|
|
Joined:
May 2009
Posts: 1433
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 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2009
Posts: 79
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. ;) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2002
Posts: 806
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 161
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) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | ... and over 25,000 right handed guitars! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 161
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2010
Posts: 6
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 ;) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 161
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
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...? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 161
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
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...  |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
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. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
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. |
|
| |
OT: Looking for feedback on a couple things
