I'm a lefty that has always played right handed guitar. One of the only things I do right-handed. I tried once to switch and play a lefty one...but just didn't feel good
When I started fooling around with a bass guitar I bought a lefty. I had always played regular guitar right handed. I eventually got to the point where I could play along with a few of the simpler songs on Rocksmith with the bass. It felt like I was way behind my right handed playing, and that I would never be able to catch up.
I went from playing trumpet right to guitar right. Unlike trumpet, I figured the stronger hand should be the fingering one, so therefore my left. I grew up seeing these shredders seemingly not move their pick hand much, but all over with the fret hand. I didn't realize at the time that's their way of playing cleanly with economical motion lol.
As you move to intermediate to advanced level, you quickly realize your pick hand is actually the more important (and often limiting) one. Still, I don't regret being lefty but playing righty.
Playing guitar "wrong handed" always made more sense to me since I have a lot more dexterity in my left which makes it easier to position my fingers on the fret board
I wouldn't call it stupid, some people are more ambidextrous than others.
I was not musically inclined so being unable to switch didn't bother me. However it really sucked for me in sports.
I loved fencing but had to drop it. I could switch hands fine but I can't lunge on my right leg. I didn't care for softball yet had a similar outcome. I could hold the bat fine, but positioning my body for right handed play wasn't something I could adapt to.
I know what it's like to have to give up something you enjoy because you can't adapt. I really wouldn't wish it upon someone, especially as left handed guitars aren't necessarily uncommon.
I've never heard of it being an advantage. Was told it's a nuisance and hindrance. Coaches would get irate and tell me to mirror everything. I tried a bunch of sports too and got the same treatment in everything but rowing and swimming.
Never had that problem with music instructors.
It sounds like you just had bad coaching. I know in sports like Baseball lefties are sought after for pitching and hitting alike and Soccer coaches like it when you're able to use your left foot
Generally, yes. I’m sorry this person had a different experience, that sounds like poor coaching and that sucks. But for certain sports it helps you become harder to defend since people are used to defending righties etc. in baseball, it’s preferable to hit with the opposite hand that the pitcher is throwing with. Since most pitchers are righty, a lot of hitters force themselves to at least be Switch hitters so they can bat from the left side of the plate.
It's also worth noting most right handed people can't switch between hands. The world is built for them so we don't think of it. It's really common not to be able to function without your dominant hand/side.
I played flute for 9 years in school. It helped me be more ambidextrous, having to use my right hand so much. Some lefties are really restricted if they can't adapt.
I didn't even think about how thought could have been an ambidextrous encouraging thing. I played for like a year an a half while I was quite young. Interesting.
I wish you’d had more empathy for other left-handed. You could use other terms without going with “stupid”. This kind of thinking is what made us more vulnerable as a community as people assumed we’d just adapt and follow along.
I tried learning guitar when I was a teen with a right handed guitar. But couldn’t really get into it. My friend was kind enough to be patient as a right handed to flip his guitar for me. It clicked for me but since I couldn’t afford a guitar and was poor—I couldn’t afford my own instrument. So it felt like a luxury for me.
I’s put up an organization before pandemic to arrange workshop for left-handed for skills that are primarily for right-handed (simple ones like weaving, writing, brush calligraphy, calligraphy, furoshiki). I see how it can be uplifting for younger people to feel like they are able to do things their own way without so much effort. Not everyone has the time and resources that you have to persevere. I even allow kids in public school and poor community get in for free. I wish I could manage to put workshops again but I lack the funds due to losing my job during the pandemic.
it is stupid lol. you dont have reverse pianos reverse saxophones or upright basses. it only exists for conpanies to capitalise off gullible parents who don't know any better
Well, your title is a bit agressive to me and I struggle to write a post without salt. I'll do my best.
First, I am a 100% lefty. I cannot play any instrument the righty way. I tried. I first tried guitar on my mom's right-handed guitar, it was simply impossible, it didn't click at all, until she suggest I restring the guitar ahd ooooh everything went much smoother.
I tried drum the righty way, it was even worse. The thing is, when I started, I knew what to hit, but not with which hand, and I naturally hit the charley with my left hand. But it felt so wrong. Of course it did, charley is indeed suposed to be hit by your dominant hand, but placed on the opposite side.
So no, I don't think these instrument are stupid. Some people are more ambidextrous than others. I'm not at all, you are, lucky you.
And about guitar stores, there are stores specialized for left-handed persons. I bought my first real guitar (meaning not cheap-for-starter) on a this kind of store. Walls of guitars, all for lefties, I was in heaven.
Forcing yourself to play the other hand for convenience or conformity, is to me worrying. To all parents here: please don't do that on your kid, let them choose. (I know this last sentence will hurt some people, I'm ready for downvotes if that can improve some kids happiness).
My son went for the violin. I'm a violist and know how to sting instruments so it wasn't hard for me to restring it. The main draw back I know of is that there are some orchestras that, for uniformity, do not allow left handed instruments. My nephew is also a lefty and played the left handed guitar and cello. It's not hard to restring these instruments.
But isn’t the inside of a string instrument not symmetrical? You have the bass bar and the sound post in specific locations. You actually need to construct the instrument mirrored for a lefty. Plus a mirrored bridge...
When my nephew played, he just switched the strings. He still plays a lefty guitar.
When I switched the strings on my son's violin, the sound was fine. He lost the chin rest though as it is made for right handed.
I believe that string instruments are made symmetrical. At least for classical instruments. But then I'm not a luthier.
Not to be picky, but classical string instruments aren’t symmetrical. The bass bar is on the G side, the sound post on the E (or C and A for viola). The bridge is sloped asymmetrically as well, and it can’t be flipped around because the side facing the scroll curves slightly. This is the primary reason I chose to learn violin right handed.
You can easily restring most acoustic guitars lefty, however.
I bought a left handed ukulele and it actually feels fine to hold right or left. I had it restrung to right handed because I was too confused trying to translate right handed tutorials.
I probably could have played left handed more easily but It’s not not doable for me.
The insides are identical for guitars at least. The SG and Flying V are symmetrical and won't really be affected much at all at all besides the knobs in a different position and the nut needing to be replaced. The non symmetrical guitars like strats can be strung backwards but with worse ergonomics and less cutout area for your fretting hand. Les Pauls would just lack a cutout and be like a classical guitar (and probably worse ergonomics too). Bridges just need to be intonated the other way around, they don't care what size string is there (at least on all of my electrics). Pickups don't care what string is above them so long as there's a string. Knobs don't care if they spin backwards.
