Lefties should learn to play right handed

[Kevin Deschwazi]

I have a friend and her son is 8 and a a lefty and just learning guitar. He's progressing really well, I think he could be pretty special.

Anyway mum wants to buy him an electric for his birthday but 3/4 size lefty electrics are difficult to come by. The guy in the shop said he should just learn to play right handed.

Is there any good reason he would have said this? (before I call the shop and give them the hairdryer treatment).

 

[mshilarious]

Is there any good reason he would have said this? (before I call the shop and give them the hairdryer treatment).

Because he's an idiot? Well, I guess that's a bit harsh, it is hard to find lefty instruments, but with so many notable lefty greats, it's surprising to get a comment like that. Tell him to ring Sir Paul and feed him that line.

It's worse for violin; there is rampant discrimination against lefties there.

 

[Purge]

LOL my best friend is a lefty, and every time I go to his house I give him shit about it...mainly because I have to play his damn guitar upside-down.

Yeah, that is a pretty stupid thing to say though.

 

[jjmanton2]

just let him learn right. Im left handed, and the only things i do right handed are golf and guitar.

 

[CyanJaguar]

IT would be exponentially difficult for him to learn right handed. The guy who suggested that is an idiot

 

[Rokket]

I am a lefty, and it is hard to find left handed guitars. You have to custom order them, and they usually run about $100 - $200 more for the same right handed guitar. And a lot of guitar makers don't even make left handed models anymore (Ibanez). I have a friend who is a lefty who learned to play right handed, but he's not as good as a normal right handed person, or as good as I am playing left handed.
The guy's thinking is archaic and he needs a good slap in the head.

 

[jjmanton2]

I am an idiot? seriously, I know so many people who learned right handed. It was easier for me to play at first, because i already had the fine tuned muscle movements in my left hand from writing. I can play both right and left, but right handed has always been much faster. Think about it, as a kid i spent all those years practicing fine motor skills in handwriting class, why not put them to use on the guitar fretboard?

 

[crazydoc]

I'm left handed and play right handed. I don't know how the hell right handed people play right handed - it seems so much easier to use the dominant hand on the neck. I finger pick with the right hand without trouble, but I've never been able to learn to flat pick with any dexterity.

 

[mshilarious]

I am also left handed, but play right handed. I play sports right handed though, so really I am somewhat ambidextrous.

Still, I didn't force myself to learn right handed, that was what was natural for me. However, my wife, who is strictly left handed, would have a very difficult time learning righty.

My daughters are all over the place too; my second daughter seems to be straight lefty, and soon she will start violin. She seems comfortable playing righty, even though I've encouraged her to do whatever is natural. While I'm somewhat relieved since it will make her life easier, I also know that if she really should be playing lefty, she will be limited.

Don't presume that because some lefties are happier playing righty that all can. That simply isn't true. It is bizarre to me that more lefty instruments aren't available, because I note a high proportion of lefties are musical. Thus, I view the lack of lefty instruments as a result of righty bias, ignorance, or outright discrimination.

Sorry for the rant

 

[Tadpui]

I would think that learning to play right-handed would pay dividends for decades to come due to the abundance of right-handed instruments and their lower cost.

If you don't know how to play left-handed or right-handed, why not go ahead and learn right-handed and not be condemned to paying extra for lefties and waiting for special orders, or restricted inventory for your whole life? Learn to play rightie now and it won't be an issue ever again.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

If he'd never picked up a guitar before and mum was looking at a first instrument then I'd agree that learning to play right handed might not be such a bad idea. But he's been learning for the best part of a year already and as I said he's progressing very well playing left handed.

So what's wrong with playing a right handed instrument upside down? Just as long as it's set up right, I've seen scores of lefties playing guitars like this.

 

[Larry Gude]

Fascinating...

...as a lefty who plays lefty I would have bet my ass that ALL lefties who play lefty would have said for this kid to learn righty. No question.

The first six months I played, I played both ways and was advancing a little bit faster lefty BUT I was advancing just fine righty. My final decision to go left was based on thinking playing lefty was rare and therefore cooler. This was 1981 so my opinion of that fateful choice is based on almost 25 years.

TELL THE KID TO LEARN RIGHTY. MAKE HIM LEARN RIGHTY. Illustrate to him in anyway you can that this, as far as guitars go, is a right hand world. End of story.

Does he like cars? Tell him lefty is like he can only test drive one out of a hundred and of those 100 only one is a 'vette and then it means he'll have to go through 10,000 to find ONE LH 'vette. Just to test drive, nevermind if he doesn't like it or wrong color or whatever.

