yorks5stringer Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) Last night at the second meeting with the new band I've joined, I've discovered I'm the only right handed player. Drums, Guitar, Vox and Blues Harp are all lefties. What are the chances of that? Edited January 15, 2015 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Bloody socialists. They get everywhere!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1421339530' post='2660113'] Bloody socialists. They get everywhere!! [/quote] You'd better start writing your apology in Off Topic right now...you know how these things can escalate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael J Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Left-handed blues harp, yes, turn it upside down. Left-handed vocals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 2 replies and no-one have given me the stats yet. Do I have to go on bloody Google and work it out for myself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 10% of population are left handers, rising among musicians to 13% so chances are pretty slim (unless they're all related, but you're not posting from East Anglia so let's presume not) [size=4] [/size] [size=4]Interestingly, the group where there is a disproportionate number of lefties is in athletics.[/size] [size=4]Oh, and I think the answer is 1 in 2401, but my probability days are long behind me.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1421345280' post='2660231'] 10% of population are left handers, rising among musicians to 13% so chances are pretty slim (unless they're all related, but you're not posting from East Anglia so let's presume not) [size=4]Interestingly, the group where there is a disproportionate number of lefties is in athletics.[/size] [size=4]Oh, and I think the answer is 1 in 2401, but my probability days are long behind me.[/size] [/quote] Thanks, I can sleep soundly now knowing that and will reel off that stat at the next meeting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 *Sigh* I promise not to tire of saying this: it's not that simple - people are not simply Right- or Left-Handed. It's a continuous spectrum with most people nearer one end than the other. Any attempt to provide definitive statistics is likely to prove very difficult. Handedness can manifest in a whole bunch of different ways with different activities (and sometimes even in the same activity - there's at least one case of a professional cricketer who bowls with one hand and throws with the other). This is complicated by the numbers of musicians who are Left-handed in many areas of their lives but have chosen to play their instruments Right-handed. You're right about one thing though - it is very unusual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1421349643' post='2660294'] *Sigh* I promise not to tire of saying this: it's not that simple - people are not simply Right- or Left-Handed. It's a continuous spectrum with most people nearer one end than the other. Any attempt to provide definitive statistics is likely to prove very difficult. Handedness can manifest in a whole bunch of different ways with different activities (and sometimes even in the same activity - there's at least one case of a professional cricketer who bowls with one hand and throws with the other). This is complicated by the numbers of musicians who are Left-handed in many areas of their lives but have chosen to play their instruments Right-handed. You're right about one thing though - it is very unusual! [/quote] Sorry, was trying to give a concise answer in a lighthearted manner. But this did lead to some quick research (always been interested in lefties as my old mum had a torrid time of being one, and my youngest is very ambidextrous) & thought this piece was particularly fascinating: [url="http://www.livescience.com/19968-study-reveals-lefties-rare.html"]http://www.livescience.com/19968-study-reveals-lefties-rare.html[/url] The piece on left handed musicians did very much centre around what you are saying: [url="http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/issues_music.html"]http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/issues_music.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I was in a four piece band and three of us were Steve's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1421351529' post='2660327'] Sorry, was trying to give a concise answer in a lighthearted manner. But this did lead to some quick research (always been interested in lefties as my old mum had a torrid time of being one, and my youngest is very ambidextrous) & thought this piece was particularly fascinating: [url="http://www.livescience.com/19968-study-reveals-lefties-rare.html"]http://www.livescien...fties-rare.html[/url] The piece on left handed musicians did very much centre around what you are saying: [url="http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/issues_music.html"]http://www.rightleft...sues_music.html[/url] [/quote] Apologies if I came over a bit tetchy - not my intention at all. It's just that I've been trying to set the world straight on this topic for many years now. (Actually I'm a lot more relaxed about it these days... ). I've read the articles: the first one is interesting in one respect (although I would like to take a closer look at how the model works, and I do have some misgivings over their basic premise of handedness as an either/or situation - although that could just be to do with numbers of players that choose to play a certain way rather than any more detailed analysis of their handedness in general); the second article ties in much more with my understanding of handedness as a phenomenon (and the Hendrix snippet adds confirmation to my fairly long-held view that he was probably close to being genuinely ambidextrous). The comment about the difficulty of the job the fretting hand has is a bit apocryphal I think; historically (and the history of stringed instruments goes back several thousand years), the hand responsible for producing the sound is the one that requires finer motor control - the fingers of the other hand only needed to be in the right place at the right time. The advent of such a busy fretting hand is a much more recent phenomenon, only really viable as an everyday playing technique since the advent of the electric guitar and the high-gain amplifier. Oh dear - that turned into a bit of a monologue... sorry about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 So how do we explain the left-handed singer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1421368754' post='2660578'] So how do we explain the left-handed singer? [/quote] Well that's easy! It's the hand he holds the mic with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGuyAtTheBack Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'm lefthanded bass playing wise but at primary school I was made to write with my right hand ( the good old 60's eh!). I have a left master eye, I shoot off my left shoulder, I'm lefthanded at archery but I push a brush, use a screwdriver, hammer, spanner righthanded. I'm completely screwed up!! Just for a laugh recently I taught myself to write lefthanded and that really freaks work collegues out with my 2 completely different signatures! Oh and when I used to shoot competitive pistol, I was righthanded and tilted my head to use my left eye for aiming!! My primary school teachers have a lot to answer for! LOL. I don't think there is such a thing as pure right or lefthandedness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1421392722' post='2660629'] Well that's easy! It's the hand he holds the mic with. [/quote] Does that still "hold" true if he's a she? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1421406448' post='2660785'] Does that still "hold" true if he's a she? [/quote] Yes. Yes it does. Definitely. It definitely does. Yes. Edit to Add: It does. Edited January 16, 2015 by leftybassman392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Happened to me once, 4 out of 5 of us were lefties, except the guitarist played right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1421410135' post='2660828'] Yes. Yes it does. Definitely. It definitely does. Yes. Edit to Add: It does. [/quote] Fence sitting again..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 What if someone played right-handed but used a left-handed music stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael J Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1421412195' post='2660872'] What if someone played right-handed but used a left-handed music stand? [/quote][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7yb-JncKow]Playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order?[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 OK, fine, but which hand is best for metal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoRhino Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'm left handed but play right handed bass because my older brother is right handed and I learnt to play on his guitar first and there was no choice. I do however make sure my mic stand adjustment screws (and music stand screws when I use one) are all on the correct left side. And I adjust my amp settings with my left. A lefty and a righty lifting a heavy amp or speaker into the back of a car is funny to see. A clash of spiral torsion if there is such a concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1421414991' post='2660923'] OK, fine, but which hand is best for metal? [/quote] The left hand, obviously...Hail S*tan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.