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left handed guitarists

PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:06 pm
by rhirvine
I have wondered how many of you Chet pickers play a right handed guitar (left hand on frets) but are actually left handed? My father was left handed and played a left handed guitar (I guess that's what you'd call it). So I started playing it and begin learning chords in that configuration. Mind you I'm left handed in a lot of things and my left hand is my strongest hand. When my friend across the street got a Sears Silvertone solid body guitar and amp, I wanted to play it really bad. Surf guitar was the big thing in those days out on the west coast. By that time I had my own guitar that my parents gave me and I switched the strings to start learning guitar like a right handed person in order to play my friend's electric guitar. I've never regretted it. I feel like it made me better as a guitarist because my strongest hand was now holding down chords and notes. Does anybody else feel this way? For all I know maybe the picking hand needs to be the most coordinated and strongest for the best guitar playing advantage.

Re: left handed guitarists

PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 5:59 pm
by BillB
I'm right-handed, but I've always gotten the impression that left-handers actually do well playing "right-handed" guitars, for exactly the reason that you mentioned. Whenever someone who is left-handed asks about learning to play guitar, I always tell them that it is a two-handed instrument, and that the left hand has to do the chords. Plus, there are much better options whenever you go shopping for guitars. I heard one well-accomplished lefty guitar player say the same thing. Rik Emmett, the lead singer and guitarist for the old Canadian rock group, Triumph, is a lefty that plays righty. And he is very accomplished, not just in rock, but also in fingerstyle, blues, jazz, etc.

http://www.rikemmett.com/

Bill B.

Re: left handed guitarists

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 2:57 pm
by Dave
I'm a lefty who plays righty. Felt natural from the start.

Re: left handed guitarists

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 2:23 pm
by emjaybee94
I'm left handed, but play right handed. It feels natural now, but felt very awkward when I started. I'm not sure we had left handed guitars back in the late 50's ...... certainly at a price I could afford!
Probably the most famous lefty playing right handed must be Mark Knopfler.

Mike

Re: left handed guitarists

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 5:22 pm
by rhirvine
I never realized that Mark Knofler is left handed or played the guitar left handed. Thanks for that. He certainly plays a lot better than me not to mention is song writing talent!