leftybassman392 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Handedness, and right-handedness in particular, is so deeply embedded in our culture and language that it's actually quite hard to remain left-handed and prosper - especially as a musician. People on this forum who know me will know my views on this subject. At one time I would have gone all evangelical about it. These days I take the view that we all get by the best way we can, and actually have kind of a sneaking envy for those of us who have been able to make the switch - it certainly does make one's life easier in this line of work. For myself, I never could - like bluejay, doing it the other way always just felt wrong to me. Handedness is actually quite a complex (and, I might add, poorly understood) phenomenon. There has been research done from time to time, but the medical profession generally (and probably correctly) takes the view that there are bigger things to worry about. There is an upside to this, however. Current thinking is that the primary cause of handedness is genetic, and (this is the interesting bit) rather than a left-handed gene, it's actually a right-handed gene. If you have the gene then you're going to be right handed, and if not then basically you're free to choose for yourself as you develop. The reason that's good news for lefties is that it means we're more adaptable without the gene than with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 It would make sense that handedness is genetic as my Dad is a righty and my Mum is truly properly ambidextrous, to the point you can't tell the difference between her two sets of hand writing. I suppose that gives me odds at being one quarter left handed and writing with it and three quarters right handed and being able to play guitars that don't have a minority mark up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I'm a full left-hander that plays bass right-handed. When I've been playing the drums (not for a while now though) I'm (as another poster was) an open-hander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Generally speaking if it's a single handed process I do it left handed but pretty much anything that involves using two hands I do right handed. Main exceptions are that I usually operate a mouse right handed and if you define holding a snooker/pool cue as two handed then I do that left handed. The mouse thing is handy as it allows me to find stuff on the computer with one hand and if I need to write anything down I can do that with my left. Edited November 21, 2011 by KevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz666 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) I had my "left handedness" tested when I was at school and I am only 10% left handed. I write and draw with my left hand. For everything else I am right handed, right eyed, right footed and right eared. I have tried to play left handed but it just feels so wrong (and not in a good way) Edited November 21, 2011 by Fitz666 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 What about those who play instruments the wrong way up? The bass player from Doves being one example - plays a right handed bass upside down IIRC - or - and this just feels even more weird - Andy McLuskey from OMD, who play a right handed bass, right handed, but has it strung the wrong way up - because he learned to play on a left handed bass, upside down! Too weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Blimey, my brain hurts just thinking about that... I found it hard enough to learn a mirror image of chords and scales from right-handed illustrations in books, and apply them to a normal lefty bass! (That's where having a righty bass teacher helps - much easier to sit facing him and look at his fingers while he's playing!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Write left handed ,everything else with the right. A couple of years back I was in a band with 3 others who were all the same. Edited November 21, 2011 by keeponehandloose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Another one here. Lefty playing righty. Born out of a trip to a music shop in the mid 1980s and looking at a wall of guitars. 30 right handed ones, 1 left handed one that was more expensive. Feels odd to play left handed now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) [quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1321902487' post='1444288'] (That's where having a righty bass teacher helps - much easier to sit facing him and look at his fingers while he's playing!) [/quote] As a left handed teacher I spent years teaching mostly right handed students. Many of them never noticed I was left handed until I pointed it out to them. Even after they figured it out, most seemed to enjoy that fact that they had a mirror image to look at. I can't remember ever getting an actual complaint about it. Edited November 21, 2011 by leftybassman392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Exactly - if both teacher and student play right-handed (or left-handed), it's less easy to look at each other's fretboard because they don't face each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Another one here. Seems perfectly natural to me, the same as holding your fork in your left and knife in your right hand ('Righties' tend to swap hands when they are only using a fork - freaks), and holding a computer mouse in your right hand (so I can make notes at the same time). Got lots of funny looks in India when I was using my left hand for everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Heh. I use my left hand for the knife and my right one for the fork, and put the fork in my left hand when I put down the knife. I use my left hand for the mouse. Incidentally, regarding the dearth of lefty models we mentioned earlier, why is it that German manufacturers seem to have no problem offering more choice than their US and UK counterparts? Think of Paul McCartney's Hohner, even back then in the 60s, and Warwick basses, most of which come in both versions and at exactly the same price. Edit - I'm a thoroughly lousy typist and I can't even blame my left-handedness for that! Edited November 21, 2011 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 FWIW I do, and did do, some things right handed - knives and forks is the obvious one I guess, but also when playing cricket I would bowl lefthanded (which, without wishing to sound immodest, I was very good at) but bat righthanded (which, without wishing to sound modest, I was next to useless at - I asked my skipper once why I always batted 11, and he told me it's because cricket teams only had 11 players ). Oh, and I tried my hand at golf a couple of times as well, playing right handed with entirely predictable results! One slightly odd one though: when holding a glass, it's always the left hand, but when holding a cup it's whichever hand is nearest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 The cricket one is an interesting one : my dad was left handed, but taught my brother and I to play the way that felt natural to us. Consequently, my brother batted left handed and bowled right handed, whilst I was a 'righty' for both. He also plays golf lefty and I play right handed. Also, many people assume I am left handed - when they spot my watch on my right wrist, but I've tried wearing it on the other one and it just feels too weird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficelles Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Another one here... write left-handed but play bass (and all other instruments) right-handed. Or do I? The left hand is quite busy after all... The choice for me was made by the woeful lack of left-handed instruments in the 70s. ficelles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I'm another leftie playing bass right handed. I thought there wouldn't be much difference as you need dexterity in both hands. I play finger style at the moment. But reading the other thread about whether or not to use a pick, it occurred to me that I'd find it awkward to hold a pick in my right hand. It would just seem wrong somehow. So I'm destined to play finger style for ever I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Me too. Would have been a pure lefty were it not for a drum teacher who got me to play on a right handed kit and screwed me right up. I could play rhythms right handed but leading fills across the toms was a mess. Playing bass is much simpler, but feel and consistency needs extra work. I used to dismiss Mark Kings tricks as being OK for a right hander but that he's a lefty too much left me feeling like my place was on a 5 string... I do everything...well everything but one left handed. Am a total left footer as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 Ringo is another drummer who plays a right handed kit despite being a left hooker. He says that's why his fills are so idiosyncratic. As to using a pick with my right, I hate it. I've learnt through playing guitar but just don't like it, but I've never attributed it to being a left hander before. I'm a reasonable finger picker and I would have thought that would be more difficult. There may well be a grateful manufacturer or two reading this thinking thank goodness all this lot do it properly or we'd have even more faff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 [quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1321711230' post='1442275'] . Sometimes get confused with knives and forks. [/quote] The fork is the pointy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badass Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 [quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1322050160' post='1445784'] The fork is the pointy one. [/quote] Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudmover Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I started playing drums RH but being a lefty it didn't work out so I switched to playing left BUT open handed....Eventually after painstaking efforts I learnt left X handed and things have been solid since....... I visited a guitar shop last week having no clue on what bass to choose...The guy tried sticking and RH Fender but it felt wrong....And the left didn't feel much better BUT I stuck with previous experience and stayed with the dark side. On a positive the guy gave me a great deal on a lefty Fender MIM 1995 Jazz so happy days He said it would be stuck in his shop for ages.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I write left handed but play right handed instruments, I feel I need the dexterity on the fingerboard. I play right handed drum kit, but I don't play with crossed arms. Like many left handed people I can do most things fairly easily with either hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 [quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1321699542' post='1442043'] I'm left handed, but hopefully my avatar show me playing a right handed Jazz, the right way round. I couldn't begin to play 'left handed'. My left hand is far more dextrous than my right, that's why it does all the work on the fingerboard, or fongerboad as they used to call it in ye olde days of usenet. [/quote] yep, same here. It never really felt right playing left handed (cack handed is another thing altogether though). Maybe it was the fact that i had no choice when i first started but it never felt wrong or awkward to play right handed. Although definitely a left hander there is one other major thing i do right handed ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo0tsy Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I'm another leftie who plays bass right handed. A left handed bass just didn't feel right to me. It feels more natural using the dexterity I have in my left hand on the fingerboard, plus I could never have found myself a right handed space bass! Also use knife and fork right handed, and occasionally attempt to use a cricket bat right handed, but generally a left hander and footer. Lefties are not cack-handed, just multi-talented Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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