Any left handers playing guitar right handed?

EricTheWeary

AuldReekie;126928" said:

I'm a lefty who plays right, mainly because when I started playing in the 60s, there were few options for left handers, even less in the Black Isle where I was brought up. Quite happy as a lefty who plays right, but on the odd drunken "air guitar" moment, I am still naturally left handed

Yeh but you had dolphins. Everybody loves dolphins. :ar!

spaceman_inorbit

I'm another lefty playing right handed. Right handed guitars just felt more natural than lefties. Also when starting out I found using my stronger, more dexterous hand to hold the chords meant quicker progression; especially compared with my mates that were struggling to build up the strength and co-ordination in their weaker hand.

HAL9000

Two others are Wilko Johnson and Joe Strummer.

My understanding is that Wilko actually learnt left handed but then taught himself right handed due to the difficulty of obtaining left-handed instruments.

I believe Joe Strummer was taught by a right-hander and no concession was made to Joe's left handedness. I've heard (but don't know the truth of it) that he later regretted not learning left handed and came to believe that this restricted him as a guitarist. The 'Strummer' moniker was apparently adopted (again, I don't the truth of it) as a constant (and very public) dig to his tutor for not teaching him left handed.

monquixote

I too am a lefty who plays righty. 

I've no idea if I'd have found learning the other way around easier. Righty guitars were available and I was aware leftys were hard to come by. I'm not sure I've ever even played one. 

AuldReekie

EricTheWeary said:

AuldReekie;126928" said:

I'm a lefty who plays right, mainly because when I started playing in the 60s, there were few options for left handers, even less in the Black Isle where I was brought up. Quite happy as a lefty who plays right, but on the odd drunken "air guitar" moment, I am still naturally left handed

Yeh but you had dolphins. Everybody loves dolphins. :ar!

I left in 1975, Dolphins weren't "in" then. Still have family there and enjoy my visits north, buty no intention of retrning there to live

bazxkr

I'm a lefty that plays righty too.... Steve Morse is too funnily enough..didn't know any others til read this thread

No way I can even hold a pick in my left hand. Use the mouse with my RH. but horrible with left. Yet can draw with both.

Weird. 

But I'm all over the place on similar ops... would throw a dart left handed but a javelin or ball right handed. Couldn't use a tooth brush left handed to save my life. Certainly alot easier to find guitars you want RH that's for sure.

And hammering in nails there is no difference. When one hand gets tired I just swap. But with a guitar no chance of a swap.

As my son says I'm just 'all f***** up'

Interesting thread

Cheers Baz

John_P

Another lefty playing right handed here

I can play a little left handed but I don't practise that way enough -- like others I do lots of things RH but favour my left hand - certainly helps with legato playing...

grungebob

Another lefty playing right here too. I don't think it's hurt my technical skills because I don't have any but I do think it's perhaps limited my finger picking ability but then again I've only just started to use that so it may be im either a slow learner or just Shit at it

tbm

Ok, so in short if I get him to play right handed guitar he'll probably be fine?

Grand.

stickyfiddle

Get him started on right handed guitars, then when he's older you can borrow his

JAYJO

tbm said:

Ok, so in short if I get him to play right handed guitar he'll probably be fine?

Grand.

No imo,

 Im a lefty and i play lefty because it feels right! no other reason. I like playing guitar and I like playing lefty absolutely no regrets. I bat left handed(if this is poss) when playing cricket because it feels right not because the bat is left handed. I play tennis left handed because it feels right not because the racket is left handed. My friends Daughter who is nine and left handed is being taught right handed becuase her teacher decided for her no other reason. Who do you want to decide what way he plays Him, you or his tutor? 

Bogwhoppit

Yep. I'm what they term pure left sided.  Totally unable to use my right hand or leg for writing, sports etc.  I had to learn playing right handed as left handed guitars were rare and expensive in my era.

