Lefties vs righties

[idoru]

On a prog-rock forum I frequent, ~ 43% of the respondants were left handed. The average throughout the population is closer to 10%, and I'm curious to see the proportion here

Myself, I was born a lefty, but had it beaten out of me at a Catholic school I attended for 6 months in the early 80's. I'm right handed on bass, I can use a cricket bat left or right handed and use cutlery left handed (but occasionally get my wires crossed and need to ask my wife which hand I should be holding my fork in). My penmanship is atrocious in either hand!

[pklima]

I'm right-handed but play all instruments left-handed. That accidentally happens sometimes when you start out on something symmetrical. But I can't write with my left hand and generally can use tools better with the right.

[trog]

My left hand may as well be replaced with a dead fish. It's useless.

[morf]

Im right handed but oddly enough I seem to be able to play left handed basses, though I cant pluck very fast.

[Atoz]

I'm more or less ambidextrous. I do some things righty (eat, write, golf, throw, play bass) and some things lefty (tie shoes/tie, shoot a basketball, kick a ball, box). I'm probably more naturally left-handed, but do things right handed out of convenience. The only things I simply can't do left handed are golf and write.

The first time I picked up a guitar, I did so lefty, but was told I was "doing it wrong," so I switched to righty. I recently strung an old, unused bass upside down and tried to play it lefty. It was a little awkward, yet comfortable enough where I could likely learn if I had the time and the interest; which I don't.

[NJL]

lefty/lefty... not by choice

[canopener]

Originally Posted by NJL

lefty/lefty... not by choice

+1

[tplyons]

Fairly ambidextrous. Well, I try to be.

Naturally very right-handed.

[DemoEtc]

Lefty, playing lefty.

By the way, who in the marketing/RD department of guitar/bass manufacturers decided that lefty basses and guitars should have all the pots reversed? Not all, just some.

I used to resolder them so they'd work like every other volume/tone control in the world - clockwise=increase, counter-clockwise=decrease - but gave up and just tried to get used to it.

Thing is, sometimes if I don't remember which bass I'm on, I go to turn up the volume and hear...nothing

[Alex]

Originally Posted by trog

My left hand may as well be replaced with a dead fish. It's useless.

How do you play bass?

[ponticat]

Poorly, I would think.

[Poop-Loops]

Somewhat ambidextrious.

I write and eat left handed, throw, bass, some other stuff right handed.

I can do a lot of stuff with either, though. Especially things that are somewhat new to me, so I haven't "developed" a strong side to it yet.

[teedub]

Lefty-dominant. I play golf, hockey and bat right for some reason. Though golfing "righty" uses your left arm to pull the club across your body.

I'm mostly lefty, and I bass lefty.

[dirtgroove]

ambidextrous and proud- my gills make me an excellent underwater swimmer.

[JanusZarate]

Originally Posted by dirtgroove

ambidextrous and proud- my gills make me an excellent underwater swimmer.

"Ambidextrous" has nothing to do with fish...

Anyhow...

I'm a lefty, and I play lefty instruments. I could probably play right-handed if I wanted to, but I wouldn't have the fingerstyle speed I can get by sticking to what I naturally am!

[theshadow2001]

I play lefty. I won't compromise how I play an instrument because of backwards tradition or the majority does it the other way around. I'll either play lefty guitars basses or have 'em made lefty. It frustrates me a little bit when people tell you to just play right handed as though it was some switch that you flip. The big advantage being you can try out all the instruments in the music shop. I can still do that. It's just a little more upside down than when most others do it.

[QU!CK]

I play left handed but typically write using my right hand.

When playing drums, I usually lead with my left hand as well (left hand for the hats, right for the snare) although I can switch up at will.

If sitting down, I eat right handed. When standing, lefty....Yea, I know it's weird but I can't figure it out either.

Pretty much flip flop on just about everything else as well...batting, kicking, using a mouse, hammer, etc.

Except for playing guitars...I still struggle with playing the basic major scale on a righty lol.


-J

[danomite64]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I play lefty. I won't compromise how I play an instrument because of backwards tradition or the majority does it the other way around.

+1

[JanusZarate]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I play lefty. I won't compromise how I play an instrument because of backwards tradition or the majority does it the other way around. I'll either play lefty guitars basses or have 'em made lefty.

+1!

Being a lefty is a permanent strike against tradition and the majority... what better way to stand out among a mix of right-handed bassists than to be a lefty?

It's a more significant mark than playing some fancy boutique bass that the average Joe has never (and probably will never) hear of.

Back in my old high school in San Jose, I founded the "Lefty Union"... an organization of left-handed people which also included "honorary" members that were individuals who were supposed to be left-handed, but were forced to be right-handed from a young age.

We had 11 members before it was unofficially disbanded; when I moved to Sacramento for my last year of high school, the group fell apart quickly without some sort of handsome, ambitious, talented, and dedicated leader to guide it.

Well... it's not like we did much anyway. Mostly advocated for left-handed scissors and our dignity.


...


We never got those scissors

[dain bramage]

Originally Posted by idoru

Myself, I was born a lefty, but had it beaten out of me at a Catholic school I attended for 6 months in the early 80's.

God Catholic schools are ****ing retarded. Is the left hand the devil's tool or something?