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Lefty beginner - learn left or right?
- Thread starter Runnerman
- Start date
This is where I disagree, strongly. Depending on age.
A southpaw 20 year old beginner, and just seeking to jam a bit? Sure, put ‘em on a righty instrument.
But if you’ve got a 7 year old lefty who wants to play? Put a lefty guitar in his hands. Two advantages here. First is the advantage of your primary hand doing the serious articulation. Second? He can mirror his instructor! They can sit face to face (when that becomes a ‘thing’ again), and he can mirror the movements. Mirror the fingerings, mirror the plucking movements, mirror the posture and arm-hand positions.
Another proud member of the lefty’s playing righty club. Make him read our megathread and then make up his mind.
For a complete beginner of any age the learning curve is so steep: Any advantage or disadvantage from dexterity will be moot after a few months of practice.
For a complete beginner of any age the learning curve is so steep: Any advantage or disadvantage from dexterity will be moot after a few months of practice.
I'm left handed. My first instrument was the violin. You played that one right-handed or you weren't in the orchestra.
Each hand has a job to do, fingering or picking (or bowing, with the violin). Playing right-as-left gave me a fingering advantage, but was worse for keeping up speed and rhythm with the picking hand. It's trade-off. Try flipping your instrument and see if you can pick very quickly with that off hand.
I suggest that a person try the tasks of fingering and picking with either hand and choose the one that is most comfortable. This is the critical factor in your success as a player. Other factors such as bass selection are secondary.
Because I was set at the age of 11 to play right-handed, it was natural for me to continue when I picked up the bass. I shoot rifles right-handed too, but that's another discussion.
Cheers, Jon-Lars
(next to my future wife)
Each hand has a job to do, fingering or picking (or bowing, with the violin). Playing right-as-left gave me a fingering advantage, but was worse for keeping up speed and rhythm with the picking hand. It's trade-off. Try flipping your instrument and see if you can pick very quickly with that off hand.
I suggest that a person try the tasks of fingering and picking with either hand and choose the one that is most comfortable. This is the critical factor in your success as a player. Other factors such as bass selection are secondary.
Because I was set at the age of 11 to play right-handed, it was natural for me to continue when I picked up the bass. I shoot rifles right-handed too, but that's another discussion.
Cheers, Jon-Lars
(next to my future wife)
I'm a lefty, but play righty. When I first started learning, my brother played guitar. He put the guitar in my hands the way he played it. I didn't know there was a difference back then.
The best drummer I know is a lefty, but plays normal drums.Yeah, that's em why there's no left handed saxes or trombones
Funny story, I was at a jazz camp in high school, and this one kid i was in a combo with was a left handed drummer, the first ten minutes of every rehearsal was dedicated to switching the drums around for him, and I assume the next drummer to use the room had to waste his group's limited time switching the drum set back. Holy shoot, farg that kid.
A friend of my plays violin in an orchestra and is a lefty (cant play left in orchestra)
A few play piano no problem. I don't see really a difference especially when just starting out.
I am normally a right hander, but when I played guitar as a kid, we only had an old lefty guitar from my mothers old school. So I learned with that. Played 2 years with it and never had problems. After that I lost interest and got into drums. 10 years later I wanted to buy a left handed bass. Didnt find one and it took me a while to get used to it, but no problem.
100% learn it right handed. If ANYTHING it gives you more options when it comes to basses. I know like fender only makes lefty in limited colors. A company like Moollon doesn't make left handed instruments.
I'm right handed. The only thing that I do lefty is play pool, and I've found it nearly impossible to find left handed pool cues.
To quote a lefty that plays lefty above... "talk him into playing right handed."
To quote a lefty that plays lefty above... "talk him into playing right handed."
I have know so many lefties who play right just fine. Hand preference is a funny thing.
Maybe someone already said this, but I would have them hold any bass both ways and see what felt more natural. Since I play right handed, holding a guitar left handed feels weird. But that is mostly because I am used to playing right handed.
Since your friend is a beginner, you should be able to get an honest read on what feels better. Think of it like which ear you prefer to have the phone at.
Playing right handed does open up a lot more in the way of instruments...which is bad for the pocketbook and good for the GAS. Having left handed instruments though does reduce the number of people who want to play your stuff.
Maybe someone already said this, but I would have them hold any bass both ways and see what felt more natural. Since I play right handed, holding a guitar left handed feels weird. But that is mostly because I am used to playing right handed.
Since your friend is a beginner, you should be able to get an honest read on what feels better. Think of it like which ear you prefer to have the phone at.
Playing right handed does open up a lot more in the way of instruments...which is bad for the pocketbook and good for the GAS. Having left handed instruments though does reduce the number of people who want to play your stuff.
It is certainly possible for a southpaw to learn right handed. I started on classical doublebass in middle school and given the logistics of playing in orchestras, you had to play right handed, so for me the mold was already cast by the time I got to electric bass and I have been just fine playing right handed, but I often wonder about that road not taken.
Just about all classical string players learn right handed regardless of what hand they favor for writing etc. That means there are plenty of lefties in the classical world that play their instruments right handed.
Lifelong lefty here! Left-handed, left-eyed, I'm one sinister fellow!
When I walked into my first guitar lesson, my teacher asked me which direction I felt comfortable holding the guitar.
