:23 PM

I really have no great experience as a teacher or otherwise, but it strikes me you really need the maximum from both hands to get really good. So, what does it matter? Given that the stringed instrument world is traditionally based on stopping (fretting) with the left hand and bowing/plucking/picking with the right, why not go for that from the beginning? There will be so much more choice of instruments, including not only guitars.

Bluez Dawg · #7 01-30-2006, 08:38 PM

Artisan B4 "fl" for lefties. very nice bass, I played it, even though I'am right handed but still sounded hella nice.

Marley's Ghost · #8 01-30-2006, 09:25 PM

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT learn to play lefty. Forget the dominant crap. The biggest mistake I ever made in music was to learn lefty. It is near impossible to find a decent bass at a store or online, and you can never pick up a bass somewhere and just play.

The only upside is that no one asks to play or borrow your bass. Not much of an upside there.

jeff schmidt · #9 01-30-2006, 09:40 PM

Finding lefty basses is problematic and frustrating. If you're not already a minority of some kind - being a lefty bassist will certainly give you a taste when you go shopping for basses.

But ultimately - I believe you should play both ways and find out which feels most natural.

The last thing you want to do is force yourself to play righty for all the correct "gear" reasons - and have it be the completely wrong thing to do for all the MUSICAL reasons.

jadviga · #10 01-31-2006, 12:31 AM

I had a similar dilemma - I do most of the things using left hand - but decided to play right handed bass. The best solution is to try both and found which one is for you - but yes be aware that left handed gear is hard to find .....

Disco_Gee · #11 01-31-2006, 05:10 AM

Learn to play right handed. I'm naturally left handed but I learned to play right handed. Because the fretting hand often requires more precise movements and speed, it makes sense to make your dominant hand the fretting one (your left hand!). It will save you lots of frustration later on.

ToR-Tu-Ra · #12 01-31-2006, 01:36 PM

It has never made sense to me why would someone NEED to play left handed. It's not like you only use one hand to play, you need both doing separate and different tasks, so, either lefty or righty, both of your hands are working and doing different things. I'm getting repetitive here. Anyways...

I think I heard somewhere that Jimmy Hendrix could play either right handed or left handed... Or maybe I just made that up

Qbushido · #13 02-02-2006, 06:28 PM

thanks for all the help.

steve66 · #14 02-02-2006, 07:09 PM

Im left handed. I was taught to play the drums either way and worked on that for many years. When I pick up a lefty bass, it just feels wierd. A righty bass feels right. Go to your favorite music store and try both. Do whatever is comfortable for you.

Marley's Ghost · #15 02-03-2006, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve66

Im left handed. I was taught to play the drums either way and worked on that for many years. When I pick up a lefty bass, it just feels wierd. A righty bass feels right. Go to your favorite music store and try both. Do whatever is comfortable for you.

IF he can find a lefty at the local music store.

Marley's Ghost · #16 02-19-2006, 11:45 AM

This past weekend the wife and I were at a local club where a very funky cover band was playing. During a break I bonded with the bass player, and he offered to have me come up and play a tune during the next set. As usual, I had to decline because I PLAY LEFTY!

Martybass · #17 02-19-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minger

Your left hand may also be better for fretting because you may have more control over it...:P

That's what I've found. I've also now found my left hand ring finger is broken at the moment though

theshadow2001 · #18 02-19-2006, 01:23 PM

You'll probably find most people tell you to play right handed. If your more comfortable playing left handed then you should go for it. Your dominant hand is the one that will dominate rhythm i.e. the plucking hand. People say that learning with a poorly setup instrument can be detremental to a begginer because they end up making it harder on themselves and then quit. I would think that if you are obvisouly more comfortable left handed why on earth would you make it harder on yourself?

Being left handed generally means that you cut out those middle of the road sort of good but sort of crap instruments. Get a reletively cheap instrument starting off and if you stick with it save up and get a fantastic instrument. G&L, Modulus, Musicman, Ken Smith, Sadowsky, Warwick the list of good left handed instrument makers goes on and on and on just like this post. The trick to aquiring left handed stuff is that it means special order. Trying a right handed version will be a good indicater of what the instrument is like then order the lefty version.

Go with whats most comfortable to you thats what ultimately should make your decision. (Although I do everything else left handed when I swing a golf club I do that right handed its just the way it came automatically so thats the way I play golf....not that I do, I hate golf

)

Learning to play someone elses (right handed) instrument upside down isn't all that impossible its just matter of getting used to it. Being left handed isn't as limiting as people seem to make it out to be.

FastEddie · #19 02-20-2006, 03:23 AM

I learned to play left-handed. Playing a right-handed instrument just felt weird and discomforting. Of course, learning to play upside-down on a right-handed instrument... well, I'm bad at it, but Hendrix and Cobain can't be completely wrong?

SamTheButcher · #20 02-20-2006, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disco_Gee

Learn to play right handed. I'm naturally left handed but I learned to play right handed. Because the fretting hand often requires more precise movements and speed, it makes sense to make your dominant hand the fretting one (your left hand!). It will save you lots of frustration later on.

No offense DG, but I see this alot in these lefty/righty discussions and it kinda makes me laugh. If this logic were true, then wouldn't many who are right handed be playing left handed instruments?

I wish it were true, it would force the music stores to stock more for us left handed people.

I tried to play righty, couldn't do it. Lefty was MUCH more comfortable and natural, and I was able to learn faster.

Go with what feels better to you. There are alot more choices for leftys now than there was 10 years ago. Limited, yes, but there's alot more out there than before.