Lefties why didn't you start playing a righty?

[MAJOR METAL]

Yea I have an Idea, go outside with somebody and have a catch with a football left and right handed and then comeback and tell us how stupid you were for starting such an idiotic thread about a common sense subject!

You need to chill out, the forum is here for learning and sharing of information. Its a valid question.

 

[wmcjhi]

Might as well relate personal experience to help get thread back on track:

I write left handed, I naturally learned to eat left handed (as someone else mentioned). However, I learned to throw, play golf, kick, etc, etc with my right. This made for an interesting situation when picking up a guitar/bass. I thought about it and figured that my more precise hand is my left as that is used for writing. My right hand then becomes more of a "power hand" for throwing and such. I chose a right-handed instrument. I honestly don't think it would've made too much difference but I figured I'd have a slight head start that way as well as have any easier time purchasing new gear.

 

[grooVWy]

I appreciate the side track history lesson however my point is that starting with a clean slate, we can all be easily taught to play either way L or R; there is no predisposition.

By the way, both my mother and sister are Leftys. Matter of fact mom plays piano with the low notes on the left, imagine that

Thanks,

KT

When I started (I´m a lefty) I tried to play with many of my mates guitars and basses all right handed. It felt so unnatural that I almost gave up the whole idea of playing, but gladly my dad took me to the music store and made me try a lefty bass.

I´m very glad I am not one of your students. You would have killed the spark and possibly even made me quit after a while.

It´s very arrogant for you to talk like that about the matter that you think you know about, but you ain´t lefty are you ?
And even when some lefties do play with righty instuments that doesn´t mean that every lefty can do it. It´s not all so freaking black and white.

And the whole syphonic orchestra comment ... I don´t understand your point with that either.

It seems that you just think that you know some "blanko" truth about the subject that you have no "own hand" experience about.

cheers.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Interesting topic. Glad to jump in on page 11. I'm a lefty but I play right handed. When I was learning I found it to my advantage to be able to form the notes with my more dexterious left hand. My right hands rhythm was fine, just not as coordinated as my left. I slap and pop and I play finger style (i.e. without a pick). In the beginning I would find limits when playing fast but I don't even think about it anymore, but I do find that my left hands coordination allows for me to incorporate more rhythm in the fret side of things.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Might as well relate personal experience to help get thread back on track:

I write left handed, I naturally learned to eat left handed (as someone else mentioned). However, I learned to throw, play golf, kick, etc, etc with my right. This made for an interesting situation when picking up a guitar/bass. I thought about it and figured that my more precise hand is my left as that is used for writing. My right hand then becomes more of a "power hand" for throwing and such. I chose a right-handed instrument. I honestly don't think it would've made too much difference but I figured I'd have a slight head start that way as well as have any easier time purchasing new gear.

You play golf right handed. How's that work for you? I kind of tried it didn't work so I play left handed golf now. Ok back to the show folks.

 

[john turner]

i'd still like to seethe OP address the points brought up in my post.

these instruments were designed to be played a certain way, with the dominant hand performing one job and the subordinate hand doing the other, just as a fork or spoon or pencil was designed to be used by the dominant hand. every tool or instrument is designed with handedness in mind -by default- because they are all designed by someone who has a dominant hand - usually right. saying that "your body doesn't know better" ignores the fact that the "natural" way of using something was determined when that object was first designed, whether it's a simple tool or a guitar.

try putting the mouse on the left side of your keyboard. your body does not have a natural inclination toward using a mouse with one hand or the other.

as for fretting hand taking more dexterity than plucking hand, i disagree. the amount of finger independance coupled with strength, stamina and control necessary to properly play, say, a flamenco piece on a classical guitar necessitates using the dominant hand. this is the progenitor of electric instruments - both bass and guitar, despite what leo fender wanted - and so shoudl be considered.

i would like this discussion to continue, but i can see why some folks are upset. it seems like the OP has approached this topic with a serious case of "smug-superiority syndrome" and that tends to impede open discussion. i'm sure that's NOT (EDIT typo sorry) what he intended, though, but rather just the limitations of the writen word as a communication medium .

let's all calm down folks, and share info openly. if certain folks don't wish to share openly - if they are obviously unwilling to address any opinions other than their own - then the best thing to do is ignore them, rather than trying to fight them. don't be frustrated - use threads like this as the perfect opportunity to learn which talkbass members you wouldn't want to discuss things with anyway. participating here is supposed to primarily be enjoyable, and some folks work hard at impeding that for others for some reason. probably not enough hugs, but oh well.

also, any further obvious baiting will earn the baiter a ban. starting now. i don't care what side of the argument someone is on - if they decide it is best to argue about -arguing- as opposed to discuss the topic at hand, they will be banned. consider this a warning. if you can't help yourself, leave this thread.

