Ambidextrous Union

[Stickk]

All ambidextrous bass players are allowed to join! I'm #1 (yes it counts if you taught yourself to be ambidextrous).

[Trell]

I'm ambidextrous in general (as in, I do different things different-handedly, hence, ambiguous dexterity) but I play bass exclusively righty. does that count?

[Stickk]

Originally Posted by Trell

I'm ambidextrous in general (as in, I do different things different-handedly, hence, ambiguous dexterity) but I play bass exclusively righty. does that count?

Welcome to the union! I play bass righty too.

[Atoz]

I bat, throw, write, eat and play bass right-handed, but do most everything else lefty. I can also throw and bat lefty in a pinch if I have to.

[Stickk]

Originally Posted by Atoz

I bat, throw, write, eat and play bass right-handed, but do most everything else lefty. I can also throw and bat lefty in a pinch if I have to.

I like your emot-o-meter.

[Crass!]

I play, write & throw righty, but I do many other things equally well lefty or righty - eating (chopsticks are a bit awkward lefty but I do it when the situation is appropriate,) batting, golfing, mousing etc. Does that count? Your definition of 'ambidextrous' is a bit vague.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambidexterity

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by Stickk

I like your emot-o-meter.

Thanks... I came up with it one night when I felt some irrational need to let the TB community know what a crappy mood I was in.

[Stickk]

Originally Posted by Crass!

I play, write & throw righty, but I do many other things equally well lefty or righty - eating (chopsticks are a bit awkward lefty but I do it when the situation is appropriate,) batting, golfing, mousing etc. Does that count? Your definition of 'ambidextrous' is a bit vague.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambidexterity

What I mean by ambidextrous is all the things you can do with your right hand, you can do with your left (or vice versa). For instance, I can write equally as well with my right hand as I can with my right, I can draw with both of my hands, etc. So, are your hands at equal dexterity, in other words. I've noticed being ambidextrous has really helped with my tapping technique.

[unbasslichkeit]

I've been looking for this thread, because as a left handed righty bassist I'm considering the purchase of a lefty bass and learning to play it just as an exercise. As I said in a previous thread, the only well known bassist I ever heard talking about playing both right and left was Michael Anthony, in an interview, and he didn't appear to think too much of his left-handed playing.

Of course, the REAL challenge would be to have skills all four ways, i.e.

1. Left handed bass upside down right
2. Right handed bass upside down left
3. Right handed bass right handed
4. Left handed bass left handed

[jrthebassguy]

I do everything right handed...except for bowling and tossing a frisbee. Don't ask me why I'm left handed with those, I have no clue. Does that count?

[Beej]

I'm markedly cross-dominant as well (also known as mixed-handedness), but I wouldn't call myself ambidextrous as I don't have a natural performance of equal value on left vs right.

I play most sports and eat left handed but write, play musical instruments, draw, paint, etc right handed. I've found I can force myself to use my "opposite" hand in many tasks fairly well - at least better than most single-handed persons. The only exception is boxing/martial arts in which I definitely perform equally well and can switch-hit with ease (pardon the pun ), but that is arguably a learned phenomenon attained through copious practice in both.

It looks like most of the rest of us in this thread are similar. Note too, that handedness is not necessarily dichotomous, and current research tends to back up this notion, rather that handedness occurs along a continuum from right to left in frequency. Those of us who comprise an even mixed-handedness occur with fairly equal frequency to those who are left-dominant and are not as rare as those who would naturally be defined as ambidextrous...

[amimbari]

wow this is an old thread I think needs bumped so......

I am also a player that can play bass:

righthanded flipped over lefty
lefthanded normal
lefthanded flipped over righty
righthanded played normal

I actually DO play lefty inverted, so the other ways are naturally not as skilled as I don't practice it, but toss me any bass, and 5 minutes after reversing the patterns, I'm good to go.

I do have some videos on youtube of me playing righthanded, as well as lefthanded with the E on top, as well as inverted to show a few others that once you learn the neck, no matter which way the strings are going, it's still the same string, same fret, same chord

as far as that other stuff, I throw both ways, bat both ways, write lefty only, drive both ways ( I was a mail carrier for many years that had to drive one of those passenger-side steering wheeled vehicles ) <<< does that count? ...lolol

now if the OP was asking can I do everything 100% in my daily routine both ways?...no, mostly lefthanded here, but it is advantageous when there is an injury, and I actually feel comfortable utilizing my other "brain-side".

[BEADGCF]

I can do most things with either hand. But for proficiency, right is better with a writing/drawing implement or small knife, and left is better for throwing, batting, shooting, fencing, etc.

I play right-handed...I could have done it the other way if there were any reason to though probably...