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Ambisinistrous

Z

Zade

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Dec 11, 2015
3
0
31
#1
Hey folks, honored to be here.

A conundrum most dire:

I can NOT decide which way to play, lefty or righty.

Available selection off the table (I am sure I'll be able to find something to play, either way).

It feels better to play lefty, but sounds better playing righty.

Even though I'm left-handed, my right hand tends to be smarter and have better rhythm.

I am at my wits' end.

Anyone have a similar situation? Any advice? This has held me up for way too long.

Thanks very much
 
#6
I think if I ever found myself in OP's position, and knew what I know now, I would try to learn both ways

...but not exactly straightforward Righty & Lefty. I would learn Righty and Backwards Righty (i.e., left-handed on a right-handed bass flipped over).
That way you don't need to have a hard-to-find instrument, you do get to exploit your body's physiological gifts, and you get to explore an idiosyncratic way of playing that may open up new musical ideas that a purely symmetrical Lefty Vs. Righty approach wouldn't necessarily offer.
 
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#9
MalcolmAmos said:
Link Removed

Buy one of each. Two months from now you'll know. Sounds like a $300 decision to me. Not a step for a stepper.

Give the one you do not want to some kid, make his day.
Click to expand...

Think this is what I'm going to have to do. Even though the sound is tighter when I play righty, if I never pick it up because it feels weird, then it might not matter. Thanks for all the input, folks!
 
#10
Zade said:
Think this is what I'm going to have to do. Even though the sound is tighter when I play righty, if I never pick it up because it feels weird, then it might not matter. Thanks for all the input, folks!
Click to expand...
Well, you're certainly right that if playing righty feels so weird that you never pick it up, that's a problem -- but if you buy one of each you're gonna have to get over that to try it anyway. My suggestion was based on the assumption (which of course might be wrong) that it will be easier to get over the feeling of weirdness than it will be to make your less groovy hand more groovy.
 
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#11
My girlfriend is a lefty and plays righty. Her feeling (and I agree) is that everyone can learn to play either way, it's a matter of where you start and how you train. She's what's referred to as "mixed handed", because her dominant side changes depending on what she's doing. Sounds like you might be similarly inclined, in which case I would advise play righty to start and see where that takes you.
 
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#12
Mount one, single strap button in the center of the body, hook both ends of strap on said button. Switch hands after each song.

khbl.jpg
 
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#15
I'm a righty (probably) and I've been learning to play lefty bass for a little over a year now (after never touching a guitar before). I did this because for some reason the fingers on my left hand have less flexibility/extension, and also, I now understand that I'm in fact more ambidextrous than righty.

Yes, finding instruments is a bit more difficult, but compared to a (hopefully) lifetime of playing - I think this is a very small price to pay.

When I started, I could hold a decent rhythm with my left hand, but my right was much more adept. Now they're almost the same (I always tap my fingers so both hands get much practice anyway).

Do what feels right. Ignore all other considerations.
 
#17
red_rhino said:
My girlfriend is a lefty and plays righty. Her feeling (and I agree) is that everyone can learn to play either way, it's a matter of where you start and how you train. She's what's referred to as "mixed handed", because her dominant side changes depending on what she's doing. Sounds like you might be similarly inclined, in which case I would advise play righty to start and see where that takes you.
Click to expand...

I'm that way. I write lefty but I play stringed instruments righty. I throw a football lefty, but a baseball righty. I bowl lefty, but throw a frisbee righty.
 
#18
hobosong said:
I'm that way. I write lefty but I play stringed instruments righty. I throw a football lefty, but a baseball righty. I bowl lefty, but throw a frisbee righty.
Click to expand...
True ambidexterity is rather rare, since it really equates to being able to do that same things equally with either hand. I think most people are somewhat "mixed handed" whatever their dominant side. Anecdotally, I observe more mixed-handedness in people who are left side dominant, having had several significant others in my life who were left-handed but demonstrated the traits you describe. But there are some folks who are very dominant on one side and show no mixed-handedness at all.

Without getting into the whole lefty vs righty debate, I think that people should play whichever way they feel most comfortable. If you have a choice, I would pick righty just because of access to instruments.
 
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