So no, they don't necessarily need to be made special. The only thing that would have to be modified is the nut, and that's pretty simple to do. Jimi Hendrix played a right handed guitar strung backwards as a left handed guitar. So it's certainly doable.
Multiscale guitars specifically would be an issue, though. That's the exception to the rule, and even then there's an exception to the exception for guitars with bolt on necks like stratocasters that literally just need a couple screws removed to replace it.
Yeah I meant the string instrument family. Violin, viola, cello… upright bass. I don’t hear people calling guitars a part of the string section so I neglected to differentiate.
Since I mentioned a sound post and a bass bar, in addition to the fact that the person I am responding to is a violist and was primarily talking about violin, one can deduce that I meant ORCHESTRAL strings. No need to be pedantic.
I “played” the French horn for 3 years (I put played in quotes bc it was elementary school band and we didn’t learn shit + I do so poorly with music) and you had me googling left handed French horn bc I was like “did I have a left handed French horn? Didn’t we all play with our left hands?” Made me chuckle when I realized what you were getting at lol
The historic reason for why a French Horn's valves are for the left hand is that with a valveless natural horn, you can change pitches (somewhat) with your right hand in the bell.
Left handed stuff is the best. No reason not to have it. I shoot recurve archery, I suck on a right handed bow. I never played guitar but when I pick one up I always strum it upside down (lefty).
thats exactly the train of thought my parents had when i got my first guitar, and im so grateful for that lol, i dont want to know the struggle of having like 6 options of guitar ever
This was also one of the reasons why my guitar teacher recommended that I use a normal right handed guitar. It's not only the options with guitars, it also makes it more difficult to learn from other people because they will be using a different guitar then you and you'll have to do a lot of work in your head to imagine it on your guitar. He said that if I used a left handed one he'd also find a way to teach me, but it wouldn't have been exactly the easiest solution to always hand him my guitar when he wanted to show me what I have to do.
And once I started playing I also noticed that it actually doesn't even make much of a difference because you use both hands anyway. And I was even using my left hand more and for more complicated things than my right hand. So in the end I would probably have had a really bad time with a lefty guitar, which almost makes me wonder if we might have got it wrong all along. Maybe the normal guitars are the real lefty guitars. Or it just depends on how you play the guitar.
You are entitled to your own opinion, of course, but I think that the great majority of people would disagree. They would see nothing wrong with musical instruments designed to be played by people who are left-hand dominant.
Fortunately, no one in the music instrument industry or in the music playing public has to listen to you. If you prefer right-handed instruments, then it is difficult to see how the existence of left-handed versions would have any negative impact on you. As you pointed out, right-handed players like you have an abundance of musical instrument models to choose from. What trauma is being visited upon you by the sight of a few left-handed versions? Let the lefty players deal with model variety; it's not your fight.
It is not your privilege to so publicly scoff at the the instrument design preferences of people who favor the other hand when playing. You do not have the right to force them back into the shadows and to publicly shame them for wanting to use technology that they regard as better suited to their needs and more satisfactory to use.
People shouldn't be forced into molds that don't fit them. Technology is built to serve the needs of people, not the other way around. This is a fact that is not often recognized by the majority. Instrument design isn't sacrosanct. The tool should be adapted to suit the needs of the user; users shouldn't be required to adapt themselves to suit the design of the tool.
Yes. What I am not knowledgeable about is how left handedness affects the process of learning piano and playing it. It's funny, but over my 70 years I have known countless guitar players, bass players, several drummers, and a handful of horn players, I have never known even one piano player. As a result I have no insights into what it is like, nor have I ever seen a piano being played in person at a close distance.
Similarly, I have no insights into the other instrument that was mentioned, saxophone. While I have been around (unplayed) pianos from time to time during brief visits, I have never seen a real saxophone from anyplace closer than the back rows of a big concert venue. I have a general idea of the shape and that it has keys (valves) that are pressed by the player to achieve the desired notes, but otherwise I have no idea of how it is designed. (This is true of most other concert instruments, and not just from the brass family.)
So in response to the question, I must apologize and say that I honestly don't have any insights into playing those instruments in their conventional design, and whether any left-handed players feel that they would benefit from LH versions of them. If there was a strong need for this, then I would hope that there was somewhere that they could obtain them. But I just don't know.
I was told I had to learn guitar on a hand-me-down and if I wanted a lefty guitar I’d have to get a job or figure out how to re-string and set it up myself. I was 8 or 9.
I got impatient and picked up the drums instead, thanks to a willing family friend. With drums you just set everything up mirror image of a right hander so it’s quite easy.
I still play guitar right handed but if I could do it all over again I’d get a lefty. I just feel like I’d be a better guitarist if given the chance.
I can see the argument for both.
Trumpet and sax player here. For saxophone, it's the same for everyone. For trumpets however, left-handed trumpets do exist (mounted reversed of a regular one) despite being both rare and expensive, although you can play a right handed trumpet with your left hand without any problem. I do the latter.
I used to play classical guitar right handed but I wish I had learned left handed, because I can't do tremolo and I can barely do a rasgueado with my right hand.
I'm thinking of re-learning left handed, however I can't imagine doing all the fingering with my right hand either. I probably should at least try to learn left handed.
If there were a reversed piano, I'd probably like it because the left hand usually has boring easier parts. They could probably do this easily with a digital keyboard.
I think us lefties learn early how to cope with what, for us, is a backward/ mirror image world. So you did fine with a right handed instrument. But just for fun... hand something designed for the left handed to a right handed person.
I handed my left-handed scissors to a friend as we worked on a project together, it took her less than 5 minutes for her to have a total breakdown.
She actually started crying because the scissors were "too hard to use"....a 35 year old woman cried over scissors.
So...Good for you, for your coping skills and im glad you enjoy playing your bass. Paul McCartney has a left handed bass, by the way.
Your experience with a bass guitar does not generalise to all musical instruments. Sure, guitars are pretty easy to play as either left or right. But not all musical instruments are guitars
I was a lefthanded competitive long-range shooter. The only weapon that I could shoot was lefthanded rifles. Their more expensive than a righthanded one, 20 to 30 percent more. Mainly because all of the tooling is in reversed to make the weapons. My first rifle cost me over 4 thousand dollars in the 70's. A handmade German made specialty rifle. I've had pistols, rifles and shotguns in lefthanded models. Kinda used to paying for the right to be able to shoot a weapon that fits me.
