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The way you play?

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(@audioboy)
Reputable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 187
Topic starter  

I am left handed but play right handed...when I bought my guitar, it felt impossible for me to hold a left handed guitar even though I am left handed. Does anyone else have that, for the lack of a better word, problem?


   
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(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

When i first became interested in playing guitar the people i hung out with were all right handed, so the first guitars i messed with were right handed guitars.
for some reason , maybe because i saw jimi playing a rt handed guitar strung for a lefty i assumed you couldn't get a left handed guitar, or that they would be too expensive.
anyway i learned righty and it never occured to me to play left handed.

#4491....


   
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 Bish
(@bish)
Famed Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 3636
 

When I first started playing drums I was influenced by a left handed drummer. I learned everything left handed. Keep in mind this was back in the '60's when there wasn't a lot of media available to model yourself after.

As I would watch American Bandstand or other music shows and look at album pictures I was noticing that I was backwards of everyone. Being a kid with no mentality for experimentation or "thinking out of the box" I untrained and retrained myself right-handed. I now see that being able to do any task either handed would have been a bonus.

Of course with guitar there is no either or with the same instrument like there is with drums. Drum sets can be setup either way and on the same day. Not so true with guitars so you must choose a hand before committing to a life of either or.

As a rule, I don't think it matters what your natural influence is. You can learn either way if you haven't started any bad habits.

Bish

"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"


   
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 lars
(@lars)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1120
 

Same here!

Started out the "right way" - I don't think it even occured to me that it was possible to do it otherwise when I started (even though I was aware of Paul Mccartney...). Think it has something to do also with me playing violin. I've increasingly regretted it the last years - don't think my right hand will ever be as good a my left could have been - struggle a lot to improve right hand technique.

I have considered switching a few times, but trying to form a chord with my right hand tells me that it will be a long way to go - 18 years of guitar playing down the something. (I have a plan to restring a guitar leftish and try 5 minutes a week or something, but haven't really gotten around to do it yet.)

BTW: One Norwegian guy (Kurt Nilsen - the World Idol http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/norway-kurt-nilsen-wins-world-idol-as-contest-favorite-kelly-clarkson-places-second-2133.php ) plays - as far as I have seen (i.e. once) - lefthanded, but on a regular guitar - with the 1st string on the top - How is that possible :shock: anyone tried it?

Lars

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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(@dan-t)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5044
 

Hey AudioBoy!

My son is left handed, but plays guitar right handed. When he 1st started to show interest in the guitar, he would pick mine up & hold it like I did, right handed. When it came time to get him his own guitar, I took him to a music store, and put a left handed guitar in his hands. He said it felt weird, and wanted to try a righty guitar. Righty guitar it is! That's what he's stuck with ever since, and owns 2 now. (He sneaks in to play mine too once in awhile. 8) ) Here I thought I just had a weird kid! :shock:

:lol:
Dan

"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge


   
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 RonF
(@ronf)
Active Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 5
 

I write left-handed, but do almost everything else right-handed, including holding (I won't say 'playing' :D ) the guitar.

It's strange, but after reading this thread I turned the guitar round to see how it would feel, and it wasn't too bad. I think I'll stick with the right-handed approach, though!

Ron


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

I am left handed but play right handed

There are lots of us. Right handed people who play right handed only wish they thought of playing a left handed guitar...they have no imagination. hahaha :twisted:


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon and David Byrne are all lefties who play right handed. You're all in good company! :wink:

Peace


   
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(@ginger)
Reputable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 393
 

The real trick would to be right handed and play left handed.


   
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(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

The real trick would to be right handed and play left handed.

I have a student who does exactly that

Me, I write left handed, use a baseball bat left handed, cricket bat right handed, tennis raquet left handed, snooker cure left handed, knife and fork right handed, carving knife left handed, phones PC's and calculators are only made in right handed versions, likewise piano keyboards, I have left handed scissors and a left handed ruler, I use a mouse with my left hand but a right handed button configuration. All us lefties have to adapt to a very biased world.

I'm not confused. Promise

A :-)

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
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(@misanthrope)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2261
 

It's a misconception that handedness is an absolute, you just have different amounts of control over each hand, either of which can be trained to be better. There was quite an interesting article on it in New Scientist a few months ago, but I can't find it in google :/

ChordsAndScales.co.uk - Guitar Chord/Scale Finder/Viewer


   
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(@tim_madsen)
Prominent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 724
 

Think it has something to do also with me playing violin.
Lars

There's a Bluegrass group called "Cherryholmes". They have a thirteen year old girl that plays the violin lefthanded. She can cook the strings right off that thing. By the way they are a family act, father, mother two daughters and two sons. That's one talented family!

Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.

"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe


   
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(@noel-iu)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 96
 

Noel Gallagher is left handed too, and plays right handed. No problem...
I'm right handed and playing the other way is not a problem for me... although I'd never get the same level of course

http://www.freewebs.com/noel-iu

http://noel-iu.dmusic.com/


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

Well Jimi hendrix could play any way he wanted to -

- Right guitar righty
- Right guitar lefty
- Left guitar righty
- Left guitar lefty (of course...)

Now that's what you call AMAZING !


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

As far as I know Hendrix was strictly lefty, and played either right-handed guitars flipped or left-handed guitars normally. There is some video material that seems to show him as righthanded but those clips are actually mirror-imaged, IIRC.


   
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