Right handed for a left hander?

Rockape · #1 09-09-2005, 05:01 AM

Callin out to left handers who may have a simular experiance.

I'm total left handed, in everyway, even pickin my nose but...

I've just bought my 1st bass which is a right hander, thats ok i thought just swing her over to save some money until i can actual play her then buy a real lefty. But i'm feelin more comfortable right handed then left when holdin her and playin etc.

Am i fallin for some psychological trick where by i'm purely copyin my freinds of which all are right handed or is it possible i just don't wanna play left handed which seems very strange to me.

At this early stage i really wanna give myself the best chance and make the whole experiance run as smoothy as i canwithout makin my own bottlenecks later on.

Any advise would be great, ty

spliffnriff · #2 09-09-2005, 08:58 AM

Hey man, I am a lefty too, and since I was taught by a righty, I learned to play as a righty! I think as long as you are comfortable playing right, then stay that way. For me - personally, my left hand is stronger and I think (could by my mind convincing me) that in general the fretting hand should be stronger because as you progress, you need to move faster better etc. However, my right hand had a lot of learning to do (still does). I guess since the right hand has to be trained, it could be trained either way, so that just brings me back to the begining...

Bottom line do what you feel most comfortable to you

Sorry for the pointless reply...

Al

burntgorilla · #3 09-09-2005, 11:33 AM

I'm left handed, but more towards ambidextrous, really. I only use my left hand for writing. I found that playing a right handed bass very easy, it seemed natural. To me, playing a left handed bass would now seem odd.

JMX · #4 09-09-2005, 12:09 PM

I am the average lefty. As a kid I learned classical violin, which is taught right-handed only AFAIK. So I had no problem learning bass right-handed.
A lot of lefties play that way.

Sonic_Death · #5 09-09-2005, 01:06 PM

I'm another natural born lefty who plays bass right handed. Does it honestly matter? Not really... whatever your more comfortable with! Left handed basses are usually rarer and more exspensive, so for you to learn right and save up to buy a left handed bass seems a bit foolish.

I'd say just learn on a right handed bass and stick with it. You may even find some advantages to being lefty and playing righty.

5stringFanatic · #6 09-09-2005, 03:18 PM

hi.. im a lefty too, but i actually play lefty basses! haha.. before buying my first bass everyone told me to try and learn on a right handed bass because of the whole fretting hand deal. But honestly, picking up a right handed bass, just doesnt work for me. I tried, and it was one of the most unnatural uncomfortable experiences of my life. I ended up trying a left handed bass, and the second i picked it up, it was just natural.

Like someone stated before.. no matter what, your hands need to be taught. If it feels comfortable and natural for you to play right handed basses, definetly stick with it. If not, just know there is a left handed market out there, and although some basses are extra $$ for lefty, there is still a big market out there, and ull have no problem finding basses.

Kind Regards,
H

lowphatbass · #7 09-09-2005, 03:24 PM

The dexterity and muscle memory involved in playing bass guitar has little in common with what we do in normal life. For someone who has never picked up a guitar type instrument in their life their are very little advantages or disadvantages either way, IMO. Playing bass at a high level involves alot of work and training either way. I've known and or seen players play every which way, strung every which way, upside down, backwards, you name it. Hendrix could play guitar right of left, strung regular or upside down simply because that's what he learned to do. Stringing your righty upside down so you can play it lefty should be pretty easy, depending on what you have. Go with what feels more natural, IMO.

4x4Given · #8 09-09-2005, 04:42 PM

I'm a lefty, but...

eat and write left
bowl left
throw things left
catch things right or left
water ski left (footed)
kick (soccer or football) left (footed)
golf right
play pool right
play bass, guitar and drums right
play frisbee right or left
bat (baseball) right or left
shoot (firearms) right or left

I've never felt it mattered. I really have no desire to learn to play a left handed string instrument. Cost more (in most cases) and less likey to get a chance to play a nice looking instrument in a music shop or of someone elses.

slybass3000 · #9 09-09-2005, 08:21 PM

ME?
I'm right handed who play bass lefty!
Go figure.
It just felt natural that way.

SB

Jazzin' · #10 09-09-2005, 10:55 PM

I'm a lefty who plays right handed. It wasn't natural at first, I was forced to learn the "right" way in grade 7 music class.

JimmyM · #11 09-10-2005, 01:45 AM

I'm a righty who thought it was more natural to play left-handed but was forced to play right handed. Glad I did it, too! Ever see what lefty basses go for? Easily 20% more than righties.

Rockape · #12 09-10-2005, 02:55 AM

Thank you for the reply's guys, you have helped me put something to bed.

I'm comfortable right so i'll stick with it.

jokke_v · #13 09-11-2005, 12:08 PM

If you're comfortable with it, then stick to it.

I originally learned to play the guitar left handed. Then I put it away for some years. Then one day, a friend of mine taught me a couple of chords on the guitar, only that this was a right handed guitar. It felt a bit odd in the beginning, but I wasn't really used to playing guitar anyways.
So, I stuck to playing right handed, and then moved over to bass after a while.
Nowadays, it feels really weird to pick up a left handed guitar/bass, but since I actually am left handed, I guess that it's more natural to me than the average right hander. Still, right hand basses feel a lot more natural.

burntgorilla · #14 09-11-2005, 03:13 PM

Being a lefty is annoying. When it comes to some things, like throwing, where you have to find which hand you're better at, you have to faff around working out which hand is better, whereas nearly all right handed people seem to be best with their right, without thinking. Though I can't throw to save my life anyway. I do it the gay way, I just never had any need to learn to throw.

When I first started bass, ie the first time I held one, I didn't really think it was odd at all. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.