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Location: SW Washington | This is actually sort of two posts rolled into one. I find myself once again in need of the 'expert' advice of some of my compadres here. The class I am teaching is a group of kids between 9 and 15 years old that have never picked up a guitar before. The first issue is, two of the kids are lefties... We ordered some Indiana Madisons for the class, but it seems now we need some lefties. Anyone know of a brand that makes a decent lefty in the same general price range of the Indianas? I have found some cheaper (Kona's) but have never played them and have concerns about their quality. Oh, also bear in mind these kids come from broken homes and have no money. The tribe is footing the bill for the guitars so we need to watch the pennies to keep the elders happy.
The second thing is, something I am considering for these kids is initially stringing all the guitars with some really slinky electric strings until they get some strength and calouses going for them. What do you think?
I know I can count on my friends here for some good feedback and also a few laughs! :D Thanks in advance.
David :cool: |
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Location: Utah | I would suggest not using lefty guitars. There aren't lefty violins or pianos.
As far as strings go, I'd use something extra light. Are you thinking of electric strings because they are even lighter than acoustic strings. I would think that the kids would be ok with extra light acoustic strings. The difference in tone between electrics or acoustics wouldn't be of any importance to beginners, so I don't see any particular harm in using electric strings. |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Originally posted by FlySig:
I would suggest not using lefty guitars. There aren't lefty violins or pianos. Interesting, so you're suggesting left-handed players should learn to play right-handed, correct? |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | I apologize for my previous imbecilic question. It was more of a rhetorical question. My wife, who is left handed, is wanting to learn to play and I've been looking for a left-handed guitar. No need, I have several for her to choose from.
"No Honey, not the 47RI, how about this Balladeer?" |
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Location: Flahdaw | This may be a doofus answer, all you experts are free to whack me and call me names.
Can't you just tap the nut, remove it, spin it around, then restring the guitar as a "lefty." The intonation may be a little off due to the saddle angle, but they are just beginners and have bigger things to worry about than intonation |
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Location: here | Just string a couple of righties upside down.
BTW there are no lefty violins because of the way an orchestra is set up, they are actually not allowed due to the way they sit, so there is no real demand for lefty violins. And a lefty piano???
No point in forcing lefties to play guitar right handed. |
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Location: So. Cal. | I am not left handed, nor do I know many left handed guitarists. However, I have always wondered about it. Since it requires both hands (and some may argue the left does the heavy lifting), so what difference does it make. If a child has had no prior experience in playing the guitar, would it make any difference one way or the other? Or, it may just be a personal preference?
Are there any (many) left handed people playing the standard version of the guitar (as opposed to a LH model)? |
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Location: SW Washington | would stringing the guitar upside down not cause intonation problems with the bridge being angled to compensate for the bass strings? |
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Location: So. Cal. | A lot of guitars also have asymmetrical bracing patterns, thus reversing the string orders would yield undesirable results. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Teach them to play right handed. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | If they have never played before I got to go with the "learn to play righty" way of thinking.
Besides, down the road it they continue to play they will have infinitely more choices when it comes to buying their own guitar or borrowing one at a jam. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I agree with teaching them right-handed. But if you really must get leftys for them, the same dealer the tribe went through for the Madisons should also carry the Indiana Scout, which does come in a left-handed version. It is a dread so it might be too big for some of the smaller kids. But I STRONLY urge you to teach them right-handed. They will not only have a wider variety of guitars to choose from, but they will probably learn to play more quickly and cleanly than the rest of your kids. Jarrett is left-handed and I taught him right-handed. He outshines any student I have ever had over the past 35 years. |
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| I know several classical guitarists, one of them world famous, who are left handed but play the guitar "right-handed".
There is no excuse for playing a guitar left-handed if you go to a teacher from the get-go.
They'll thank you for it a million times if they stick with it. |
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Location: New Hampsha | I was teaching my daughter (a lefty) and she was struggling. I flipped a right-hand guitar for her and made a new nut, and recut the bridge to get the saddle angle right. (And try to find LH Tab.)
One night she got frustrated, and she took one of my guitars and tried to play righty and it came to her very naturally. Piece 'o cake.
She hasn't looked back since.
I agree - teach them to play righty. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Check out Elizabeth Cotten. web page
She plays a right handed guitar lefthanded, with the strings upside down (Bass strings on the bottom). She obviously taught herself to play. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Nick B.:
Originally posted by FlySig:
I would suggest not using lefty guitars. There aren't lefty violins or pianos. Interesting, so you're suggesting left-handed players should learn to play right-handed, correct?
Don't ever let a left handed person who's never played before learn how to play left handed.