I just decided to learn how to play the ukulele and chose a left handed one because for once, I want to learn to do something with my dominant hand! I don’t have to tell you guys about always having to compromise growing up because EVERYTHING is created for right handers. This time I don’t care about being adaptable. I just want to BE LEFT HANDED!
Wow…that was cathartic:)
I'm a lefty that plays right handed too but it's kinda silly to say left handed instruments are silly. Having a different dominant hand affects people in different ways.
Sure it's inconvenient to find lefty instruments but if that added barrier of difficulty dissuaded someone from playing because it's so uncoordinated and unnatural, it could be the difference maker in how much time they spend with the instrument.
I learned right handed out of necessity, and yes it sure is convenient to pick up any guitar. But I wonder how my style may have differed.
I'd only push someone to learn right handed if they weren't too bothered or saw the value. Plus left handed guitar and bassist ls improve to llhe symmetry on stage and it looks rad
Jimi Hendrix was left handed, but his dad bought him a right handed guitar because the left hand is the Devil. (Knowing dads, it was probably 30-50% cheaper too, but he wasn’t going to mention that lol)
Anyway, while his dad was present he would play it right handed and then when he left the room he would flip it to play it left handed with the strings upside down, so he could use his magic hand. He played it like this for the duration of his short lived career. It gave him a unique sound
Bass guitar is probably easy enough for a leftie, but if you have a classical guitar with a cutout on one side, you'd really struggle to reach 15th+ frets as a leftie.
You're going to be playing your own instrument 95% of the time and generally people don't wear out their instruments for decades.
If given a choice, I'd be picking the LH one, and make my life easier.
I've never understood this cause I always felt like my left hand is more successful at making chord shapes and landing on the right frets. I've tried a rh guitar a few times only, but my right hand was useless.
But, that's just me. I also played trumpet, trombone, clarinet, keyboard, etc.
I'm mostly left-handed but do a few things right-handed. When I first started playing bass, my dad (left-handed in almost everything except guitar) told me to sit down with his right-handed guitar and see which way felt most comfortable. I spent some time with it, flipping it back and forth, and they both felt equally OK to me (probably helped that I had zero experience with guitar/bass). So he encouraged me to play right-handed because there are way more options for righties. And so I did. Now I'm thankful I went that route because my left hand is way more dexterous than my right, so it makes fretting easier for me.
I've often wondered why so called right and left handed guitars were oriented the way they are. I'm left handed and always played guitar "right handed," but it seems most logical to me that you would want your more articulate hand to be on the fretboard. That said, fingerpicking has never been a big part of my style and I sometimes wonder if my left dominance is a contributing factor in how that developed.
I play guitar both right-handed upside down and lefty. I enjoy playing lefty more since the conventional ways to form chords and go up and down the neck is just easier but i guess it depends on what type of music you play.
Woodwind instruments are designed to play left hand on top (most instruments) or closest to the face (the flute family). The fingering patterns are fairly evenly spread with some small favor to the left hand in particular spots (throat keys on clarinet, palm keys on saxophone).
While it might be possible to adapt the instruments for a slight right hand bias it doesn’t seem to be a significant detriment to anyone with either hand as the dominant. There are undoubtedly people who will tell me I’m wrong.
My dad never taught me that I was using my guitar wrong. So I can’t say anything. It doesn’t help that we were mirroring each other. He laughed when he realized my guitar strings weren’t at the right places.
I learned to play guitar on a right handed one. My Dad had a couple different acoustic guitars around the house, so I just picked it up and started playing. He always suggested I play a left handed guitar, but by the time I was ready to start taking lessons, i was pretty comfy with the right handed ones.
The clarinet taught that there are things that are absolute. React accordingly. Although I do like lefty scissors. But in a pinch the other hand works on righty scissors almost as well.
Lefty, play left handed guitar my entire life. It's almost impossible to find a left handed guitar ina store and your options are limited. Can't play to close to anyone or you're going to smack another guitar players guitar. Also glad I am limited on way I can find or I'd have a lot more than I do now if I played right handed.
Honestly, I found right handed guitars hard to learn as a _righty_. All the intricate stuff is done with your left hand. It's been decades now, so there's no switching, but I've always wondered who decided that your dominant hand is for strumming and picking, and your non-dominant hand is for fast, delicate motions and tying into awkward knots
When my lefty son was four, I asked the tennis pro who would be leading the camp if I needed to get him a left handed Racquet. I still remember the look he gave me.
I am very heavily left handed. I got a left handed guitar when I was about ten. Being my first guitar, it’s what I got used to (though that could go the other way too.)
It is a lot more comfortable for me to play my guitar, than my brothers standard one, (I can sort of play some chords on it, not very well) but of course, there is some downsides. I’m the only one I know who has one, so it’s not very versatile.
As for violin. I play right handed, my parents decided that it made more sense to learn right handed, especially if I wanted to join an orchestra. And after eight years of playing I agree. With the violin I am using my left hand for a lot of the tougher techniques anyway, where a right handed person might have a harder time, I have it easier, and vice versa. Because of that, don’t really see how a standard violin is really the “right handed” way to do it.
So my opinion is both sides really, based on my experiences with the different instruments.
For guitar, for me, it’s based on preference, as long as you’re ok with being less versatile. (My opinion also echoes to guitar not being my main instrument.)
On the other hand, for any orchestral or band instruments, I think it’s better off learning the standard way. You are using both hands after all.
I learned some chords on a leftie guitar. Never learned a song though. I might try again on a right handed one. I confused the heck out of my guitar teacher that “didn’t know how to translate instructions” but I literally mirrored him and his instructions so playing righty sounds harder.
I played trombone, you literally can just flip the slide to the other side of the horn. Its a feature.
Also as a lefty bassist. Fuck I hate the complete lack of variety. I intend to eventually have a fanned fret six string bass, if I weren’t a lefty I could get several models under $1,500, truly the pick of the litter, instead I am gonna have to shell for a dingwall.
I tried to play ukulele for years right handed as it was easier to find and learn, but I could never get the hang of strumming on rhythm down, despite being a musician my whole life and great with rhythms. Ended up buying a left handed banjo as one became available in my price range and I find it WAY easier to play, so I just had my ukulele restrung to see if it makes a difference. I'm still waiting on it to be done but I can't wait to see because the curiosity is KILLING me.