 

[john turner]

Interesting topic. Glad to jump in on page 11. I'm a lefty but I play right handed. When I was learning I found it to my advantage to be able to form the notes with my more dexterious left hand. My right hands rhythm was fine, just not as coordinated as my left. I slap and pop and I play finger style (i.e. without a pick). In the beginning I would find limits when playing fast but I don't even think about it anymore, but I do find that my left hands coordination allows for me to incorporate more rhythm in the fret side of things.

i think the reason why this is possible for some folks and not for others (switching dominant hand on the instrument) is because there are varying degrees of handedness between people. some folks might be extremely left or right handed, doing everything with their primary hand, while most might be somewhere in the middle.

 

[john turner]

When I started (I´m a lefty) I tried to play with many of my mates guitars and basses all right handed. It felt so unnatural that I almost gave up the whole idea of playing, but gladly my dad took me to the music store and made me try a lefty bass.

I´m very glad I am not one of your students. You would have killed the spark and possibly even made me quit after a while.

It´s very arrogant for you to talk like that about the matter that you think you know about, but you ain´t lefty are you ?
And even when some lefties do play with righty instuments that doesn´t mean that every lefty can do it. It´s not all so freaking black and white.
cheers.

i agree - when i had students i would never dream of forcing such an obvious agenda upon them. i would make them aware of the facts - namely lefty instruments are a bit more rare than righties, which is the only consideration necessary when thinking about forcing the opposite-handedness - and then i would support their decision.

seems more like feeding the ego than an honest desire to teach to me.

 

[john turner]

Definition:trolling


If you feel inclined toward research you can see that most of the anti-arguments would fit into one of the following categories of illogical reasoning.

Link Removed

+1

 

[rickon]

Would really like to see how specific comments fit into Avid's assertion of illogical reasoning.

 

[avid]

Here is some incredibily interesting stuff at Wikipedia.

Handedness

 

[john turner]

Would really like to see how specific comments fit into Avid's assertion of illogical reasoning.

that is beyond the scope of this discussion. please stick to the topic.

 

[lefty007]

The OP stated the same question several times, to avoid confusion:

Why does an individual chooses a left-handed bass the first day he has contact with the instrument, before ever laying hands one?

The answer has been clearly repeated many times:

Because it feels more "natural," because those first few minutes they started noodling on the bass it felt akward and as a natural reaction, they would flip the guitar a start noodling in left-handed orientation, which "felt" a lot easier to manage, the hands would fall into place more easily, which in term will make the player learn quicker and debatably, reach full potential.

That has been said and has been the experience of many.

The reasons behind that phenomena are still theories, and many lefty people might play right-handed, be lefty for one thing or another, play piano, horn and drive a car right-handed, but for those of use who had the experience, it was as simple as this:

Playing bass right-handed felt unnatural, more difficult, more challenging that playing the instrument left-handed. Like I said in one of my original posts, the very first time a grabbed a guitar I just went to the left-handed position, with the strings upside down, without even knowing there were lefty instruments!

If the OP can't understand this simple answer I don't know how else to explain it.

Maybe Talkbass is beyond the OPs expectation and accepted knowledge. I suggest seeking more sound information from researchers, medical papers, books, etc.

 

[nellie48]

the creators of plucked stringed instruments based their design on the players being (obviously) right handed individuals and configured the instrument accordingly, with the tasks required (fretting and plucking/picking) being performed by whichever hand "felt correct", which ended up being the secondary hand fretting and the primary hand plucking/picking.

Absolutely agree.

this is in large part due to the increased level of stamina and dynamic control (i.e. muscle control - finesse and strength) required from the "sound producing" hand (plucking/picking) - much higher than the fretting hand requirements for strength, stamina, and finesse, if proper techinique is being used. the primary hand is naturally more suited to this role.