"I don't know. I thought you were supposed to tell me."
He replied that it was going to be equally difficult or easy no matter which direction I held the guitar, so he taught me to play right-handed.
Don't fall into the trap of learning lefty because that's how you write. You need great dexterity in each hand to play guitar, and your weak hand will keep up just fine. As I think about it, you may actually need more dexterity in your fretting hand, with all the additional movement, so being left-handed might even be a tiny little advantage!
When I walked into my first guitar lesson, my teacher asked me which direction I felt comfortable holding the guitar.
"I don't know. I thought you were supposed to tell me."
He replied that it was going to be equally difficult or easy no matter which direction I held the guitar, so he taught me to play right-handed.
Don't fall into the trap of learning lefty because that's how you write. You need great dexterity in each hand to play guitar, and your weak hand will keep up just fine. As I think about it, you may actually need more dexterity in your fretting hand, with all the additional movement, so being left-handed might even be a tiny little advantage!
I'm just curious...are there any left handed playing double bass players or is that not a thing?
I'm left handed and actually think it makes more sense to play righty - the fine motor skills of the hand you write with are surely more suited for the fretboard acrobatics than just picking and plucking duty!
Then again, my lefthandedness is just that - the fine-motor stuff, like writing and eating and even smoking, back when I was a smoker. For power, such as throwing a ball or a punch, I use my right hand, so I suppose my personal situation was ideally suited for a righty guitar setup - but I still think my first sentence above makes the most sense to me.
Then again, my lefthandedness is just that - the fine-motor stuff, like writing and eating and even smoking, back when I was a smoker. For power, such as throwing a ball or a punch, I use my right hand, so I suppose my personal situation was ideally suited for a righty guitar setup - but I still think my first sentence above makes the most sense to me.
Runnerman - I can't think of any but there are some issues to think about. The placement of the sound-post could be an issue if you reversing the string positions but I would ask an experienced luthier about that. Here is another thing regarding this:
Sound post issues aside, there would be an issue with the fingerboard. Now the fingerboard on the E sting on uprights is cutaway to accommodate that long string and the vibration it entails. That cutaway would need to be on the other side if you are reversing string location. New fingerboards ain't cheap. You would have to have a new bridge cut as well, but that is always done by hand in all basses and doesn't cost all that much.
Now - if you leave the strings where they are and if you are playing in Jazz groups or, as in a concert band or bluegrass group - no problem. The problem arises when you are in a orchestra bass section with 9 basses and your bow starts smacking into other bows. Also there is a lot of attention paid to having all the bows going in the same direction. That can't happen with left handed bowing.
Given all this you can imagine why it isn't really seen. There are left handed uprights available from places like Upton Bass so there must be players out there using them. I haven't seen it though.
I hope this helps my friend. Happy holidays all !!
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I am a lefty but play all my instruments righty. It really just depends on what feels most comfortable. I think when I started playing (forgive me it has been over 30 years) I just picked up a guitar and went and didn't really consider the left vs right part of it all. Since I picked up a right-handed guitar, that's just what I got accustomed to. I did the same with various things: scissors, shooting, etc. Pretty much only writing is the one thing I do that is decidedly left-handed.
I'm a lefty but I play right-handed. When I first picked up a guitar I wanted to hold it left-handed. When I realized how it was going to limit my options (at that time) I forced myself to play right-handed. It wasn't really an issue for me.
I probably could be ambidextrous seeing how I do a lot things right-handed so I might not be the best example.
I probably could be ambidextrous seeing how I do a lot things right-handed so I might not be the best example.
lefty guitars are a gimmick.
Blame the beatles.
I used to sell guitars and got asked this by every left handed beginner.
As a left handed who plays standard I would say three things.
-left handed instruments are plentiful and cost the same at beginner price points. Good luck finding a left handed vintage guitar unless you get lucky it will cost twice as much.
-guitar is a two handed game, if anything lefties are going to have an easier time using their right hand to strum than a righty would due to lefties all being forced to use their right hand all the time
-there are no left handed violins
converted every one of them.
I'd say 'if you absolutely wont practice if its right handed, go lefty by flipping a standard guitar."
it worked for jimi and elizabeth cotton among many others.
Basically is you think your hand preference is going to stop you from learning, you must not really want it that bad.
Blame the beatles.
I used to sell guitars and got asked this by every left handed beginner.
As a left handed who plays standard I would say three things.
-left handed instruments are plentiful and cost the same at beginner price points. Good luck finding a left handed vintage guitar unless you get lucky it will cost twice as much.
-guitar is a two handed game, if anything lefties are going to have an easier time using their right hand to strum than a righty would due to lefties all being forced to use their right hand all the time
-there are no left handed violins
converted every one of them.
I'd say 'if you absolutely wont practice if its right handed, go lefty by flipping a standard guitar."
it worked for jimi and elizabeth cotton among many others.
Basically is you think your hand preference is going to stop you from learning, you must not really want it that bad.
Agreed, the brain can easily make the adjustments it needs to make, especially when one is young.
I have even been told by some of my classical teachers that playing right handed as a lefty is an advantage since your dominant hand is doing the heavy lifting with intonation and notes. Interesting thought, but not sure if it is true.