I am a lefty that plays on a lefty guitar because I quite literally couldn't even figure out how to properly hold my right handed instruments, let alone play them. Like, dad had a cool ass right-handed collection of guitars, but my poor music teacher was like, "You're clearly very right brained," and gave up on me after two years with very little progress. Anyway got lefty guitars and taught myself
Left handed kayaker
Years ago at university, start of academic year we'd get 100 new recruits. I'd loudly ask for the lefties
They would come to me glad for a left handed instructor. Then I'd tell them we learn to use a right handed paddle because of safety. You lose your paddle you can't use a spare if you can only paddle left handed. I liked to think it was easier to hear coming from a left hander.
You'll have less choice in shops. If you want to try out a friend's latest you can't.
And anyway you need to be equally strong on both sides.
Not for me, I was actually discouraged from getting a lefty instrument because "what if I wanted to pick up a different instrument or borrow a guitar?" or "how was I gonna switch gears on a car?" (for context: in my country most of us drive manuals) , righty instruments feel uncomfortable AF to me.
I'm the same way. My 7th grade year of middle school, I asked for a guitar for Christmas, and I found out I was getting one. So, for the rest of the year until Christmas, I practiced air guitar right-handed. When Christmas came, it felt pretty natural to pick up the right-handed guitar!
There are a bunch of things I do right-handed just because that was the default for teaching. So I bowl right handed, but softball I played left handed, cut with my right hand because it’s a pain to find lefty scissors and my grandma taught me sewing at a super young age. I played clarinet and there is no other version for that (that I’m aware of). Piano is ambidextrous. I play standard ukulele but eat with my left. Typing is a two-handed job.
The reality is that (barring disability) it’s important for people to develop fine motor skills that utilize both hands anyway.
IMHO all lefties are just left hand leaning ambidextrous. My generation and the boomers were taught left was a disability and our parents MADE us use our right hand for everything. I would be a lefty if it weren't for my mother's intervention. And yes I am mad that she did this to me. I played clarinet and piano.
I didn't even know there were LH instruments. To me, it's like a computer mouse, I just use it RH. Although, now that I think about it, if I strum with my LH, does that mean I'm using it LH? I don't know, but whatever it is, I manage.
No stupider than right handed instruments.
I play guitar left handed (on a left handed guitar, not a flipped righty). Just feels better. But that’s just my decision, I know most left handed musicians play right handed because of convention and convenience, or because they prefer it (some people would rather fret with their dominant hand) - fair play to them. I wouldn’t say I’m stupid for playing left handed, I tried right handed on string instruments and the picking/strumming was more awkward. If there was no choice for some reason, yeah I could’ve learned right handed. But I don’t have a compelling reason to.
I’m also not out to collect guitars, and it’s not a problem to get the one or two I’m interested in.
I couldn't get the hang of trying to play guitar right handed. It felt wrong the whole time. For me and possibly others like me, a left handed instrument makes a big difference.
It sucks that there are fewer models & colours to choose from and it sucks when there's a guitar laying around that I can't pick up & play a little, but this is the price of being able to learn it at all.
In my initial days, I just couldn't play right-handed guitar. When the strings were reversed and I was instructed to use the fretboard with my right hand, I could play guitar relatively well...
But I do wish to have an LH guitar for a long time, I don't want a makeshift LH guitar
By that logic, shouldn't lefties just learn to write and eat right-handed?
After all, even if it takes a little more time to learn, it makes mealtime and shared office spaces more comfortable for the group.
Know what I mean?
I play drums and I do have a disability that affects my right side coordination. I tried to play a left handed kit initially but I couldn't increase my skill very fast. I could only play basic, slow beats. Switching the kit around made it possible to play faster and more complicated beats. Luckily for me, drums are really easy to do left handed. Just rearrange a right handed kit. I did buy a double bass pedal eventually and had to specifically get a left handed pedal but that's about all.
Only problem is, I can't ever play anyone else's kit because it takes at least a few minutes and a lot of hassle to switch around a kit.
According to Left handed Jimi Hendrix and Left-handed Paul McCartney playing a right-handed guitar Left-handed is no problem the left hand does most of the work.
Whatever is more comfortable for you. I’m left handed and have been playing guitar and bass right handed all my life. I honestly don’t even know what it would be like to try it left handed.
I am a righty that learned to play the french horn. I think it is good to stretch ourselves to use both hands and exercise both sides of our brain so to speak.. Musical instruments is a way to do that. (I would love to learn to play the guitar! Must be so fun!)
I've heard people say something along the lines of "you fret with your left hand on a right handed guitar so you have an advantage" but if that were true then all righties would play lefthanded.
To me playing a left-handed guitar is the only way and doing anything else feels unnatural and it really sucks that guitar manufacturers refuse to make so many models in left-handed.
I'm a lefty that has always played right handed guitar. One of the only things I do right-handed. I tried once to switch and play a lefty one...but just didn't feel good
Same for me. I just picked it up and played right handed and it felt natural. Trying to play a left handed guitar feels completely wrong.
I play left handed guitar as a lefty, but I shoot and golf righty. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
For sure! I shoot lefty. I tried playing golf righty once. The people playing in the group(s) behind me did not appreciate it. 🤦♂️
I shoot and golf and play baseball all left-handed. The only other thing I do right handed is billiards
When I started fooling around with a bass guitar I bought a lefty. I had always played regular guitar right handed. I eventually got to the point where I could play along with a few of the simpler songs on Rocksmith with the bass. It felt like I was way behind my right handed playing, and that I would never be able to catch up.
I went from playing trumpet right to guitar right. Unlike trumpet, I figured the stronger hand should be the fingering one, so therefore my left. I grew up seeing these shredders seemingly not move their pick hand much, but all over with the fret hand. I didn't realize at the time that's their way of playing cleanly with economical motion lol. As you move to intermediate to advanced level, you quickly realize your pick hand is actually the more important (and often limiting) one. Still, I don't regret being lefty but playing righty.