Keep in mind that they will never be able to play a new Ovation because Ovation doesn't make left handed guitars..... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I knew we had a famous lefty who plays righty. Guess it was Moody. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Both my sons are lefthanders , and they each have a left-handed guitar , there`s ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to be forced to torture , learnin` how to play the git. is difficult enough !
Why would it be more natural to play a right-handed git. , when one`s lefthanded ?
btw.
left hand violins do exist , and so do left hand piano`s ..
Do not take my word for it , see fer yerself ..
http://www.violinslover.com/lefthandedviolins.php
http://www.lefthandedpiano.com/ |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | So which hand is your primary hand on the guitar, your fretting or picking hand? Many of us found that our main problem learning was with fretting the chords with our left hand. Having the extra dexterity with the hand on the neck might have helped.
Left handed golfers were thought to have an advantage playing right handed, although now there seems to be more that play lefthanded. Unless the activity emphasizes a dominant hand, I don't see how it would make a difference to a lefty to learn it the way the majority learns it. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I don't see how it would make a difference to a lefty to learn it the way the majority learns it. There is a reason for Why someone is lefthanded , it is probably due to that reason , not because of a dominant hand or such , then there are those , like my friend Ole , who can play Left/Right , he even flips the Git. during the song , yes , that`s right , Ole can play a Righthanded Git. , Lefthanded ! .. but how many have that gift ?
Why oh why , would lefthanders have to play righthanded , when there`s absolutely no need ?
And since when is " because others do it that way " a valid reason ? ..
Most people do Not drive PORSCHES .. so why do you ..
Is Not meant as an attack , just to put things in perspective. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Oh Sorry David,
I think it is GREAT that you do not mind to go the " X-tra mile " .. it shows that your heart is with it .. COMMENDABLE !!
Vic |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Sorry, Vic, but I was used to seeing right hand or left hand dominant as a medical term. I still don't see why it would be harder for a lefty to learn to play a right handed guitar, or a righty to learn to play a left handed guitar, if that's what they had.
I can drive on either side of the road, depending upon what's allowed. I just drive on the right, because that's what we do here, but I suppose if I had learned in England or Japan, I'd find it difficult to drive on the right side. |
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Location: New Hampsha | Using my left-handed daughter again as an example, when she switched to playing righty:
She found fretting with her left hand to be easier than with her right.
She found strumming in time to be harder with her right hand, and has to work hard to get it right.
She loved the fact that she could go to any Tab site and download her next victim.
And she likes being able to forage among my guitars each week for one to play.
She's very happy that she swapped. |
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Location: Brisbane Australia | I am right handed and play right handed.
Yet I eat using my knife in my left hand and find it very difficult to change.
Yet if I am cutting something on on a board or carving a roast I use the knife in my right hand.
My point is that it is learned behaviour.
So I don't believe there is any real problem teaching someone to play right handed from scratch.
Just tell them thats how it's done and if they have normal ability of coordination they will be fine.
Yes commendable job David!!
AJ |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | My blue-eyed carpenter was a lefty who played guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle all righty--it never seemed to be an issue with him, and he was about 13 he started guitar. (He took up fiddle at age 45 as a righty.)
Which brings up another point--say you do learn to play lefty and then want to branch out to a mandolin or (gulp) a banjo later on? If lefty guitars are uncommon, the others are even more so. Then what?
There's a lot of instruments that would favor righties (the brasses come to mind), but the kids seem to do o.k. no matter which hand is dominant.
--Karen |
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Location: Right now? | My ex-husband, who is a great guitar player, plays right handed. He eats, writes and does everything else with his left hand.
;)
Willa |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | When I played woodwinds, I used every finger on both hands, except the right thumb just held up the instrument. I don't think they were right or left handed. This keyboard favors lefties, not by design, just by chance, but all of us righties use it. Most much better and faster than me. |
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Location: So Cal | As a lefty I have always found it easier to play right handed. In fact, I couldn't play left handed if I had to. It seems (at least to me) that one would use the hand with the most strength and dexterity on the frets. IE a left hander should have an advantage playing a right handed guitar. If this doesn't make sense try eating with a fork in your other hand. ;) |
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Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I would think from a ease of learning and future ability to find handy instruments, the right handed way would be much easier.
I am right handed but I can flip a guitar over and play a little left handed (though not overly well) just cause I wanted to see if I could do it (It is a learned thing)
I can hit a ball left or right handed cause I wanted to see if I could, (learned) but I can't throw with my left hand worth a hoot (looked too goofy to try to learn)
I can write some with my left hand cause I wanted to see if I could do it (learned).
The only thing I can see a need to teach someone to do with one hand over the other is shooting, because of eye dominance.
When shooting two-handed, I shoot in a right hand stance because I am right-eye dominant only, I can shoot left handed but the stance is strange for me becuse I have to adjust my point of aim (and because I learned to shoot right handed out of neccesity).
