Should I switch my oreintation?

[Telephantasm]

I've been playing guitar left handed for about three years and recently I've
become a tad irritated with the lack of selection instrument-wise. So I've been thinking about learning how to play right-handed and I was wondering if anybody else has done this before and if you've got any advice.
Cheers,
Don.

 

[Katastrophe]

I'm a lefty that plays right handed, but I started out learning that way. If you do make the switch to playing righty, just take it slow, and one step at a time. It's most likely going to feel awkward since you're used to playing lefty.

On the upside, when you do learn how to fret with both hands, you can do this:

 

[FrankenFretter]

That seems to me that it would be a very hard transition. I do feel for you, though. The righties have a far, far better selection, and don't have to pay the "lefty tax" when they do buy a guitar. There are some companies that do a decent job of putting out a good number of lefty models, but it always cracks me up when one of the big guitar companies makes a sig model of a lefty player, but doesn't offer a lefty version. Even when they do, it's more than the righty version. Seems like it should be the other way around. If you can make the switch, then more power to you. Life as a righty is easier in the guitar world, for sure.

 

[ZMAN]

I've been playing guitar left handed for about three years and recently I've
become a tad irritated with the lack of selection instrument-wise. So I've been thinking about learning how to play right-handed and I was wondering if anybody else has done this before and if you've got any advice.
Cheers,
Don.

I am left handed as well. My parents realized this when I was young and taught me everything right handed. I still throw lefty, bat lefty, and shoot a shotgun lefty because of my dominant eye. I play guitar right handed, and I have played golf and shot 80 from both the right and left side. I can actually throw and catch with both hands, and I write right handed because my parents thought the world was for righty's only. I am 64 so it was before people were more sophisticated toward left handedness. I am a huge proponent of learning things from both sides. It is not as hard as everyone thinks. When I played soccer I could shoot equally as hard with the right or the left foot.
People just try it one way and if it seems dificult they quit. I would recommend trying it and just see how it works.
It is amazing how I see someone do something right handed and I can just go ahead and duplicate it from the left side.
The brain is a funny thing. If you can do it from one side, it is easy to pick up from the other side. Been there done that.

 

[stingx]

I am left-hand dominant. I do everything rightie except hold a pen. I guess that makes me ambidextrous I blame the nuns hitting my hand with pointing sticks as a child in grade school. They didn't want me using "the devil's hand."

 

[piebaldpython]

I am left-hand dominant. I do everything rightie except hold a pen. I guess that makes me ambidextrous I blame the nuns hitting my hand with pointing sticks as a child in grade school. They didn't want me using "the devil's hand."

How old are you Stingx? LOL'd at why you write right-handed. Way back in the day the IHM nuns in Philly used to do that on a regular basis........happened to my father-in-law. I don't recall any stories of that happening to my peers (I'm 54, born in 1956). Gotta love those nuns!!

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Resists David Bowie joke.



I think it is best to play which ever way is most natural.

 

[ZMAN]

Resists David Bowie joke.



I think it is best to play which ever way is most natural.

I guess a person has to go through what us lefties have to put up with when it comes to selection of left handed items.
Usually they are very limited, or just plain don't come in a left handed version. Also they usually cost more. I can see where he is coming from. In that respect I am glad that I learned guitar from the right side. If you notice with guitarists, the number of left handed guitarists who played a regular right handed guitar upside down will show just how hard it is to find left handed guitars that equal what the righties are able to get very easily.
I had a heck of a time finding a Shimano reel that had a left hand retrieve. So it isn't just guitars.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Don't mean to down play the challenges of being left handed. Apologies if it sounded that way. I was just thinking that if one could find a couple good instruments that were left handed, and left handed was more natural, then it would be one less thing for the brain to deal with when translating the music in one's head to one's hands.

 

[Eric]

I actually recommended to my friend when he was learning the bass that he try to play on a right-handed guitar, since the availability and prices are better. He said it was much easier for him to play lefty, so he's stuck with it. If you can hack it though, it certainly seems like right-handed will make your shopping easier.