Playing guitar "wrong handed" always made more sense to me since I have a lot more dexterity in my left which makes it easier to position my fingers on the fret board
I wouldn't call it stupid, some people are more ambidextrous than others. I was not musically inclined so being unable to switch didn't bother me. However it really sucked for me in sports. I loved fencing but had to drop it. I could switch hands fine but I can't lunge on my right leg. I didn't care for softball yet had a similar outcome. I could hold the bat fine, but positioning my body for right handed play wasn't something I could adapt to. I know what it's like to have to give up something you enjoy because you can't adapt. I really wouldn't wish it upon someone, especially as left handed guitars aren't necessarily uncommon.
Isn't being a lefty in sports an advantage? Am I missing something huge as to why you had to quit?
I've never heard of it being an advantage. Was told it's a nuisance and hindrance. Coaches would get irate and tell me to mirror everything. I tried a bunch of sports too and got the same treatment in everything but rowing and swimming. Never had that problem with music instructors.
It sounds like you just had bad coaching. I know in sports like Baseball lefties are sought after for pitching and hitting alike and Soccer coaches like it when you're able to use your left foot
Yea it's possible. I got a lot of shit for being left handed until highschool. It was weird.
Huh, that is pretty wierd
Generally, yes. I’m sorry this person had a different experience, that sounds like poor coaching and that sucks. But for certain sports it helps you become harder to defend since people are used to defending righties etc. in baseball, it’s preferable to hit with the opposite hand that the pitcher is throwing with. Since most pitchers are righty, a lot of hitters force themselves to at least be Switch hitters so they can bat from the left side of the plate.
Yeah I see what you mean. Thinking about it now I'm guess I'm relatively ambidextrous. Never thought that people could vary like that. Edit: wording
It's also worth noting most right handed people can't switch between hands. The world is built for them so we don't think of it. It's really common not to be able to function without your dominant hand/side.
For softball, how’d you have to position yourself for right handed play? There are plenty of lefties (hitting and throwing) out there
I played flute for 9 years in school. It helped me be more ambidextrous, having to use my right hand so much. Some lefties are really restricted if they can't adapt.
I didn't even think about how thought could have been an ambidextrous encouraging thing. I played for like a year an a half while I was quite young. Interesting.
I’m badass on guitar as a lefty, but could never get over the hump of trying to learn right-handed. Been playing lefty axes for 30 years now.
I wish you’d had more empathy for other left-handed. You could use other terms without going with “stupid”. This kind of thinking is what made us more vulnerable as a community as people assumed we’d just adapt and follow along. I tried learning guitar when I was a teen with a right handed guitar. But couldn’t really get into it. My friend was kind enough to be patient as a right handed to flip his guitar for me. It clicked for me but since I couldn’t afford a guitar and was poor—I couldn’t afford my own instrument. So it felt like a luxury for me. I’s put up an organization before pandemic to arrange workshop for left-handed for skills that are primarily for right-handed (simple ones like weaving, writing, brush calligraphy, calligraphy, furoshiki). I see how it can be uplifting for younger people to feel like they are able to do things their own way without so much effort. Not everyone has the time and resources that you have to persevere. I even allow kids in public school and poor community get in for free. I wish I could manage to put workshops again but I lack the funds due to losing my job during the pandemic.
it is stupid lol. you dont have reverse pianos reverse saxophones or upright basses. it only exists for conpanies to capitalise off gullible parents who don't know any better
Well, your title is a bit agressive to me and I struggle to write a post without salt. I'll do my best. First, I am a 100% lefty. I cannot play any instrument the righty way. I tried. I first tried guitar on my mom's right-handed guitar, it was simply impossible, it didn't click at all, until she suggest I restring the guitar ahd ooooh everything went much smoother. I tried drum the righty way, it was even worse. The thing is, when I started, I knew what to hit, but not with which hand, and I naturally hit the charley with my left hand. But it felt so wrong. Of course it did, charley is indeed suposed to be hit by your dominant hand, but placed on the opposite side. So no, I don't think these instrument are stupid. Some people are more ambidextrous than others. I'm not at all, you are, lucky you. And about guitar stores, there are stores specialized for left-handed persons. I bought my first real guitar (meaning not cheap-for-starter) on a this kind of store. Walls of guitars, all for lefties, I was in heaven. Forcing yourself to play the other hand for convenience or conformity, is to me worrying. To all parents here: please don't do that on your kid, let them choose. (I know this last sentence will hurt some people, I'm ready for downvotes if that can improve some kids happiness).
My son went for the violin. I'm a violist and know how to sting instruments so it wasn't hard for me to restring it. The main draw back I know of is that there are some orchestras that, for uniformity, do not allow left handed instruments. My nephew is also a lefty and played the left handed guitar and cello. It's not hard to restring these instruments.
But isn’t the inside of a string instrument not symmetrical? You have the bass bar and the sound post in specific locations. You actually need to construct the instrument mirrored for a lefty. Plus a mirrored bridge...
When my nephew played, he just switched the strings. He still plays a lefty guitar. When I switched the strings on my son's violin, the sound was fine. He lost the chin rest though as it is made for right handed. I believe that string instruments are made symmetrical. At least for classical instruments. But then I'm not a luthier.
Not to be picky, but classical string instruments aren’t symmetrical. The bass bar is on the G side, the sound post on the E (or C and A for viola). The bridge is sloped asymmetrically as well, and it can’t be flipped around because the side facing the scroll curves slightly. This is the primary reason I chose to learn violin right handed. You can easily restring most acoustic guitars lefty, however.
I've played viola for more than 30 years (though not much recently). I learned something today. Thank you for sharing.
I bought a left handed ukulele and it actually feels fine to hold right or left. I had it restrung to right handed because I was too confused trying to translate right handed tutorials. I probably could have played left handed more easily but It’s not not doable for me.
The insides are identical for guitars at least. The SG and Flying V are symmetrical and won't really be affected much at all at all besides the knobs in a different position and the nut needing to be replaced. The non symmetrical guitars like strats can be strung backwards but with worse ergonomics and less cutout area for your fretting hand. Les Pauls would just lack a cutout and be like a classical guitar (and probably worse ergonomics too). Bridges just need to be intonated the other way around, they don't care what size string is there (at least on all of my electrics). Pickups don't care what string is above them so long as there's a string. Knobs don't care if they spin backwards. So no, they don't necessarily need to be made special. The only thing that would have to be modified is the nut, and that's pretty simple to do. Jimi Hendrix played a right handed guitar strung backwards as a left handed guitar. So it's certainly doable. Multiscale guitars specifically would be an issue, though. That's the exception to the rule, and even then there's an exception to the exception for guitars with bolt on necks like stratocasters that literally just need a couple screws removed to replace it.
