I'm left handed; Can you help me decide how to play the guitar?

Question

The thing is, I'm left-handed. I've never played the guitar before, but I'd like to learn. While my left is my dominant hand, my right isn't completely useless - I can do many things with it (eg I use the mouse with my right hand only). But now how should I learn to play the guitar - lefty or righty (standard)? Also, in case I do decide on lefty, are there any online tutorials to help me learn?

Answer 1

Obviously, there are left handed guitars and left handed manuals available, and if you are more comfortable with a left handed setup it isn't nearly as expensive or awkward as it once was. There are people who can only function if the guitar is strung for left handed playing. I have met a couple and they were absolutely sincere. Most people can learn either way however, and if this is so, I would (humbly) recommend that you at least attempt a "right handed" approach.

Playing left handed leaves you limited (in most cases) to being able to play when your own guitar is available and that's it. If you are out of town, at a friend's house, or asked to play in a public setting and you don't have your personal instrument within dashing distance, you will not be able to accommodate yourself or anyone else. This may not be an issue for you, but it has been for a very close friend. I had to modify one of my own guitars for a very important gig, a wedding) we almost could not play, and the guitar was not set up well at all (needless to say, reversing a neck nut is not a truly functional way to get the job done)

IF your left hand dominates, I have always been of the opinion that it would give you an advantage in chording! Many of my students have agreed once they got started (not all of them) and they found a lot of success nimbly skipping all over the fretboard, while their right hand performed picking duties (I teach fingerstyle guitar)

If you play left handed, you will be making some accomodations when performing with others. It isn't a big deal, but you should be aware of it because it can cause some initial discomfort during a setup. Yes, if you are good enough, and if the rest of the group isn't a bunch of total losers, this should not be an issue. During a quick setup it can be a factor in frayed nerves however and I felt that you should at least be aware of the situation.

I would absolutely recommend that you put your fingers on a left handed guitar and try one out before you make your decision howver. If that is impossible, get an inexpensive right handed guitar, take it to a music shop and get it set up as a left handed guitar. All you really have to do is reverse the strings and get a "blank" neck nut. The neck nut will have to be filed for the new string widths. Sometimes the bridge saddle has to be reversed and/or adjusted as well, since the upper strings are often set up slightly closer to the nexk than the basses. I like my strings high and dry (better overtones and I like the overall sound better) so it's not an issue for me. If you can't afford to do that, at least take a trip to a major city (if you don't already live in or near one) that has a music store that stocks left handed guitars, or ask around about left handed guitarists in your area. They are not nearly as uncommon as you might think. One of the teachers at our school is a left handed guitarist. Unfortunately, he learned to play left handed guitar on a right handed instrument and it's relly hard to communicate with him until you get used to his terminology.

I stuck a few links on that I found off the top of my head. You should be able to find more with very little effort, but you will eventually find out that most sites are set up for right handed instruction only. This would be a great topic to bring up on Delcamp.net You will find bunches of pdf style sheet music that is free and in the public domain. You will also find a forum where you can bring this up. This would be a good argument against pre-fingering sheet music for intermediate players as it would make it innacsessible to left handed players.

Anyway, I hope this helps a little and I appreciate the opportunity to think this through one more time. One of my first year students last year, was left handed. He put up some initial resistance when I used the same line of reasoning, but ultimately chose to take the "right handed approach" (with the left hand on the fretboard) when I patiently explained that all he really had to do was go and buy the left handed guitar and I would be perfectly happy to adjust any instructional material he needed accomodations for.

Answer 2

That's a very good question. I play the Persian setar and I am left handed as well. When I started learning, the instructor asked me to switch the strings on the instrument and turn it the other way to accomodate. But in truth, that was the most awful decision I made. Later I consulted with many musicians regarding this and 2 reasons became apparent:

1. Left handed people in fact have an advantage over right-handed people when they play a right-handed instrument because your left hand is stronger and you can do things that right-handed people cannot do.

2. When you go non-standard, you better carry your guitar with you everywhere you go. You cannot just go somewhere, pick up someone's guitar and start playing. You cannot go into a shop and test the instruments because 99% of them will be right-handed guitars and you will be at a loss. Furthermore, you invite a master musician to your house and you want to learn a few tips from him. He won't be able to play your instrument.

3. You are trying to perfrom at a concert or in a band and your strings break or something goes wrong with your guitar. What do you do then? you better have a spare left-handed guitar with you!

Basically by going non-standard you are locking yourself out of the beauty of sharing instruments and in effect it doesn't buy you anything because your right hand is just as strong and can accommodate any nuances.

Good luck :)

Answer 3

Only you can decide how you will learn to play--left or right. The major guitar manufacturers have left-handed guitars available should you choose that option. Learning to play from a right-handed guitar instructor is no problem because the guitar for you would be switched identically as if looking into a mirror.

Left-handed guitars, in short, will have the nut, the bridge, and the strings reversed for you. Your best option is to find a qualified guitar teacher, either at a reputable music store, or through other advertising mediums.

Answer 4

I'm left handed . I've been playing guitar the standard way for 45 years. Where is urpower and co-ordination for holding strings down & doing chord changes? Ur left hand. We have a natural advantage..Unless U R really uncomfortable playib=ng this way, in which case buy a lefty, stick with it. happy picking & Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Get a left handed guitar, and play it left handed. Don't try to use a right hand upside down, only the very talented can learn that way.

Picking your first guitar is very important. Choose carefully the best you can afford, don't skimp, and take your time. A quality guitar is easier to learn on and will sound better and last you longer.

Answer 6

Yes, you should learn to play it right handed. If you told me that you were left handed I would have pointed out that Jimi Hendrix, a lefty, strung his guitar for left handed playing. But think about it, instruments are constructed to be used in a certain way. You have to use both hands to fully operate it. It is no different from driving a car. You can drive a car only one way.

Answer 7

I've played for years and I learned originally left handed but with the proliferation of right handed information I quickly switched to right handed. It (at least for me) was an easy learn. Most of the info out there is for right (standard) handed configurations and unless you get with a teacher who is willing to work with you as a lefty they'll steer you towards a conventional method.

Answer 8

my brother is left handed and when he was learning the guitar, he figured that it was easier to just learn it right handed. Other wise every guitar you ever get has to be left-handed, and you cant use other peoples and so on

Answer 9

wow,,, my best friend is a left handed guitarist, i am a right, but the thing is, he beats the hell out of me when it comes to guitar.

if i were you id play my roots and go lefty, i would also watch some videos of left handed guitarists. he perfers
Zacky Vengeance from Avenged Sevenfold, he and Syn have some demonstrationals on You Tube. theyr playing the same thing, except Zacky is a lefty... good luck!

Answer 10

It would probably be fine to learn like everyone else, because the guitar is an ambidextrous instrument: you're using both hands at the same time.