Left Handed Musicians by SILVERWOODSTUDIO on The Pipeline at IndieMusicPeople

Yeah I'm left handed
started by playing left-handed upside down that became irritating and was limiting, so switched strings around, but, on a guitar built for a righty, the set up is all wrong for a lefty, and the angle of the bridge and sizes of space for strings in the nut are all wrong so it is a real hassle. Also, not being able to play on other people's guitars is a pity. I saw a guy once who had learnt to play left-handed but then with the strings upside down, he played everything but it must have been an awful job to master playing that way. I tried that same way at first but it seemed impossible to me.
That guitarist from King Crimson said he used to get people to unlearn everything they'd learned, because learning standard ways was a limitation, according to him, so he advised playing in new ways, all of the time, so, using different tunings, approaching the neck like in a new and fresh way, each and every time.
A left-handed player has far less choice of good instruments, the only way being left-handed can be an adbvantage is if a person is, or becomes, abidextrous.
Ever seen a left-handed piano? They do exist.

I often wish I was right-handed, I missed the chance of having a go on some great guitars that came across my path, and were just lying around here there and everywhere,, at friend's homes, etcetera.
Alwayshave to take my instrument with me, I take it, nothing happens, I leave it behind, and it turns out that night would have been perfect if I had have had my guitar with me
Dr Terry T

Add Comment

Dr T T BOL

1/13/2007 6:13:43 PM

That was advantage* and ambidextrous*

never will get a job as a typist

Terry

Add Comment

Huminuh

1/13/2007 7:47:59 PM

Yup I'm a leftie too. Although my claim to fame isn't music. I do pick a little on the guitar and play a little fiddle...I play as if I was a righty.

Add Comment

SILVERWOODSTUDIO

1/13/2007 7:55:34 PM

Excellent , and informative Dr TT and Laree.

Of course I am a leftie, started out trying to play right handed----------then restrung and played like that for a while.
I soon realised it was hopeless, as all the chord manuals and stuff was for righties and it was like translating to a foriegn language-----so I retaught myself to play right handed, and learned keyboards at the same time! I'd love to see a left handed keyboard , but it's too late for me now .
Also, approximately 10% of all people are lefties, but I suspect more than 10% of musos & artists are left handed ? Why?
Right brain --left handedness= artistic & creative skills abound!!!!

Add Comment

Spank Momma

1/14/2007 11:25:15 AM

Ever see that spanish dood with no arms play with his feet, now that is something.
I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will tell me but I don't think Jimi had his strings upside down.

Add Comment

Dr Terribol

1/14/2007 4:12:11 PM

Hi u all,

hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle and the cow that jumped over the moon.
Huminuh did you mean you play it in the right-handed?

About Jimi, no he did'nt play with the strings upside down but Jimi (if I am not wrong could play left and right-handed. When I see Jimi or Mc Cartney I always wondered whether they had the same troubles adjusting guitars, mostly, I saw they used to play on righ-handed guitars switched around, seeing as there are so few left-handed guitars there are also not that many good ones amongst those ones that are present.

I

Add Comment

Huminuh

1/14/2007 4:33:55 PM

Hmmm.. Let me clarify here. With both the fiddle and the guitar I play with the neck in my left hand and in the right is my bow or struming of the strings going on.

Add Comment

Dr Terribol

1/14/2007 5:55:28 PM

Hi Huminuh

Thanks I thought you meant that, I get ya.
Imagine some of those Siamese twins, they might play left and right at the same time!
Thing is, as a small kid (like learning how to hold a knife and fork age) I remember how I became aware of being right or left-handed, it was my sister who said at the dinner table that I was left-handed, up until then I didn't know that people were one way or the other, as it was enough trouble learning to get food into the mouth with those metal utensils. Then, because she said I was left-handed, I immediately wanted to know what that meant and then, to do exactly the opposite, as I didn't want to be the same as the rest, it led to me in the end becoming a right-handed eater, fork in the left hand.
Everything else I did, I did left-handed.
What I am thinking is that the whole thing is mixed up because me as a lefty, play chords and stuff on the fretboard with my right hand and, in a way, am doing a lot more with the right hand, stuff I can't do with the left hand.

If I could master chords with the left hand I think I'd manage the strumming with the right.
I never did see someone playing with their feet, incredible idea!
Have seen people doing a whole lot with their feet though, because of disability of hands and arms, that was unbelievable to see too.

Add Comment

SILVERWOODSTUDIO

1/14/2007 7:20:07 PM

It's true according to wikipedia jimi played a restrung right handed stat!

All these years I thought his distinctive sound came from hitting the treble strings first b4 the bass strings.

lesson : never assume!

Add Comment

Dr Terribol

1/14/2007 8:07:22 PM

Right on

good wiki eh!!