It opens up a whole new playing style.

dafuzz

I have an idea: when my daughter was young the doctor said we can work out whether she's lefty or righty by rolling her a ball and seeing which hand she uses to roll it back.

Give the little'un a ukulele or something and look at which way he holds it. Job done.

Garuda

Left hander here playing right handed. I didn't even know of the existence of a LH guitar when I started back in 1971 and as I couldn't play to start with (obviously) I didn't know what felt right....it all felt a bit wierd. maybe I am a little more left hand focused than some guitarists but wouldn't swear to it.

tbm

Ah he's defo a left handed, the only reason he holds his Uke, or toy guitars, right handed is he knows how they should look.

My Mum just told me I used to favour my left hand for certain things as a kid, and i used to skateboard groofy (left footed).

I guess we'll see.

dafuzz

tbm said:

Ah he's defo a left handed, the only reason he holds his Uke, or toy guitars, right handed is he knows how they should look.

I disagree - I'm lefty and when I first picked up a guitar (at 11 years old) I instictively held it lefty. It was only when the teacher said "for a start, hold it properly" that I flipped it round. Maybe I should've learned lefty! Ah well too late now.

Anyway, if he's holding it righty at his age it's because that way feels right correct to him - I think he's answered your question for you mate!

frankus

Apart from my stake in this as a left handed person, who has very bad memories of my first guitar teachers attitude to my being left handed... (any struggle was met with the reply - well you could just give up).. I'm a dad and I find the statement at odds with my beliefs in parenting.

My eldest (now 14), played guitar (right handed as he's right handed) I deliberately hung back - he reads music, I'd love him to play in a band of kids - he's given up, so we watch films together, play computer games, go on runs together too some times.. He also packed in Karate which saddened me but there were elements of it (the theory) he really didn't like... it's his life not an echo of mine... we just want him to be healthy - so he's taking up crossfit.

Youngest (4) picks up his older brother's spanish guitar and comes into my room wanting to jam along to Beck, Beastie Boys or Daft Punk ... me playing a 335 copy or nashville tuned acoustic it's not musical but he loves it - so we do it. He's been spotted by the music teacher at his pre-school (it's a prep school) so the chances are he'll be involved in music, but it'll be entirely on his terms.

The times in their lives when there's been a cathartic reversal of direction (quitting Hockey, quitting Football, swapping GCSE topics) have largely taken place because as parents we weren't listening, we'd assumed something was how it was and not paid enough attention - it's okay it happens, but if it happens too much it undermines the trust kids have in their parents (fine at 14 - he's got to learn we're fallible, but pretty terrifying for a toddler - you're all that's keeping them alive, they need you to be competent).

He'll probably be fine... but it's worth talking to him about it - who knows best?

xSkarloey

My advice to the OP FWIW is that you and the lad's mum know him better than anyone and whatever you do will be done with the best of intentions. Do what you feel is best for him. 

Anyway, he's still little. Things might end up like they did with one of my lads. I've always tried to get him interested in the guitar, always tried to set an example like a good rock n' roller should, and in the end he's just taken up...the bloody Saxophone!!!!!! 

 

mike257

I'm another one - played right handed guitars because that's what I had access to, didn't occur to me to try it any other way.

I did, however have a revelation with drumming - started out the same, played righty and could hold a passable beat but frustrated the music teacher with my insistence on playing open handed.  When a drumming mate who was also a lefty bought a kit and had the foresight to turn it all the other way round it was like a whole new world of playing and the instrument suddenly made sense to me.  I didn't become Bonham overnight or anything, but I felt like I could play and progress much more easily.

That didn't happen for me with guitar though, and the idea of playing one backwards still bends my head, so I guess it purely comes down to what the individual feels comfortable with in each specific situation.  I write and drum lefty, play guitar and do a lot of other manual tasks righty so I'm probably somewhere in the middle!  Letting him find his own way might be the best bet.

frankus

Maybe my Dad being an experienced guitarist had something to do with my access to lefty guitars