I disagree or at least need some research to change my mind.

Here is an interesting question>>> Is the more "natural" way in the initial stages of learning an instrument the most effective way to play that instrument?

I am not convinced that righties should use the dominant hand for plucking on a bass (vice-versa for lefties). Any research out there to prove an advantage to learning the traditional way? Sure, it feels more natural the first time we pick up a guitar because we want to use our dominant hand to make the first complex motion...making a sound! But this is short lived. Soon we learn that the weaker hand has a tougher job. Should this initial response determine how we play this instrument for the rest of our careers (using our weaker hand to do the more complex job).

If you believe the plucking hand is a more complex job, then my questions will be pointless.

Off the top of my head I can only think of a few stringed instruments where plucking may require the dexterity of a dominant hand.

Classical Guitar -complex finger picking (this was the first guitar, which may explain why we still play this traditional way)
Banjo - " "

IMO the bass requires much more dexterity from the weaker hand. Violin is the same. How can moving a bow back in forth require more dexterity than precise finger placements on the finger board????

 

[lpdeluxe]

Who knows, given the variations in technique, ability, etc? But the world long ago made its decision: right-handed persons tend strongly to prefer the "right-handed" guitar model, which reverses for left-handed persons.

For what it's worth, I mentioned the opening argument in this thread to my left-handed wife, and she said, that had she had a left-handed bass, she would have stuck with it.

Mr Turner, I have taught myself to "mouse" with my left hand, but visitors who use my computer can't manage.

 

[nellie48]

as a natural reaction, they would flip the guitar a start noodling in left-handed orientation, which "felt" a lot easier to manage, the hands would fall into place more easily, which in term will make the player learn quicker and debatably, reach full potential.

Exactly! I wish there were some research or theories on whether the more natural choice does indeed help us reach our fullest potential. Is the more "natural" way in the initial stages of learning an instrument the most effective way to play that instrument later down the road? IMO, as we start getting deeper into learning the instrument we find that our natural position requires the weaker hand to have a more complex job.

 

[TrooperFarva]

My dad, who is a lefty, plays guitar and bass, he has for years. He's a lefty and he played righty basses, turned upside down. Just a few years ago, he finally bought a proper left handed guitar. He said if he had started with a lefty instrument decades ago, he'd be much much farther along musically than he is now.

 

[danomite64]

As I mentioned earlier, my dad's a lefty who plays righty. He didn't have any problems at first, however; it was when he got good that he started having difficulties improving his technique (he was/is a huge Ventures fan, and surf music is all I remember hearing him play). He actually went out and bought a lefty LP standard, but he ended up selling it and going back righty as he was already too used to playing that way by that time.

 

[JanusZarate]

IMO the bass requires much more dexterity from the weaker hand. Violin is the same. How can moving a bow back in forth require more dexterity than precise finger placements on the finger board????

There could be a number of reasons. Without having done much research, here's my take on why one hand may be better for the job of plucking than the other:

For a right-handed bassist, the left hand does indeed perform complex motions and fretting, but it is a very different kind of work than what the right hand does. The right hand has to be fairly stable and precise with the pressure exerted on the strings. It not only requires more power, it also requires more continuous uses of large amounts of power. Consider a fast fingerstyle bass line - your fretting fingers may only be working with a few notes in a common area of the fretboard, but your plucking hand is busy following the beat with continuous string plucking.

In a sense, the plucking hand gets more of a workout; even if the motions seem somewhat simple, they're more intense and repetitive. It becomes a question of strength, stamina, and endurance (among other things) when you consider what the plucking hand does.

On a violin, the movement of a bow requires a great degree of stability and control, which the dominant hand is naturally good at delivering. That's why it's so easy to take for granted the work your dominant hand performs - it seems so easy and natural, we might question why the other hand shouldn't do it instead!

For some, switching the kind of work done from one hand to the other isn't too difficult, but for some it can be a challenge. There are countless factors involved with why some lefty bassists can adapt easier or faster than others to right-handed basses, and that's not even considering how playing right handed basses could possibly expand or limit their potential.

 

[nellie48]

Mysticboo,

Thanks for your input. Your explanations make sense.