Use a computer? Same thing. Nevermind you can move a mouse, just say 'hey, 1 out of 100'. Girls? Whatever analogy you need to use, do it. JUST DO IT.

I have a beautiful wine red Gibbie LH Paul Custom and a classic maple/black and white US Strat LH. Fine, fine instruments but, to this day, going into a guitar shop is simply horrible. I don't look up when I ask for strings.

Yes, you CAN find good lefties. Yes, there is 'Promised Lands' like Southpaw in Texas and others that cater to the left.

BUT most of lefty life is desolate. He will go to friends houses where there are guitars laying about and someone will wanna show him something and he'll be without. He'll be asked to jam. Nope, no axe. He'll be like the kid in the bubble; you can't leave home without your bubble if you wanna play. It's the same if they come to your home. 'Got a guitar?...no, just lefties? TOO BAD!'

Guitar shops, I say again, it's like walking into a bar full of beautiful women who are all looking at your crotch and licking their lips, showing a little T/A, inviting you...right up until you get your hands on her and put a pick in your left hand.

EWWWWWW...I don't go THAT way! She shrieks. PUT ME DOWN!

It's like choosing to have a handicap.

It IS choosing to have a handicap.

He'll become a 'shut in', he'll always have to have brought his own 'ball' just to go outside to play. People will point and whisper. The dickhead at the shop will say 'you wanna see a whaah? oh yeah, lefty. We got A strat and maybe a Seagul accoustic...I can order you whatever you want...."

FUCK THAT!!! FUCK YOU, GUITAR SHOP OPPRESSOR!!! I want to check out every single one of them PRS's! And let me see that old Hammer Explorer. What's with the Jacksons? Serve me, SERVE ME!

But, alas, no.

No lefties need apply.

We don't serve your kind unless you like Mexican.

Discrimination.

Dispair.

Emptiness.

SAVE THAT CHILD NOW!!!!!!

 

[HangDawg]

...as a lefty who plays lefty I would have bet my ass that ALL lefties who play lefty would have said for this kid to learn righty. No question.

The first six months I played, I played both ways and was advancing a little bit faster lefty BUT I was advancing just fine righty. My final decision to go left was based on thinking playing lefty was rare and therefore cooler. This was 1981 so my opinion of that fateful choice is based on almost 25 years.

TELL THE KID TO LEARN RIGHTY. MAKE HIM LEARN RIGHTY. Illustrate to him in anyway you can that this, as far as guitars go, is a right hand world. End of story.

Does he like cars? Tell him lefty is like he can only test drive one out of a hundred and of those 100 only one is a 'vette and then it means he'll have to go through 10,000 to find ONE LH 'vette. Just to test drive, nevermind if he doesn't like it or wrong color or whatever.

Use a computer? Same thing. Nevermind you can move a mouse, just say 'hey, 1 out of 100'. Girls? Whatever analogy you need to use, do it. JUST DO IT.

I have a beautiful wine red Gibbie LH Paul Custom and a classic maple/black and white US Strat LH. Fine, fine instruments but, to this day, going into a guitar shop is simply horrible. I don't look up when I ask for strings.

Yes, you CAN find good lefties. Yes, there is 'Promised Lands' like Southpaw in Texas and others that cater to the left.

BUT most of lefty life is desolate. He will go to friends houses where there are guitars laying about and someone will wanna show him something and he'll be without. He'll be asked to jam. Nope, no axe. He'll be like the kid in the bubble; you can't leave home without your bubble if you wanna play. It's the same if they come to your home. 'Got a guitar?...no, just lefties? TOO BAD!'

Guitar shops, I say again, it's like walking into a bar full of beautiful women who are all looking at your crotch and licking their lips, showing a little T/A, inviting you...right up until you get your hands on her and put a pick in your left hand.

EWWWWWW...I don't go THAT way! She shrieks. PUT ME DOWN!

It's like choosing to have a handicap.

It IS choosing to have a handicap.

He'll become a 'shut in', he'll always have to have brought his own 'ball' just to go outside to play. People will point and whisper. The dickhead at the shop will say 'you wanna see a whaah? oh yeah, lefty. We got A strat and maybe a Seagul accoustic...I can order you whatever you want...."

FUCK THAT!!! FUCK YOU, GUITAR SHOP OPPRESSOR!!! I want to check out every single one of them PRS's! And let me see that old Hammer Explorer. What's with the Jacksons? Serve me, SERVE ME!

But, alas, no.

No lefties need apply.