 

[Bookkeeper's Son]

By the same logic, a guy might consider a sex change because women's clothing has so many more choices......

 

[piebaldpython]

By the same logic, a guy might consider a sex change because women's clothing has so many more choices......

+1 Women get to "air" things out when they wear skirts, dresses, etc and we don't. It ain't fair I tell ya. Not to mention all the perfume, cosmetic choices, hair style choices, hair color choices, etc.

 

[stingx]

How old are you Stingx? LOL'd at why you write right-handed. Way back in the day the IHM nuns in Philly used to do that on a regular basis........happened to my father-in-law. I don't recall any stories of that happening to my peers (I'm 54, born in 1956). Gotta love those nuns!!

44 - I got the tail end of "parochial love."

 

[stingx]

Honestly, you won't be able to play right-handed if it doesn't come somewhat naturally to you. You simply cannot force this - not saying you cannot try though. I just think as weird as it is for me, I am really a right-handed person who simply uses his left hand to write. However that worked out I have no idea. I never tried to pursue playing guitar lefty. To me, it just felt awkward.

 

[NWBasser]

I had a heck of a time finding a Shimano reel that had a left hand retrieve. So it isn't just guitars.

Spinning reels?

Most spinning reels can be set up either way. Most right-handers actually use a left retrieve. I'm a righty and use a right-hand retrieve on my Shimano spinning reel though.

I guess it could be more of an issue with baitcasting reels.

 

[ZMAN]

Spinning reels?

Most spinning reels can be set up either way. Most right-handers actually use a left retrieve. I'm a righty and use a right-hand retrieve on my Shimano spinning reel though.

I guess it could be more of an issue with baitcasting reels.

Baitcaster!

 

[Duffy]

I would totally go with the right hand guitar and learn to play that way. At first it will feel awkward and you won't be able to play or sound as good and you might not be able to get into it, get into the groove or vibe, at least initially. If you stick it out you will be able to play probably as naturally and as well as you do left handed. This is something that will take a lot of getting used to and practice, and I would suggest not occaisionally playing left handed. I think it would be most effective to either do it all the way all the time, or not do it at all.

I always encourage left handed people that want to learn to use guns to shoot right handed, from the start.

I'd say give it a try, a serious try, and be prepared for a long road to completely making the switch over.

 

[deeaa]

Loads of people are more or less ambidextrous. As a child I would use my left hand naturally for eating, drawing etc. but it was the early 70's and people believed in correcting such issues, and I grew up to be right-handed because I was strictly forbidden to use my left. But I'm not feeling particularly clumsy with my left either, in some ways...but I do feel like a righty, completely. However I have sometimes thought I could play a lot quicker if my right hand was the fretting hand, right-hand fingers move much more quickly.

Now I see the same in my son; it's funny that he eats with either hand, and normally seems to prefer the right in mundane tasks, but playing hockey or baseball he wants to swing lefty.

 

[Duffy]

Dude, I attended Catholic school until culture shock attending public school in the ninth grade.

Indelibly imprinted upon my soul is the steady, predictable, and painful rapping on the knuckles of my clenched fists, resting like such easy targets front and center on my desk. Today I believe that my large knuckles are a product of those incessant rappings by those hardwood teacher's pointers.

Also, much to my consternation, those nuns refused to call me by my "real" name - Duffy, and energetically insulted me by calling me by my legal Christian name Matthew. This was very hard on me believe it or not because I identified with my informal family, from the crib, name Duffy. Who did they think they were?

Ironically, to this day I have great respect for any nun I encounter. And I respect priests as well and have had them designated to visit me in the hospital. The priests were never abusive to me in any way and several of them I have found to be highly and liberally educated. I actually learned recently that one of the most notable Western Buddist scholars is a priest, and that they respect the beliefs of the followers and proponents of most all credible spiritual groups. The homosexual priest syndrome is a terrible travesty and abuse of power that, in my opinion, should be totally
obliterated.

But yes, those nuns could unabashedly enforce their idea of discipline.