[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by para_adams

I got my first guitar in 9th grade. It was standard right-handed and I've played that way since. But before that wonderful day in 9th grade, I'd naturally played "air guitar" left handed being of the southpaw persuasion in most things. I'm now pondering how few lefty guitars are hanging on the walls of guitar stores I visit. It certainly seems to be lower than the 10%-12% of the population of left handed people.

Do I just not "see" those one in ten lefty guitars at the stores because I'm not looking for them? Or are left-handed guitars as rare as they seem to be?

How many natural lefties (like me) simply learn to play right handed because their parents found a cheap right handed guitar one sale or at the local garage sale?

If you're naturally left-handed and learn to play right handed, do you tend to find chording easier (using your dominant hand) but finger picking harder (using your otherwise useless right hand, LOL)?

Lastly, we lefties are in our "right" minds, lefties UNITE!

Hi p_a…

I'm sure you will hear individual experiences galore in the thread.

I'm a left hander who plays ALL my instruments (keyboards, brass, guitars, rifles, bow-n-arrow, throwing a ball) conventionally. It takes both hands to play many instruments.

I write, eat, cut with knives, shoot pool left handed. I throw with my right hand, and kick with my left foot.

I arm wrestle, & use cooking utensils left handed, but I flip pancakes right handed.

I taught fingerstyle guitar for 40 years locally, and in all those years I had two great left handed people who fretted with the right hand, and they were competent players, and it was a lot of fun. Sitting across from each other, it was like looking in a mirror.

I've also taught a great number of left handers who learned conventionally without issues, and became quite proficient players.

Were it not for Paul McCartney, and Jimmy Hendrix, many of us would have never considered playing the other-way-round.

I chose a conventional guitar because I was 15, had played accordion for 11 years, uke for several years, piano, and guitars, pianos, accordions, and brass instruments where we bought them from were what they were. There were no left-hand instruments around.

I was not forced to play guitar right handed.
I excitedly jumped in of my own accord with both feet (hands) and learned quickly. In fact when we start to play the left hand commands more attention because of the fretting then the right hand.

If anything my parents would have probably preferred if hadn't added guitars. I was on an educational path from a jr high to be a full-time school band/orchestra teacher. Guitar seemed to my parents to be a departure from that. But they tolerated it, and the friends it brought (folk singers hanging around the house).

The band and orchestra teachers were not supportive of guitars either.

My parents were actually proud of my playing pretty early on, because it involved both playing and singing…they liked my singing.

I started out learning to fingerstyle from the start, and had to look around to even see people who played with skill with both hands at the same time.

Having taught hundreds of students for 40 years (for $$$) I never encountered anyone who decided reversing hands was for them.

Had they chosen that path as a beginner, I'd have supported and worked with them and helped them find an instrument which was able to be set up to play easily.

Looking back, I'm happy I play conventionally. Instrument choices would almost certainly have been limited till I was on my own financially (and the kids pretty much raised).

What's your experience been like?