Any lefties that play rightie here regret goint that way?

[fongie]

One thing I'm happy I'm playing right handed because finding left handed guitars is very limited. Or when selling, I'm sure it is a problem to sell.

[DanR]

I am left handed and I play right handed. I was lucky enough to have my mom buy me a new '65 Epiphone Casino when I was 12 way back when. At the time, I would have had to wait 6 months for a left handed guitar and 6 months was forever to a 12 year old. I sometimes wish I would've learned left handed because IMO it looks very cool. On the other hand, I appreciate that there are so many more guitars available for a right hander, especially if you're looking to buy 'used.'

[Silly Moustache]

I am YET another lefty playing righty.

At my first prep. school (junior school) I was sorely beaten, and locked in cupboards (aged between 4 and 9) for the sin of being left handed.
It was not a religious school, but they had this mindset that left handedness (sinister) was bad.

Sadly, because by the age of four when I started school, my mother had taught me to read fluently and I had a beautiful writing script, which that school totally destroyed.

However, we lefties live in a right handed world. Get over it.

And we can because we think very slightly differently from the "normals" and so we are capable of getting around the limitations imposed on us.

Frinstance, I definitely agree that it seems more logical to me to use one's dominant hand on ther fretboard - so those righty guitars suit me fine.

Further, I suppose that most lefties will agree that life makes us ambidextrous simply to cope with stuff.

This teaches us to be even more creative than we are naturally.

Example : Miche, one of our contributors here - observe his creativity : http://www.michefambro.com/

Pity the poor, simple right dominant folk!

[Triggs]

Lefty playing lefty. Day one picked up the instrument this way when I was 7. Instructor and I fought for a while over it. Took a 25 year hiatus from playing and really tried to go the righty route, but it just feels too alien. My left hand is my fine motor skill hand, and my right is my strongest, so at least barre chords are a piece of cake

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by Triggs

Lefty playing lefty. Day one picked up the instrument this way when I was 7. Instructor and I fought for a while over it. Took a 25 year hiatus from playing and really tried to go the righty route, but it just feels too alien. My left hand is my fine motor skill hand, and my right is my strongest, so at least barre chords are a piece of cake

This is the thing that infuriates me...you want to play lefty, instructor says no, and you lose 25 years of playing and enjoyment. I always want these "experts" to take a walk in our shoes, so to speak (try playing a lefty guitar) so they could appreciate what this really is. Inane comments about lefty pianos (which do exist), lefty violins (ditto) are just silly fodder so one can feel good about one's choices.

If one is lefty and plays righty, that's great! You certainly have more choices readily at hand.

Jimmy

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

My former business partner in my shop "Local Music" is a lefty that insisted on playing lefty when he was growing up...and he not only regrets his early decision, but counsels strongly against this.

You don't see any lefty violins, if you know what I mean...

They exist. Just because YOU have not seen them....

So, your business partner councils against playing left handed. That's his choice. The OP feels that he possibly would have been a better player had he gone with his left handedness and played lefty. Both are correct, and both are opinions.

Jimmy

[Paraclete]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

Inane comments about lefty pianos (which do exist), lefty violins (ditto) are just silly fodder so one can feel good about one's choices.

Erm... Whatever. There is a very solid reason why violin (classical) is played fingered right and bowed left. It has to do with uniformity and universal standards, not with right handed people oppressing everyone else. You can play violin left handed if you really want to. But they aren't going to let you into a formal orchestra. Sometimes there really is a correct way of doing something. That has nothing to do with choices. In some situations you don't get choices.

[docliv]

Hi All,

I started out at age 6-7 with a Martin Ukulele that I picked up in a way that felt right to me. I wrote with my left hand so I guess I was left-handed from the beginning. As time progressed, the only guitars I could borrow to play were strung right so naturally I never changed this. The only small regret I've had in all this time (66 now) was the restricted choices for instruments.

The only time I noticed differences was when I took my only guitar lession from Ted Greene. Even he had difficulty with my upside-down playing. I always played by ear so the bands I worked with never really noticed my "affliction".

Personally, I never felt anything but natural playing as I do. Plus I can do some cool open chording that regular rightys have problems with. Remember, only left-handers are in their "right" mind!

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by Paraclete

Erm... Whatever. There is a very solid reason why violin (classical) is played fingered right and bowed left. It has to do with uniformity and universal standards, not with right handed people oppressing everyone else. You can play violin left handed if you really want to. But they aren't going to let you into a formal orchestra. Sometimes there really is a correct way of doing something. That has nothing to do with choices. In some situations you don't get choices.

Uhhh...ok. What exactly is that "solid reason"? Violins/Violas/Cellos/etc are fingered with the LEFT hand and bowed with the RIGHT hand. Jeez. The way you described would in fact be "left handed" violin playing. I am very aware that one doesn't always have choices, much like one doesn't always get one's FACTS correct on the internet.

Jimmy

[TBone-Idle]

Originally Posted by JayWalkingBlues

Most of the time I'm happy with my choice to learn to play right handed. I do lack any ability to "shred", even after years of trying. Flatpicking is also weak for me...but oddly fingerstyle was pretty easy for me. Sometimes I wonder how it would have been if I learned guitar lefty. Anyone else in the same boat?

I'm much the same. I fingerpick beautifully, but can't strum to save my life. While that places limitations on my playing, I've never regretted playing right-handed. Indeed, since my first faltering steps were taken on borrowed guitars, I'd probably never have started in the first place.

There's also the disadvantage of limited availability of left-handed guitars.

[JayWalkingBlues]

I appreciate everyone's feedback on the topic. For myself, I can't say I've ever really regretted the decision, but I do sometimes wonder if I'd be the same guitar player had I gone the other way. Something I read once makes me think so..... I don't recall the exact wording, but it was about how, for a guitarist, the left hand just mashes strings down, but the right hand is where all the feeling comes from. And while I know that's not a fully accurate statement, there is certainly some real truth in it. The right hand is really where most of the expression comes from, so I do have to wonder a little if I were to express with my dominant hand, would my sound be different?

[ohYew812]

Anybody right handed that plays lefty?

[JimmerO]

Jimi Hendrix

Michael Hedges

To name a couple. You're in pretty good company.

[JonHBone]

Anyone play like Elizabeth Cotten? Lefty holding a guitar like a lefty that's set up for a righty?

So strings are strung backwards...so weird but I always enjoy her playing.

[JayWalkingBlues]

Originally Posted by JonHBone

Anyone play like Elizabeth Cotten? Lefty holding a guitar like a lefty that's set up for a righty?

So strings are strung backwards...so weird but I always enjoy her playing.

I'm not familliar with Elizabeth Cotten, but I had a friend back in the late 90's that played this way. I was really taken with the unique sound his music had. He was schizophrenic....I always assumed that his different approach t music was related to his diorder.