Right or Left?

[SH73]

Why do right handed guitars point to the left and vice versa. Same with drums, hi hat is mostly on the left for right handed drummers.

[Teebs]

You'd think that for a right-handed person, the right hand should be the fretting hand because it requires more dexterity.

But it isnt.

[SH73]

3 minutes ago, Teebs said:

You'd think that for a right-handed person, the right hand should be the fretting hand because it requires more dexterity.

But it isnt.

The same with hockey stick. I'm right handed but used ice hockey stick on my left.

[Silvia Bluejay]

There has been a huge amount of discussion on the topic. There are various theories, but the one that seems most plausible is that originally, on instruments like guitar and bass, the main hand was the plucking/picking one, as opposed to the fretting one, so you would learn to use your stronger hand for the most important aspect of playing. All the virtuoso stuff on the fretboard came into fashion much later, when right-handed and left-handed playing were already established as we see now.

I'm not too convinced by the above, as to me - an almost totally left-handed person - playing a left-handed instrument came much more naturally than a right-handed one from the very start, and I deliberately tried both. Also, if it was true that the fretting hand has actually become the most important hand on a guitar/bass, why aren't we seeing thousands of righty players find out, when they start learning, that they're far happier playing on a lefty guitar?

To confuse the issue further, in normal life most of us are on a scale of righty to lefty, as opposed to being 100% one or the other, and some lucky ones are 50%; if they are musicians, they can play whatever they like, right way up or upside down! 😮

IIRC @leftybassman392 has a lot of knowledge and info about the whole concept.

 

[SH73]

I suppose the plucking/strumming hand is like an engine in a car and fretting hand  like a steering wheel.

[leftybassman392]

In an earlier discussion on the topic, I recall somebody once saying that all Left-handed players should really be playing Righty. Using the same logic, I felt constrained to point out that all Right-handed players should really be playing Lefty.

As our esteemed Silvia has most eloquently pointed out, it doesn't work that way.

The idea of the fretting hand doing so much of the work is a pretty recent phenomenon. Historically, the only function of the fretting fingers on any stringed instrument was to be in the right place (sic) at the right time. The more important job of actually producing the notes, with all the subtleties and nuances that entails, was (and for the most part still is) done by the picking hand.

While I'm here, (and as I mentioned in a thread on the subject of handedness quite recently) handedness isn't an either/or thing. Better to think in terms of a sliding scale with most people somewhere vaguely right of centre and very few at the extremes. In other words, most people can do something useful with either hand at need. Like Silvia my handedness is quite pronounced, and trying to (for example) play a guitar or bass the other way round feels decidedly uncomfortable.

In practical terms it's mostly a bit of a PITA to be honest, but I can console myself with the knowledge that being a Lefty means I'm right-brain dominant. The right hemisphere of the human brain is where all the artistic and creative stuff is. I get to share this advantage with the likes of da Vinci, Rembrandt, Hendrix, Bowie and, er, McCartney. So there is that. 😎

ETA. Nearly forgot; at gigs you never, ever get drunken punters tottering up to the stage asking if they can have a go on your instrument.

Edited February 23, 2019 by leftybassman392

[Heathy]

I'm a lefty who plays right-handed. That always felt the natural way, however in recent years I have realised that my right hand is a real weak link in my playing. 

[Norris]

The dominant hand is doing more than most people realise. It is responsible for the rhythm and expression, whereas the non-dominant hand is the one that apparently moves around more and gets all the attention 

[leftybassman392]

5 minutes ago, Norris said:

The dominant hand is doing more than most people realise. It is responsible for the rhythm and expression, whereas the non-dominant hand is the one that apparently moves around more and gets all the attention 

Well put.

[SpondonBassed]

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by SpondonBassed

[LeftyP]

I'm a lefty who plays right handed because that is how I was taught by my guitar teacher when I tried the classical guitar.  Despite my dominant hand being the left one I don't have a lot of dexterity in it for fretting the bass.  My fingers don't stretch far enough apart to manage one finger per fret and I need to move my hand around much more because of it.  Having said that, my right hand is about the same, so I'd be no better off switching to a left handed bass!

[fleabag]

I've tried playing the wrong way round, and the feel and touch is non existant.  They might as well be someone else's arms.

Try driving your car and braking with the other foot from one you normally use.

On a stranger note, my pal plays right hand basses turned round for a left handed player, but leaves the strings as they are, so E is at the bottom.

[Baxlin]

47 minutes ago, fleabag said:

Try driving your car and braking with the other foot from one you normally use.

 

But make sure all your passengers are bracing themselves, and that there’s nothing following you...........

[SH73]

3 hours ago, fleabag said:

I've tried playing the wrong way round, and the feel and touch is non existant.  They might as well be someone else's arms.