We don't serve your kind unless you like Mexican.

Discrimination.

Dispair.

Emptiness.

SAVE THAT CHILD NOW!!!!!!

I've always said that lefties are freaks. Now I'm certain they are.











Signed

A righty.

 

[Larry Gude]

Well thanks!

I've always said that lefties are freaks. Now I'm certain they are.

Glad you have such a strong opinion on the question:

Is there any good reason he would have said this?

Never can have to many righties with no sense of humor and nothing to add.

I mean, you're so rare.

 

[HangDawg]

Glad you have such a strong opinion on the question:


Never can have to many righties with no sense of humor and nothing to add.

I mean, you're so rare.

There's not too many things I will take a stand on. Lefties being freaks is one of them though. Not that I dislike them mind you. They are, however, different than normal people.

 

[Larry Gude]

Ok...

...I'll conform.

To answer the question 'righty' stlye:

"It may be of interest to encourage, or at least discuss, that the lad learn to play right handed as the vast majority of instruments available on the open market place for purchase are, because of the simple economic reality of quantity of left handers vs. right handers, far more available in right hand configuration. Of course, it is possible that he will find and purchase one LH guitar and have no further interest in acquiring another, in which case the concern is somewhat, but of course not entirely, moot. Statistics on the availability of right hand vs. left hand guitars for his market region are available at website blah, blah, blah.com"


Happy?


You don't happen to also play drums do yah?

 

[DC-XPL]

It's a coincidence that I was just discussing this with my band last night. I agree with Larry, and the same thing happened to me.

I am completely left handed - nothing ambidexterous about it. When I wanted to start guitar at age 13, my teacher said the same thing - "turn it over and learn right handed, you'll thank me for it later!" I can honestly say that it was for the best. My stronger hand is on the neck and I studied classical guitar in college to develop my right hand technique. Occasionally I wonder what it had been like if I stuck to my guns and learned left handed. I probably would've never found my rare Les Paul in a left handed model - that's for sure!

Incidentally, to this day, if a song comes on the radio and I have to play air guitar (c'mon we all do it), I still play air guitar lefty!!! It's the most bizarre thing, but playing air guitar right handed just doesn't feel right.

Yes, this confirms it - lefties are kooks.

 

[theadslguy]

As a lefty who is naturally right handed, I had to learn how to play left because I have two small fingers on my left hand, so that hand would never be able to make the chords. Believe me I've tried. When I was young and learning it didn't make much of a difference but when I went back to learning guitar I had to get all my guitars restrung for left or buy left handed guitars.
As far as learning to play either way, to be honest it's up to the person playing, they should play the way that they feel comfortable. Any guitar teacher will tell a lefty to learn to play righty, because generally they just can't wrap their heads around someone basically being their mirror. I know I play in my worship band at church and my guitar teacher and leader of the band is righty, he hates to try teaching me all the pentatonics on paper, he has to actually show me, then it's still hard for him to figure out if I'm doing it right.
Coincidentally enough the other guy that I play regular rock music with is also a lefty, thankfully we just swap guitars when we feel like playing something new. But for the same reason's that right handed people can't wrap their heads around lefties it's vice-versa too, I can't figure out how right handed people play. On top of that left handed guitarists look weird when playing, I wonder sometimes how I do it.
Back to my main statement though, just tell the kid to learn the way he wants to learn. Not what's convenient for someone else.

 

[lesterpaul]

i think ...

it's too late maybe...if he had started from day one and someone corrected him it would be easier but after almost a year he may be stuck ...i mean let's face it how many of us played a song the "first" time we ever picked up a guitar .we learned how to play...if you have a fresh learning environment without prejudices i think the mind and body can adapt to it

....i am a lefty in writing but everything else i do righty my father writes righty (made him in school) but everything else lefty my son can do both equally...

a side note about learning lefty the pro golfer Phil Mickelson plays lefty but he's a righty the reason is when his dad taught him golf he would stand in front of Phil so he mirrored his movements

 

[lpdeluxe]

I think Larry Gude's right about left...

...and you're also witty. I'm right handed but my wife is left handed and she plays guitar right handed. I taught her bass right handed because if I hadn't, she'd have had to go out and buy yet another bass!

I have read that lefthandedness is in about 10% of the population (my youngest son is also lefty) but the number of musicians is much higher among left handed persons than righties. With a keyboard it doesn't make much difference, but a guitar is a strange beast.

Mr Gude, I bought my wife a refrigerator magnet that says, "All persons are born right handed. Only the greatest overcome it."

Peace