Are you a Righty or a Lefty?

CDee

So, are you righthanded playing a righthanded guitar, lefthanded playing a lefthanded guitar, righthanded playing a lefthanded guitar, Lefthanded playing a righthanded guitar or ambidextrous...

I'm righthanded and I play righthanded.

Why I'm raising this topic is because I recently met a guy who is lefthanded, but he plays guitar righthanded because his teacher taught him righthanded. (He said his teacher would not teach him lefthanded) I found that interesting. His teacher gave various reasons for not teaching him lefthanded but the main reason was the difficulty of getting equipment for lefties...

;)

(old forum) Poll Results: Which way do you play>?

Righthanded playing right: 32
Lefthanded playing left: 2
Righthanded playing left: 0
Lefthanded playing right: 4
Ambidextrous: 0

Manfred-Klose

I learned a friend of mine how to play bass, but before he bought a bass he wanted to try out and see if it was for him, i borrowed him a guitar(righthanded).
He is left handed, so he had to addapt to the righthanded guitar.

And he turned out to be a very talented bass player.

Q:Has any right handed guitar players tried playing a left handed guitar????

A: It feels like learning guitar all over again.

WantzChas

I can play both right and left handed, although just basic chords and strumming while left so I assume that doesn't really count.

doc-phil

I'm left handed, and at abt age 11 I realised that left-handed guitars were rare and quite expensive. At that time my parents wouldn't get me a guitar (they said my hands were too small! >☹) so I forced myself to think everyday about holding the guitar right-handed. Everytime I played air guitar (quite often in those days :-[) I would force myself to 'hold' my guitar right-handed... and success!!Playing right handed is the most natural thing ever, I can't play a thing left handed! ?

TomCat

doc-phil wrote: I'm left handed, and at abt age 11 I realised that left-handed guitars were rare and quite expensive. At that time my parents wouldn't get me a guitar (they said my hands were too small! >☹) so I forced myself to think everyday about holding the guitar right-handed. Everytime I played air guitar (quite often in those days :-[) I would force myself to 'hold' my guitar right-handed... and success!!Playing right handed is the most natural thing ever, I can't play a thing left handed! ?

I'm the same. Left Handed playing right handed. I think us lefties tend to be more ambidexterous anyway and can adapt easier.

I use tools such as pliers, screwdrivers etc equally well with both hands. Very "handy" (Excuse the pun) in stickty situations. We are also the champoins at loosening tight bottle and jar tops..... 8) 8)

Renesongs

I'm A leftie playing right and yes I am also guilty of persuading of at least 3 of my lefties to learn to play right. The reason being 2 fold, scarcity of affordable decent left handed guitars and IMO the left hand does the more important job on the guitar, so all you righties have got it wrong ?

TomCat

Renesongs wrote: I'm A leftie playing right and yes I am also guilty of persuading of at least 3 of my lefties to learn to play right. The reason being 2 fold, scarcity of affordable decent left handed guitars and IMO the left hand does the more important job on the guitar, so all you righties have got it wrong ?

LOL...... ? ?

Spyke

+1 on Rene

While I'm a RR combo I've often thought of how backwards a guitar is for a right handed person. The majority of your dexterity is in your right hand but you require left hand dexterity to play a guitar right handed.

doc-phil

Sometimes I feel a bit disadvantaged having my strength in my left hand while playing right handed cos I can fret notes much faster than I can pick them. My right hand just cant keep up.. I've been practicing sweeping for over a year now and on the up sweep my right hand just is too slow!

I also hold my knife and fork right handed, but that's pretty much it. All sports (besides hockey of course) I play left handed.

DonovanB

Spyke wrote: While I'm a RR combo I've often thought of how backwards a guitar is for a right handed person. The majority of your dexterity is in your right hand but you require left hand dexterity to play a guitar right handed.

I disagree. playing RR has enabled me to develop motor skills in my left hand that I would otherwise have ignored. Rest assured, if something happened to my left hand I would learn again left handed.

Wizard

I'm strongly right handed.
My son was born very left handed.
Over many years of watching his sport & playing sport with him (and both of us attempting to do it the 'other' way) you realize its more in your head than in your hands.
I'm now much more ambidextrous than before & will share tasks between both hands ... especially useful in the workshop where there's stuff on the left and right of you.
(also particularly useful for drumming where strength imbalance translates to poor rhythm)

cain

I'm right playing right handed, you are correct in saying its a mind thing, i think relearning would annoy me greatly tho! hehe

CDee

I once visited a friend of a friend. My friend told this guy I could play guitar. So this guy gives me a lefthanded guitar and tells me to teach him some stuff because he is batteling to understand this instrument (having downloaded some free lessons etc). I tell him I can't because it's a lefthanded guitar and I am righthanded... He looks at me, looks at the guitar and says :"No f*&%ing wonder I'm struggling so much!" ?
We still tease him about it!

Danny-B

Also a righty playing a righty, but my first guitar was from my father who was left-handed, so I strung the lefty upside down, only to discover it was a righty after all...

After breaking my right arm twice in two years, ambidexterity becomes the norm...

TomCat

CDee wrote: I once visited a friend of a friend. My friend told this guy I could play guitar. So this guy gives me a lefthanded guitar and tells me to teach him some stuff because he is batteling to understand this instrument (having downloaded some free lessons etc). I tell him I can't because it's a lefthanded guitar and I am righthanded... He looks at me, looks at the guitar and says :"No f*&%ing wonder I'm struggling so much!" ?
We still tease him about it!

BWAAAAHAHAHA.......Brilliant....... :roflmao: :roflmao:

CDee

I'm very surprised to see that we currently don't have any lefties playing left... Come on lefties don't be shy, we wont laugh... much... ?

Carmen

I assume you mean playing with your pick and not playing with your hand on the neck? :-\

Bob-Dubery

The world's most famous living left-handed guitarist IE Paul McCarteney is actually right-handed. He does everything right-handed except for playing guitar and bass. Even plays drums "North-paw" (well that's the opposite of "south-paw" isn't it?)

This may be more common than we think. There is a tradition in cricket of "right-handed left-handers" who bat left and bowl, field, write, play golf etc right. Brian Lara, Graeme Pollock, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten....

TomCat

Bob Dubery wrote: The world's most famous living left-handed guitarist IE Paul McCarteney is actually right-handed. He does everything right-handed except for playing guitar and bass. Even plays drums "North-paw" (well that's the opposite of "south-paw" isn't it?)

Either way doesn't make much difference as long as you don't make your name "Paw-Paw"...... ? ?

aubs1

I have come across many left handers who do things with their right hand........guitar, shooting (a world champion), writng etc.......I have NEVER come across any right hander who would switch to being left handed!!!! ?

Bob Dubery wrote: The world's most famous living left-handed guitarist IE Paul McCarteney is actually right-handed. He does everything right-handed except for playing guitar and bass. Even plays drums "North-paw" (well that's the opposite of "south-paw" isn't it?)

This may be more common than we think. There is a tradition in cricket of "right-handed left-handers" who bat left and bowl, field, write, play golf etc right. Brian Lara, Graeme Pollock, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten....

Interesting Bob, always believed Paul was lefty! My Idol, JH, was a lefty, did he swop his strings around??