Comments on: Music and Lefthanders

By: Trisha

Trisha — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:45:48 +0000

I am learning to play guitar. I tried for a few months to play “right-handed” but struggled with the awkwardness of holding the guitar and trying to form the chords with my left hand. Finally I bought an eledtric guitar with 3 pegs on each side and simply re-strung it, moved the screw for the strap and have had a great deal of comfort and success now. I have had sever al right handed players tell me it is easier to learn to play right handed given that I have never played before, they really couldn’t know that to be true. I can tell you I was about to give up my dream of learning to play. Not anymore! I plan on purchasing a TRUE left handed made guitar in the near future.

By: David

David — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:02:06 +0000

I agree with you 100%.

By: David

David — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:34:41 +0000

Some left handed people do play right handed the late Gary Moore and Steve Morse are examples. Yet Jimi Hendrix played left handed and he learnt from other guitarists from around Seattle; unless Seattle is the world centre for left handed guitarists then it’s safe to assume that Jimi learnt mostly from right handed players. Paul McCartney tried to learn guitar right handed but got nowhere until he switched: I skipped trying to learn right handed, but it’s only during the last ten years that I actually made any progress. A few left handed players are in fact right handed. The only rule is to play the way that feels natural to you.

By: David

David — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:54:20 +0000

Did they tell you why? It may well be the case with orchestral instruments but in my opinion it makes no difference with keyboard instrument as it can be technically demanding for both hands.

By: David

David — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:25:45 +0000

Whoever told you that you could change chords faster is talking rubbish. Another gem is that playing right handed is an ‘industry standard’. The truth is your pick (or fingerpicking) hand does most of the work. Think about it, if it’s an advantage to play with your dominant hand on the fretboard then right handers are playing the wrong way round. I am left handed and teach left handed beginners guitar; my starting point is that it feels natural to hold a guitar with the neck to the right rather than ask which hand a person writes with.

By: Grace Attard Hedley

Grace Attard Hedley — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:39:51 +0000

I’ve been playing the drum for two years. I still have to take my exam. My tutor is left-handed as well. Sometimes I still think I still have much to learn. Being in the minority is not easy but I love music and love my drums and that’s what counts.

By: brian

brian — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:12:23 +0000

i’ve been playin guitar for 36 years. i originally wanted my guitar strung lefthanded, but my music teacher told me i’d be able to chord faster being lefthanded, and right hand’d be used for strumming/picking need not be as fast, as a rule.

By: Rhea

Rhea — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:20:16 +0000

I play a few musical instruments and have found being left handed a distinct advantage when learning the piano. My right hand could do the melody because it had the more dominant sound but my left hand was okay because it didn’t require so much looking at on my part; being the dominant hand it was easier for me to learn to play the bass line than for right handers.
And some wind instruments seem to me to be set up for left handers. The drums, well, I learned those too but you can set them up either way.
Being able make music was more important than the handedness….although I can’t do stringed instruments as I can’t work out which way I want to play them.

By: Joey

Joey — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:30:05 +0000

I totally agree; I’ve been playing guitar and other string instruments for 10 years. I’m left-handed and have found that advantageous when forming the chords on a right-handed guitar. I also fingerpick almost exclusively, and find that it is easier for my right hand to adjust to fingerpicking patterns.

By: Lifelong Lefty Lee

Lifelong Lefty Lee — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:21:53 +0000

Similar to one of the comments in tan above, I learned to play the acoustic guitar strumming/ picking with my right hand & the left hand forming the chords & notes. I found it was MUCH better that way, as I found it more challenging to get my hand & fingers positioned on the neck of the guitar than to pick/strum the strings. I wondered why any right-handed person would want to play the guitar that way!