I LEARNED to shoot left handed because I wanted to.
I think it will be easier for them in the long run to learn righty.
It all comes down to practice and coordination anyway, why make it difficult to buy guitars later?
Just my 2 cents. |
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Location: Atlanta GA | As a lefty who plays lefty, I say let the kids learn to play which ever comes naturally. There is no handycap in playing guitar left handed, only collecting guitars, which seems to be more important to some people than playing them. Even at that, there are plenty of choices. Do an EBay search on lefty guitar and you will see LOTS of guitars (952 at this writing). Also there is South Paw guitars in Houston which has a HUGE selection of high end guitars including Ovation (where I have purchased several) |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | ... and over 25,000 right handed guitars! |
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Location: Atlanta GA | How many guitars do you need to play some music? There are some great musicians playing left handed. Again the arguements I've heard against playing left handed has to do with collecting guitars not playing them. When I learned to play 30 years ago, my goal was to learn to play it for my own enjoyment. I was not concerned about how many guitars I could buy if I learned it right handed, and I'm still not. I guess we should go back to forcing left handed children to write right handed by hitting them every time the picked up a pencil with their left hand. |
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Location: Augusta, GA | My first "Chime-in"...They're kids, they will learn & adapt to whatever way you want to teach them especially since they've never experienced this before...you're on a tight budget and already have purchased what you thought you needed..there's no reason to spend more money, teach them to play right handed with what you have...
the only limitation they'll have is the one that you'll allow ;) |
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Location: Atlanta GA | "the only limitation they'll have is the one that you'll allow "
On that we agree.... Anyway good luck David you are doing a great thing with (and for) these kids. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I learned righty, same for snowboarding, same for batting. We live in a righty world and if the gear is for righties you just gotta live with it. For snowboarding my first board was set up for righty. For batting I suppose I was watching righties. I think it'll probably be harder in the beginning but they'll adapt. Don't worry, your not abusing the kids by making them play righty, and actually doing them a favor. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Watchme22:
I guess we should go back to forcing left handed children to write right handed by hitting them every time the picked up a pencil with their left hand. Ummm, didn't realize there are right and left handed pencils! 
David is already having an issue on finding affordable left handed gits for his non-playing students. So why not teach 'em to play right handed? I doubt the kids will be traumatized if they use their left fingers to form chords.
As to numbers, hopefully later in life, some of the kids will come here to explore the different flavors of Ovations. They'll have a much larger selection if they play right handed.
It's not a matter of collecting; think available flavors!
Now, how 'bout right and left footed accelerators...? |
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Location: Atlanta GA | Well there you have it... make them learn right handed. BTW when they go out and play baseball make them pitch righty too. Theyre are all kinds of really cool right handed gloves they can buy later. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Watchme, My Mom and my sister were both left handed. I understand after seeing what they went through, that you have put up with a lot over the years. But after teaching guitar for the past 35+ years, I have to say it is different with guitars than it is with writing, playing ball, using scissors, etc. When stringed instruments were first created, the right hand was used in a more percussive way than the way we play now. The left hand was easier than what we do now. At that time it made sense to have our "stronger" hand do what was the harder part - the percussive part. But the way most people play now, the left hand part is much more difficult. I have yet to teach a lefty who wasn't better than the average righty. Part of it is that the right brain (which is the dominant side for lefties), deals more with the musical side of us. But part of it, I firmly believe, is that I started them on right handed guitars and their brilliant left hands took to it like a duck to water. My Mom played keyboards, but my sister played keyboards AND guitar - and she could play either way, although on the more complicated stuff, she felt more comfortable playing her right handed guitar. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Watchme22:
Theyre are all kinds of really cool right handed gloves they can buy later. Unlike guitars, most decent ball gloves are made righty and southpaw.
Watchme, we're just trying to provide some input for David as he requested.
I'm not here to right nor justify the injustices that lefties endure in our society. PEACE OUT...  |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Q1: Since it is just as painful for a new player to learn guitar despite whichever hand/hemisphere is dominant, I say learn Righty. Cheaper and better options will follow.
Q2: More important than the strings is the set up! Extra Light Gage strings will help but having the action adjusted will make a 75% difference.
I can certainly appreciate Lefty Pride and not preaching Conformism over natural ability but as stated previously, the playing functions of either hand will be foriegn skills to both Lefty's and Righty's. So go with the most available option. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Also, Most guitars are made right handed...
So along with being cheaper and having a wider selection, playing right handed is useful if you wanna try-out someone's guitar.
Cuz odds are that it will be a right handed guitar.
And as Alison said, it seems to make more sense to have the dominant left hand on the frets. |
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OT: Looking for feedback on a couple things