Try driving your car and braking with the other foot from one you normally use.

On a stranger note, my pal plays right hand basses turned round for a left handed player, but leaves the strings as they are, so E is at the bottom.

Yep. it took me a while to get used to the pedals on the auto car.

[fleabag]

I have an auto  too, just chopped it in for a manual  and it made no difference to me, as i still brake with my right foot, manual or auto

[BreadBin]

I use either foot to brake, depending on the situation. It's much easier with my current two-pedal car.

[LeftyP]

I wonder if left handed people, who play other instruments, get hung up about having special instruments for them.  I don't recall ever seeing a left handed piano or trombone etc.  Can you play a flute with it sticking out to your left?  Pianos (and keyboards in general) are a good case to look at because the melody is usually played with the right hand and the left hand provides a steady bass section.  You would assume that left handed players will not be as nimble over the keys as a right hander.  It seems that only guitar players make a thing about being left handed and wanting special instruments made for them.  I like being left handed but have no problem in adapting to playing as a right handed person would.  Whichever way I play, I'm still rubbish!

[SH73]

46 minutes ago, fleabag said:

I have an auto  too, just chopped it in for a manual  and it made no difference to me, as i still brake with my right foot, manual or auto

I've got manual. drove auto temporarily and every time I braked it felt like an emergency stop.

[lownote]

4 hours ago, fleabag said:

I've tried playing the wrong way round, and the feel and touch is non existant.  They might as well be someone else's arms.

Try driving your car and braking with the other foot from one you normally use.

On a stranger note, my pal plays right hand basses turned round for a left handed player, but leaves the strings as they are, so E is at the bottom.

Esteemed blues man Dave Thomas is as lefty as they come but since childhood has played a right handed guitar simply turned upside down, including strings. I assume he just likes making things tricky for himself, but I suppose 50+ years of practice acquire a sort of momentum of their own. 

[Delberthot]

Myself, our guitarist and singer are all left handed. According to the web 10% of people are left handed but as a band we're 60% left handed.

Incidentally both myself and guitarist play right handed. I did try left handed like fleabag said above, it felt like I was using someone else's hands it was just so alien

[leftybassman392]

Might also be worth mentioning the social conditioning element in handedness (sounds like brainwashing but it's pretty benign). Although nobody bothers about it these days, Lefties of a certain age will no doubt be able to tell stories of attempts to force them to do things (handwriting being a good example, and so is learning to play guitar or bass) right handed - I know I can.

I won't bore people with any whinging about how hard we have things (in truth it's not that bad and I'm really not complaining), but subtle pressures to conform are still around.

Edited February 23, 2019 by leftybassman392

[leftybassman392]

46 minutes ago, lownote12 said:

Esteemed blues man Dave Thomas is as lefty as they come but since childhood has played a right handed guitar simply turned upside down, including strings. I assume he just likes making things tricky for himself, but I suppose 50+ years of practice acquire a sort of momentum of their own. 

There's a few examples around. Jimmy Haslip, Jimi Goodwin, Albert King, Elizabeth Cotten...

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 3, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[BassTractor]

58 minutes ago, LeftyP said:

I wonder if left handed people, who play other instruments, get hung up about having special instruments for them.  I don't recall ever seeing a left handed piano or trombone etc.  Can you play a flute with it sticking out to your left?  Pianos (and keyboards in general) are a good case to look at because the melody is usually played with the right hand and the left hand provides a steady bass section.  You would assume that left handed players will not be as nimble over the keys as a right hander.  It seems that only guitar players make a thing about being left handed and wanting special instruments made for them.  I like being left handed but have no problem in adapting to playing as a right handed person would.  Whichever way I play, I'm still rubbish!

There might be a case for stating that if left-handed versions are not provided for orchestra instruments, that left-handed people have a higher risk of not being able to play those instruments well. In case, we initially wouldn't know, coz all violinists and flautists in orchestras are good at what they do. One would then need to find whether left-handed people are underrepresented before making statements.

Left-handed versions have been built for some instruments that are not guitars, but IMS it was for finding out about these things - not as commercial products.

On a more personal note, as a leftie, when I was young, before trying to play guitars, I was handed a left-handed guitar and really couldn't get on with it. Was then handed a right-handed one, and everything fell into place. Still, I believe I could've learned to play the left-handed one.

As a leftie there's no chance I can throw a ball with my right hand, but there's also no chance I can fire a left-handed gun and hit the target. Idunno. It's complicated.

 

[leftybassman392]

2 hours ago, LeftyP said:

I wonder if left handed people, who play other instruments, get hung up about having special instruments for them.  I don't recall ever seeing a left handed piano

Ahem...

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by leftybassman392