Questions on left-handers learning the violin?

Question

I'm thinking of learning the violin so i really need to know. As I am a left-hander, there are some questions which I need to ask. Do I put the violin on the left side of my shoulder? How would left-handedness hamper my progress if my violin teacher is a right-hander? In addition, in terms of purchasing a violin, are there violins specially meant for left-handers? How long does it take to learn the violin for one to be able to play a proper classical tune? How many grades are there? Is it too late for a young adult like me to learn now?

Answer 1

It makes no difference if you are left or right. You play the same way. You place the violin on your left side shoulder. You hold the bow with your right hand. Each hand has a special job. The right hands job is to bow. Or maybe pluck the string with your fingers of your right hand. You use the fingers of your left hand to play notes on the fingerboard.
In college , a student tried to get my teacher to set her up with a left hand violin, she told the student , no, left handed violin. Each hand has a job that is equally challenging.
A person can start at age 5, some start around 3. I know of a person that started around age 75. He learned well, also.There are different methods. One method I used had two books, Book 1 and book 2. There was also a scale book and exercise book.After completing book 1 and 2. I started learning special songs, usually classical, written for solos usually with an accompaniment.
The book 1 and 2 took about 1 school year each for me. But the teacher said students usually took about 2 years for each book. I just went a little faster.
It is not too late for you to learn violin. But you will need to have a will to learn. If anyone doesn't really want to learn, they will not learn as fast as someone who really wants too.
Hope this helps.

Answer 2

You can learn left-hand violin, but I really don't recommend it. It's going to be a problem if you play classical music. Actually, being left-handed is something of an advantage and you don't need to change anything or get a special instrument.

See:
http://beststudentviolins.com/PedagogyTech.html#4

Answer 3

do no longer do it. study to administration like each of something persons lefties have had to. have confidence me. all the complication you will positioned your self by using heavily isn't worth it. In my group violin training as a newborn, one student become getting to grasp on a violin rigged up with the strings in opposite as you have defined, E-A-D-G from left to spectacular on the neck. The set-up become no problem. The bridge become reversed and the element performed superbly. in case you have been purely ever going to play via your self, or only with a pianist, that must be nice. yet woe betide you do you ought to ever opt to play in an orchestra! This undesirable youngster had to take a seat down at a table on his very own using fact he saved knocking bows together with his deskmates (whilst he sat with one). It only became too confusing and he ultimately end. whether you choose to play in a quartet and you all provide yourselves a good number of room, it only looks too strange. Play the familiar way. I have been given used to it and that i'm nonetheless taking part in and loving it 2 many years later.

Answer 4

You will need to learn to play right handed. In an orchestra it would be distracting if not potentially dangerous to have the bow from a leftie heading towards your eye. You may actually play better as your dominant hand will be working the neck.

Answer 5

Why don't you play a right handed violin!!!

Jimi Hendrix was left-handed and he played a right-handed Stratocaster played upside down!!!

Michelson, the golfer, is right-handed and he plays golf left-handed.

What I'm saying is you can do anything you want to do, if you set your mind to it!

Answer 6

Play right-handed. There are a lot of guitarists, myself included, who are lefties and play right-handed. It's not difficult at all. Besides, right-handed instruments are a lot easier to find.