Hmm, Maybe I Should Play Guitar Left Handed?
It’s strange that it took me this long to comment on this, since I get questions about this all the time. It seems obvious at first. If you’re right-handed you should play the guitar right-handed, right? Well, when you first start playing every little thing can seem so difficult that you begin to question your own common sense.
The problem is that playing guitar, to the beginner seems like a venture that will involve very heavy use of you fretting hand; requiring dexterity and strength. The right hand (or left if you are left-handed) seems like it has the easy job. And you begin to wonder, “Should I try switching hands?” It’s a normal part of the process that almost everyone goes through at some level.
What you don’t realize as a beginner is that your right hand (plucking hand) is the one that will be hardest to develop. Everything that you do as a new guitar player is going to feel awkward at first. You are asking your body to do things that it has never done before. You body needs time to adjust to what you are asking of it. But as time goes on, the things that you ask your fretting hand to do are going to become second nature. The dominant hand is needed for complicated picking, finger-style playing, etc. These things will be much harder for your non-dominant hand to pull off.
As a guitar instructor I’ve actually taught a left handed player who decided to play right handed, since his friends played right-handed, and the guitars were right-handed. He was self-taught for three years but reached a point where he just couldn’t progress anymore. He came to me to help him to get over those humps, but this required a massive reworking of his technique, that he wasn’t willing to undertake. He decided to make the best of his limitation rather than learn all over again. It limited him from playing styles that he really wanted to play. I felt bad as an instructor that I wasn’t able to help him, and I hope that he eventually found someone who did.
The lesson? Don’t fall for the trap of thinking that even though you are left-handed guitar would be easier for you if you were to learn to play right-handed. Since, guitar is going to be a challenge anyway, why not do what is right and not suffer a future limitation that you may not be able to overcome.
Now, I know that someone out there is going to say that they know someone, or they themselves, are outstanding guitar players and they play with their non-dominant hand. I’m sure that there is someone for whom this is true. But they are great players in spite of their poor initial choice. They would likely have progress quicker and farther if they made a more orthodox choice. Or perhaps they are so uniquely talented that they would have been a great guitar player even if they played with their feet! Fine, but for the rest of us there is an easier way. Choose the easier way and spend more time playing music and less time fighting with your body.
Filed under: Guitar, Music Technique and Education
I’m the one that will say that being left handed has had a neutral effect on my guitar playing. The fact that I play air guitar left handed should be an indicator that the left hand orientation seems to me to be more comfortable. As for style, I think that both hands work independently while in sync. Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your tummy. Everything takes practice, and with enough perseverance, I think that anyone can learn to do anything with either hand. That being said, I do know a guy that has NO arms, and plays guitar with his feet…right handed…or is that footed?
I think hand dominance is left up to chance. Growing up in a family of 4 I was the only southpaw. My wife is also left handed. Her father was left handed, but back in the 40’s left handed people were considered demon spawn, and he was forced to change over to right handed. None of our 3 kids are left handed. I don’t know for sure, but it may be some kind of neuro-wiring that makes a person favor one hand over the other. I think that left handed people have an advantage over right handed people, in that they can do more with both hands, while right handed people tend to be right handed exclusively.
History states that one day I picked up a pencil in my left hand, and that was it. But I throw right handed, bat as a switch hitter, can kick a soccer ball or football with both feet, sight with my right eye, but put my left ear to a door to eavesdrop… oh yeah, I play guitar right handed.
All my family are left handed, apart from me. I think my brother who plays guitar plays it right handed (I think)….
I want to learn, but will try and play it the right handed way I think. One of the Beatles played guitar left handed didn`t he?
I`m still practising the flute. My sister bought me a lovely up to date music book for the flute for Christmas. I must get pracising again.
This does seem self evident but I can see the logic in this. Since I am right handed in everything else I went right handed with the guitar without questioning the logic of it. I do see the wisdom in this as development of my plucking hand to this day is still more of a challenge than the fret hand.
Hey! It’s been a while! How are yah? I started out lefty, then was switched to right. I play bass with my right, throw with my right, but use the computer mouse with my left, and play the congas left-handed. I’m a mess
I think your right that with enough practice and preserverance you can pretty much learn anything with any hand.
For the congas, I learned it left handed on purpose. I found the rocking hand motion in conga technique to be very similar to slap bass technique. So I learned it left handed to try to kill two birds with one stone.
Anyway….happy new year!
I play guitar right-handed, fire pistols right-handed, write left-handed, fire rifles left-handed, and throw right-handed. I’m not really sure which way to learn the guitar, but I’ve done it right-handed so far.
I may be wrong, but it seems to me that placing fingers on indivudual frets is more difficult than plucking the strings, even while finger picking. Playing right-handed leaves me hitting the frets with my left hand, so I’ve always gone with that.