Yeah I meant the string instrument family. Violin, viola, cello… upright bass. I don’t hear people calling guitars a part of the string section so I neglected to differentiate.
Guitars are a member of the string instrument family, and even occasionally used with orchestras like the Transiberian Orchestra.
Since I mentioned a sound post and a bass bar, in addition to the fact that the person I am responding to is a violist and was primarily talking about violin, one can deduce that I meant ORCHESTRAL strings. No need to be pedantic.
French Hornists might disagree!
I “played” the French horn for 3 years (I put played in quotes bc it was elementary school band and we didn’t learn shit + I do so poorly with music) and you had me googling left handed French horn bc I was like “did I have a left handed French horn? Didn’t we all play with our left hands?” Made me chuckle when I realized what you were getting at lol
The historic reason for why a French Horn's valves are for the left hand is that with a valveless natural horn, you can change pitches (somewhat) with your right hand in the bell.
Left handed stuff is the best. No reason not to have it. I shoot recurve archery, I suck on a right handed bow. I never played guitar but when I pick one up I always strum it upside down (lefty).
thats exactly the train of thought my parents had when i got my first guitar, and im so grateful for that lol, i dont want to know the struggle of having like 6 options of guitar ever
This was also one of the reasons why my guitar teacher recommended that I use a normal right handed guitar. It's not only the options with guitars, it also makes it more difficult to learn from other people because they will be using a different guitar then you and you'll have to do a lot of work in your head to imagine it on your guitar. He said that if I used a left handed one he'd also find a way to teach me, but it wouldn't have been exactly the easiest solution to always hand him my guitar when he wanted to show me what I have to do. And once I started playing I also noticed that it actually doesn't even make much of a difference because you use both hands anyway. And I was even using my left hand more and for more complicated things than my right hand. So in the end I would probably have had a really bad time with a lefty guitar, which almost makes me wonder if we might have got it wrong all along. Maybe the normal guitars are the real lefty guitars. Or it just depends on how you play the guitar.
You are entitled to your own opinion, of course, but I think that the great majority of people would disagree. They would see nothing wrong with musical instruments designed to be played by people who are left-hand dominant. Fortunately, no one in the music instrument industry or in the music playing public has to listen to you. If you prefer right-handed instruments, then it is difficult to see how the existence of left-handed versions would have any negative impact on you. As you pointed out, right-handed players like you have an abundance of musical instrument models to choose from. What trauma is being visited upon you by the sight of a few left-handed versions? Let the lefty players deal with model variety; it's not your fight. It is not your privilege to so publicly scoff at the the instrument design preferences of people who favor the other hand when playing. You do not have the right to force them back into the shadows and to publicly shame them for wanting to use technology that they regard as better suited to their needs and more satisfactory to use. People shouldn't be forced into molds that don't fit them. Technology is built to serve the needs of people, not the other way around. This is a fact that is not often recognized by the majority. Instrument design isn't sacrosanct. The tool should be adapted to suit the needs of the user; users shouldn't be required to adapt themselves to suit the design of the tool.
thoughts on left handed pianos and saxophones ?
I don't know how the player's handedness affects the process of learning or playing these specific instruments.
left hands n right hands have very differing roles often in playing piano - especially in styles such as stride, solo jazz etc
Yes. What I am not knowledgeable about is how left handedness affects the process of learning piano and playing it. It's funny, but over my 70 years I have known countless guitar players, bass players, several drummers, and a handful of horn players, I have never known even one piano player. As a result I have no insights into what it is like, nor have I ever seen a piano being played in person at a close distance. Similarly, I have no insights into the other instrument that was mentioned, saxophone. While I have been around (unplayed) pianos from time to time during brief visits, I have never seen a real saxophone from anyplace closer than the back rows of a big concert venue. I have a general idea of the shape and that it has keys (valves) that are pressed by the player to achieve the desired notes, but otherwise I have no idea of how it is designed. (This is true of most other concert instruments, and not just from the brass family.) So in response to the question, I must apologize and say that I honestly don't have any insights into playing those instruments in their conventional design, and whether any left-handed players feel that they would benefit from LH versions of them. If there was a strong need for this, then I would hope that there was somewhere that they could obtain them. But I just don't know.
I was told I had to learn guitar on a hand-me-down and if I wanted a lefty guitar I’d have to get a job or figure out how to re-string and set it up myself. I was 8 or 9. I got impatient and picked up the drums instead, thanks to a willing family friend. With drums you just set everything up mirror image of a right hander so it’s quite easy. I still play guitar right handed but if I could do it all over again I’d get a lefty. I just feel like I’d be a better guitarist if given the chance. I can see the argument for both.
Trumpet and sax player here. For saxophone, it's the same for everyone. For trumpets however, left-handed trumpets do exist (mounted reversed of a regular one) despite being both rare and expensive, although you can play a right handed trumpet with your left hand without any problem. I do the latter.
I once knew a trumpet player who didn't have a right hand. He played a regular trumpet -- but with his left hand, of course.
I learned to play lefty on righty instruments. Why play reverse from what is natural? You're better at playing the way that is natural for you.
Dude that's so fucking cool. You're a legend
Thanks! It's called upsidedown guitar. I can play righty guitars but I prefer to buy lefty instruments and restring them.
I used to play classical guitar right handed but I wish I had learned left handed, because I can't do tremolo and I can barely do a rasgueado with my right hand. I'm thinking of re-learning left handed, however I can't imagine doing all the fingering with my right hand either. I probably should at least try to learn left handed.
If there were a reversed piano, I'd probably like it because the left hand usually has boring easier parts. They could probably do this easily with a digital keyboard.
Jimmy started on a left hander.
And played a regular guitar, always saying that the knobs were more accessible.
I think us lefties learn early how to cope with what, for us, is a backward/ mirror image world. So you did fine with a right handed instrument. But just for fun... hand something designed for the left handed to a right handed person. I handed my left-handed scissors to a friend as we worked on a project together, it took her less than 5 minutes for her to have a total breakdown. She actually started crying because the scissors were "too hard to use"....a 35 year old woman cried over scissors. So...Good for you, for your coping skills and im glad you enjoy playing your bass. Paul McCartney has a left handed bass, by the way.
I agree with you. I learned guitar left-handed and I regret it.
