Left Handed Guitarists - I have a question

Donnachaidh

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Jan-10-07 10:04 AM
Original message

Left Handed Guitarists - I have a question

My son is left-handed, and we are having a hard time finding instructors willing to teach him as a left handed guitarist. Is this a common problem? This really irritates me (I'm also a southpaw) and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for him. He's got an acoustic guitar now, but he wants to get an electric soon.

ANY advice will be greatly appreciated.

Refresh | 0 Recommendations

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

Ron Green

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-11-07 01:53 PM
Response to Original message

1. Why would he need to hold the guitar that way?

His left hand, after all, is the one that makes the chords and runs the scales. As a left-hander, he's got more dexterity (pardon the little pun) where he needs it most. I never understood why right-handers don't turn the thing around.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

Donnachaidh

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-11-07 07:13 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. I really think the teachers we've spoken to just don't want to bother

It's irritating, and seems to be a bit of a discrimination to me.

He always excelled in his piano lessons because of his lefthandedness. His teachers always said that. Where right handed students struggled doing the left hand practice - he excelled.

It's very frustrating as a parent to have to search out a specialized teacher, only because the teachers around here think he should automatically learn right handed. NO exceptions.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

Ron Green

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Jan-11-07 07:55 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. I didn't make my previous response very clear.

I agree that he ought to learn "right handed," because his left hand does the more important work of making the chords and playing the scales and arpeggios, while the right hand just does the picking.

I also am left-handed, and I learned to play on a normal instrument strung the normal way. I've played for over 40 years, and always have believed that the "right handed" setup works much better for a left-handed player.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

MrsBrady

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-16-08 11:45 PM
Response to Original message

4. you don't need to learn it left hand....

it is very RARE to play the other way...you won't find teachers who will teach that way, probably....
and all the music books are written for the instrument to be played the traditional way.

Personally, as a guitarist and a violinist, I don't think of playing them as right handed or left handed.
That's just the way they are played.
And certainly the violin is never turned the other way.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

DarkTirade

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-17-08 10:41 PM
Response to Original message

5. I'm with Ron_Green, it's best to learn a 'right handed' guitar.

You've got two hands doing two seperate things anyway, so being left or right handed really doesn't make much of a difference. I'm pretty close to ambidextrous, and my brother is a full-on leftie and we both learned to play 'right-handed' just because that's how you play guitar. They don't have left handed pianos or flutes. And you'll be hard pressed to find a violin that's strung backwards and has a chin rest on the right side. So why do it for guitar?

Just my $0.02.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Wed May 01st 2024, 11:29 AM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.