Yup, but playing an electric upside down did give jimi a distinctive sound in that it gave him a different technique to an ordinary set-up
Thewhammy bar for one thing was upside instead of down under, it took a different technique but it was said uit afforded him easier reach in a way, maybe to another person it would've been experienced as a hindrance or nuisance.
his dials/knobs/switches whatever you wanna call em, were also upside but they could have also accidentally been hit if one was careless but jimi was least of all CARELESS, I've watched Jim and it looked like he was doing nothing whilst all of that incredible tone was welling up and coming out, amazing, that is a sound that will never age, wonderful, long live Jimi, can't say that enough can we what with the plastification in the music industry, I mean the big fake-up where any poser can become some kind of overnnight star if they are set up by others that way, I hate all that, I like newness and change though, it's just that fakeness that kills the spirit that I dislike and I like to criticize that negative element.
Seems to me a lot of people these days just start out not with a lovre of music really but love of hype and image and fame, but real talent came to fame and it was just a long the way, as far as I can see, I think the best stuff has come from people who have the music living in them and live that joy out, just like Jimi running around his garden in a cape on with a broomstick pretending to play guitar, it must have been his destiny, but he is not the only one.
The industry even wore Jimi down having to play the same stuff stuff he loved but anyone can tire of a thing if it is not kept fluid and creative and motive, that is what Jimi was saying too, he wanted to keep bringing fresh stuff and he needed it too as a musician of heart and soul, with a big big spirit.

Add Comment

Michael Steele

1/16/2007 10:38:17 AM

i'm a southpaw(from the south).i've played that way from the beginning.
and i dont play backwards,meaning my guitar is strung the same way
as a right handed guitar.my high E string is on the bottom.and no,Jimi
didn't play backwards either.and yes it is very frustrating to walk into a
place that literaly has hundreds(even thousands)of guitars on the wall,
and being extremely lucky if one or two of 'em are left-handed.it the
equivalent of going to a showroom to buy a new car,but not being able
to test drive it.and don't even get me started on vintage left handed
guitars!the guitars that i do have,i will say i love.especialy my old
LesPaul Deluxe.i've had it since i was 16.i'll be 53 this year.it's my
best old friend.
Myke

Add Comment

SILVERWOODSTUDIO

1/16/2007 3:36:50 PM

Hi Mike from the South!

I'm also from the south (island of New Zealand) in the south pacific>
I found my 1959 gibson es335 at a fishermans house in Stewart island (deep south), I paid $1000 back in 1980 and traded in my Gretch Tennessean (also red semi-accoustic) B4 that I had an accoustic, electric Hofner. Thats the one I restrung for a leftie.It was stolen at a gig, and I couln't be bothered with doing the same to the Gretch so went back to "normal" right handed.
-----------but a les Paul '77 ------------???? If I got the maths right!!

Add Comment

satch

8/31/2007 3:51:12 AM

I'm left-handed - when I was a kid, pre-teen, I learnt to play on a borrowed acoustic guitar, strung right-handed, so I learnt to play upside-down - and I still play like that some 40 years later (that makes me soooo old!).

Add Comment

8/31/2007 4:07:14 AM

‹So I have to type in this little inch. I truly don't understand why the forum has gone.

Add Comment

Verity

8/31/2007 4:22:11 AM

Hey Crash TV, did you know this is a magic blog and an inch can become a mile.!!

Re left handed. At one time I was corresponding daily with 4 people who I got on really well with. One day the subject cropped up and I discovered that they were ALL left handed (3 played bass) I was pretty spooked by that. I'm right handed myself but obviously I'm searching for people who balance me up (and bass players haha!). Left handed people do have a slightly different way of seeing things I find - like if they look at maps or plans or try to describe layouts and diresctions it's always the opposite way to how I'd do it. There are a disproportionate amount of lefties in sports too don't you think?

Add Comment

SqurlyMurly

8/31/2007 11:44:41 AM

My brother is left-handed but plays bass guitar right-handed. I'm right-handed but swing a baseball bat left-handed.

Add Comment

SILVERWOODSTUDIO

8/31/2007 7:05:45 PM

I made a study of left handedness as a student , here are some interesting facts!

Researchers using ultrasound found that only 12 of 224 fetuses preferred to suck their left thumb.
Studies show the likelihood of being left handed doubles if one survived a stressed
birth or difficult pregnancy.
Only 5% of foetuses are lefties but up to 15% of children under 10 are left handed ---supporting the "stress" theory.
10% of the overall population are left handed!
Left handed people tend to live shorter lives than right handers-----the suggestion is that lefties face unique perils in a right handed world.
Left handed folk are 6 times more likely to die in accidents
Left handed children and adolescents are significantly more likely to be accidently injured than right handers------from a study of 759 chidren aged between 6---18
treated at the emergency dept of Arkansas Childrens Hospital.
Researchers also found that fewer left handers survive to old age----indicating that accidents may play a role in reduced longevity!!!!

But don't despair -----------being a lefty means you are "special" often with an artistic bent----able to adapt to all kinds of situations with original responses.

Left hand = Right brain!