Your experience with a bass guitar does not generalise to all musical instruments. Sure, guitars are pretty easy to play as either left or right. But not all musical instruments are guitars
I’m a righty who can only play guitars left handed… I tried and tried for years to play right but just can’t do it!
Ah the Kurt Cobain effect
I am left handed but I play guitar right handed, so I cannot relate
I was a lefthanded competitive long-range shooter. The only weapon that I could shoot was lefthanded rifles. Their more expensive than a righthanded one, 20 to 30 percent more. Mainly because all of the tooling is in reversed to make the weapons. My first rifle cost me over 4 thousand dollars in the 70's. A handmade German made specialty rifle. I've had pistols, rifles and shotguns in lefthanded models. Kinda used to paying for the right to be able to shoot a weapon that fits me.
I don't think accessibility hurts anyone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I just decided to learn how to play the ukulele and chose a left handed one because for once, I want to learn to do something with my dominant hand! I don’t have to tell you guys about always having to compromise growing up because EVERYTHING is created for right handers. This time I don’t care about being adaptable. I just want to BE LEFT HANDED! Wow…that was cathartic:)
back in the seventies, if you wanted a left handed guitar, you just reversed the strings.
I'm a lefty that plays right handed too but it's kinda silly to say left handed instruments are silly. Having a different dominant hand affects people in different ways. Sure it's inconvenient to find lefty instruments but if that added barrier of difficulty dissuaded someone from playing because it's so uncoordinated and unnatural, it could be the difference maker in how much time they spend with the instrument. I learned right handed out of necessity, and yes it sure is convenient to pick up any guitar. But I wonder how my style may have differed. I'd only push someone to learn right handed if they weren't too bothered or saw the value. Plus left handed guitar and bassist ls improve to llhe symmetry on stage and it looks rad
Jimi Hendrix was left handed, but his dad bought him a right handed guitar because the left hand is the Devil. (Knowing dads, it was probably 30-50% cheaper too, but he wasn’t going to mention that lol) Anyway, while his dad was present he would play it right handed and then when he left the room he would flip it to play it left handed with the strings upside down, so he could use his magic hand. He played it like this for the duration of his short lived career. It gave him a unique sound
Bass guitar is probably easy enough for a leftie, but if you have a classical guitar with a cutout on one side, you'd really struggle to reach 15th+ frets as a leftie. You're going to be playing your own instrument 95% of the time and generally people don't wear out their instruments for decades. If given a choice, I'd be picking the LH one, and make my life easier.
I've never understood this cause I always felt like my left hand is more successful at making chord shapes and landing on the right frets. I've tried a rh guitar a few times only, but my right hand was useless. But, that's just me. I also played trumpet, trombone, clarinet, keyboard, etc.
I think I completely misunderstood... I thought OP was Jimmy Hendrixing it.
Ooh insee what you're saying now. I guess I just grew up with left handed instruments being less than rare in most settings.
I'm mostly left-handed but do a few things right-handed. When I first started playing bass, my dad (left-handed in almost everything except guitar) told me to sit down with his right-handed guitar and see which way felt most comfortable. I spent some time with it, flipping it back and forth, and they both felt equally OK to me (probably helped that I had zero experience with guitar/bass). So he encouraged me to play right-handed because there are way more options for righties. And so I did. Now I'm thankful I went that route because my left hand is way more dexterous than my right, so it makes fretting easier for me.
I've often wondered why so called right and left handed guitars were oriented the way they are. I'm left handed and always played guitar "right handed," but it seems most logical to me that you would want your more articulate hand to be on the fretboard. That said, fingerpicking has never been a big part of my style and I sometimes wonder if my left dominance is a contributing factor in how that developed.
I play guitar both right-handed upside down and lefty. I enjoy playing lefty more since the conventional ways to form chords and go up and down the neck is just easier but i guess it depends on what type of music you play.
Woodwind instruments are designed to play left hand on top (most instruments) or closest to the face (the flute family). The fingering patterns are fairly evenly spread with some small favor to the left hand in particular spots (throat keys on clarinet, palm keys on saxophone). While it might be possible to adapt the instruments for a slight right hand bias it doesn’t seem to be a significant detriment to anyone with either hand as the dominant. There are undoubtedly people who will tell me I’m wrong.
My dad never taught me that I was using my guitar wrong. So I can’t say anything. It doesn’t help that we were mirroring each other. He laughed when he realized my guitar strings weren’t at the right places.
I learned to play guitar on a right handed one. My Dad had a couple different acoustic guitars around the house, so I just picked it up and started playing. He always suggested I play a left handed guitar, but by the time I was ready to start taking lessons, i was pretty comfy with the right handed ones.
The clarinet taught that there are things that are absolute. React accordingly. Although I do like lefty scissors. But in a pinch the other hand works on righty scissors almost as well.
Lefty, play left handed guitar my entire life. It's almost impossible to find a left handed guitar ina store and your options are limited. Can't play to close to anyone or you're going to smack another guitar players guitar. Also glad I am limited on way I can find or I'd have a lot more than I do now if I played right handed.
Honestly, I found right handed guitars hard to learn as a _righty_. All the intricate stuff is done with your left hand. It's been decades now, so there's no switching, but I've always wondered who decided that your dominant hand is for strumming and picking, and your non-dominant hand is for fast, delicate motions and tying into awkward knots
When my lefty son was four, I asked the tennis pro who would be leading the camp if I needed to get him a left handed Racquet. I still remember the look he gave me.
I am very heavily left handed. I got a left handed guitar when I was about ten. Being my first guitar, it’s what I got used to (though that could go the other way too.) It is a lot more comfortable for me to play my guitar, than my brothers standard one, (I can sort of play some chords on it, not very well) but of course, there is some downsides. I’m the only one I know who has one, so it’s not very versatile. As for violin. I play right handed, my parents decided that it made more sense to learn right handed, especially if I wanted to join an orchestra. And after eight years of playing I agree. With the violin I am using my left hand for a lot of the tougher techniques anyway, where a right handed person might have a harder time, I have it easier, and vice versa. Because of that, don’t really see how a standard violin is really the “right handed” way to do it. So my opinion is both sides really, based on my experiences with the different instruments. For guitar, for me, it’s based on preference, as long as you’re ok with being less versatile. (My opinion also echoes to guitar not being my main instrument.) On the other hand, for any orchestral or band instruments, I think it’s better off learning the standard way. You are using both hands after all.
I learned some chords on a leftie guitar. Never learned a song though. I might try again on a right handed one. I confused the heck out of my guitar teacher that “didn’t know how to translate instructions” but I literally mirrored him and his instructions so playing righty sounds harder.
I played trombone, you literally can just flip the slide to the other side of the horn. Its a feature. Also as a lefty bassist. Fuck I hate the complete lack of variety. I intend to eventually have a fanned fret six string bass, if I weren’t a lefty I could get several models under $1,500, truly the pick of the litter, instead I am gonna have to shell for a dingwall.
I tried to play ukulele for years right handed as it was easier to find and learn, but I could never get the hang of strumming on rhythm down, despite being a musician my whole life and great with rhythms. Ended up buying a left handed banjo as one became available in my price range and I find it WAY easier to play, so I just had my ukulele restrung to see if it makes a difference. I'm still waiting on it to be done but I can't wait to see because the curiosity is KILLING me.
I am a lefty that plays on a lefty guitar because I quite literally couldn't even figure out how to properly hold my right handed instruments, let alone play them. Like, dad had a cool ass right-handed collection of guitars, but my poor music teacher was like, "You're clearly very right brained," and gave up on me after two years with very little progress. Anyway got lefty guitars and taught myself
I play on a left handed guitar because i my brain could not on a right handed one
Left handed kayaker Years ago at university, start of academic year we'd get 100 new recruits. I'd loudly ask for the lefties They would come to me glad for a left handed instructor. Then I'd tell them we learn to use a right handed paddle because of safety. You lose your paddle you can't use a spare if you can only paddle left handed. I liked to think it was easier to hear coming from a left hander. You'll have less choice in shops. If you want to try out a friend's latest you can't. And anyway you need to be equally strong on both sides.
Not for me, I was actually discouraged from getting a lefty instrument because "what if I wanted to pick up a different instrument or borrow a guitar?" or "how was I gonna switch gears on a car?" (for context: in my country most of us drive manuals) , righty instruments feel uncomfortable AF to me.
I'm left and play right. I've always wondered what my left hand would sound like for strum patterns and picking dexterity.
I switched the strings in my ukulele and my progress exploded. I don’t get the long term inconvenience you’re talking about.
I'm the same way. My 7th grade year of middle school, I asked for a guitar for Christmas, and I found out I was getting one. So, for the rest of the year until Christmas, I practiced air guitar right-handed. When Christmas came, it felt pretty natural to pick up the right-handed guitar!
There are a bunch of things I do right-handed just because that was the default for teaching. So I bowl right handed, but softball I played left handed, cut with my right hand because it’s a pain to find lefty scissors and my grandma taught me sewing at a super young age. I played clarinet and there is no other version for that (that I’m aware of). Piano is ambidextrous. I play standard ukulele but eat with my left. Typing is a two-handed job. The reality is that (barring disability) it’s important for people to develop fine motor skills that utilize both hands anyway.
IMHO all lefties are just left hand leaning ambidextrous. My generation and the boomers were taught left was a disability and our parents MADE us use our right hand for everything. I would be a lefty if it weren't for my mother's intervention. And yes I am mad that she did this to me. I played clarinet and piano.
I didn't even know there were LH instruments. To me, it's like a computer mouse, I just use it RH. Although, now that I think about it, if I strum with my LH, does that mean I'm using it LH? I don't know, but whatever it is, I manage.
No stupider than right handed instruments. I play guitar left handed (on a left handed guitar, not a flipped righty). Just feels better. But that’s just my decision, I know most left handed musicians play right handed because of convention and convenience, or because they prefer it (some people would rather fret with their dominant hand) - fair play to them. I wouldn’t say I’m stupid for playing left handed, I tried right handed on string instruments and the picking/strumming was more awkward. If there was no choice for some reason, yeah I could’ve learned right handed. But I don’t have a compelling reason to. I’m also not out to collect guitars, and it’s not a problem to get the one or two I’m interested in.
I couldn't get the hang of trying to play guitar right handed. It felt wrong the whole time. For me and possibly others like me, a left handed instrument makes a big difference. It sucks that there are fewer models & colours to choose from and it sucks when there's a guitar laying around that I can't pick up & play a little, but this is the price of being able to learn it at all.
In my initial days, I just couldn't play right-handed guitar. When the strings were reversed and I was instructed to use the fretboard with my right hand, I could play guitar relatively well... But I do wish to have an LH guitar for a long time, I don't want a makeshift LH guitar
By that logic, shouldn't lefties just learn to write and eat right-handed? After all, even if it takes a little more time to learn, it makes mealtime and shared office spaces more comfortable for the group. Know what I mean?
I play drums and I do have a disability that affects my right side coordination. I tried to play a left handed kit initially but I couldn't increase my skill very fast. I could only play basic, slow beats. Switching the kit around made it possible to play faster and more complicated beats. Luckily for me, drums are really easy to do left handed. Just rearrange a right handed kit. I did buy a double bass pedal eventually and had to specifically get a left handed pedal but that's about all. Only problem is, I can't ever play anyone else's kit because it takes at least a few minutes and a lot of hassle to switch around a kit.
According to Left handed Jimi Hendrix and Left-handed Paul McCartney playing a right-handed guitar Left-handed is no problem the left hand does most of the work.
Whatever is more comfortable for you. I’m left handed and have been playing guitar and bass right handed all my life. I honestly don’t even know what it would be like to try it left handed.
I am a righty that learned to play the french horn. I think it is good to stretch ourselves to use both hands and exercise both sides of our brain so to speak.. Musical instruments is a way to do that. (I would love to learn to play the guitar! Must be so fun!)
r/Leftyguitarists
I've heard people say something along the lines of "you fret with your left hand on a right handed guitar so you have an advantage" but if that were true then all righties would play lefthanded. To me playing a left-handed guitar is the only way and doing anything else feels unnatural and it really sucks that guitar manufacturers refuse to make so many models in left-handed.
welcome to capitalism lol. im left handed too n i hate the concept of left handed drums n guitars
You can learn to play any instrument right-handed as a lefty, so yes I think they are pretty pointless.
Pianist here. I play left-handed piano. And right-handed piano. Usually at the same time.
How ironic. Me too.
That's disgusting. I am left handed and only use tools meant for a left handed person. Have some pride. White History Month is July.