Right or Left?

[Planemo]

On 23/02/2019 at 19:28, BassTractor said:

 

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.

 

Your ball and gun example made me think about this subject a little more, because I write left handed, throw a ball with my right but fire a gun with my left.

Other left handed things:

Hold a bat (tennis/ping pong), use a spoon/fork (but if using just a knife its my left), kick a ball, brush my teeth, drink from a cup, hold a can opener, hold a hammer.

However, other right handed things:

Play bass (yay!), use scissors, shoot a bow, punch dominant, use a computer mouse, deal a pack of cards, strike a match, open lid on jar.

The above results on an online test shows I am 47% left handed! 

I find it all quite interesting. This just goes to prove the slide-rule thing that there is no such thing as left or right handed.

Its all a bit odd for me. Sometimes I really dont know what hand to use when something new comes up!

As regards to bass playing, for me I think its down to dexterity. I feel theres more needed than with my plucking/strumming hand but again you could say thats simply down to my lack of skill, as I am sure that professional players need just as much dexterity in their right hand. I cant remember whether I made a conscious decision when I first picked up a bass, maybe I will switch over to try one day. It will be difficult to test now though I feel, as it will clearly be less 'natural' now given I have been playing right handed for a while now.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Planemo

[BassTractor]

1 hour ago, Planemo said:

I write left handed, throw a ball with my right but fire a gun with my left.

Other left handed things:

Hold a bat (tennis/ping pong), use a spoon/fork (but if using just a knife its my left), kick a ball, brush my teeth, drink from a cup, hold a can opener, hold a hammer.

However, other right handed things:

Play bass (yay!), use scissors, shoot a bow, punch dominant, use a computer mouse, deal a pack of cards, strike a match, open lid on jar.

Innersting! I wrote left-handed until the teacher in first form reached for the stick (he held strongly negative opinions about cack-handed people, atheism and playing his violin in tune 😄 ).

As to the gun, part of me firing a right-handed gun is my left-handedness. My right index finger may well pull a trigger, but I need the control of my left arm for aiming and keeping a long gun steady.
Me, I don't understand how right-handed people manage their right-handed guns, unless they're just all very strong and I'm a weakling. I've been wondering whether right-handed guns actually are adapted to aiming with the right eye. I wouldn't know.

Tennis and table tennis are a fun subject to me personally, as I have two forehands and two backhands (though none of those four are any good). My tennis teachers hated my throwing (yes!) my racket to the other hand when I felt a forehand would serve (no pun) me better, but they couldn't fight my statistics. I guess pros are so quick that they have no time for throwing rackets in exactly this way (they do have time for throwing rackets in general of course 😄 ), but on my local level, it was an advantage - - duly frowned upon, coz no-one likes to play with/against someone with an advantage.

 

I think there's a good chance many so-called right-handed objects are based on one early example of the object, whether it be a tool or a musical instrument, and that adaptation by users in those cases has been more important than we tend to think.
In case, science could find out what really are left-handed and right-handed objects. Maybe science already has done something there, Idunno.

 

I do know that some scientists say that the human eyes and the human brain together make left-handed traffic the better choice.
Who knows.

[leftybassman392]

Another thought that has occurred to me on the subject of playing bass (or any stringed instrument for that matter) is to do with playing style. From some of the comments in the thread it looks like lefties who play righty can have issues maintaining good speed and dexterity with their right hand when picking. Conversely, the left hand technique of such players can be completely out of proportion to what you might expect - case in point would be lefty-who-plays-righty Gary Moore. Anyone who's tried to play his music will tell you that his left hand technique is at times absolutely insane.

Just a thought...

I just took (I think) the same handedness test as @Planemo. I came out over 90% lefthanded (it was actually 100% but the system defaults to >90%) . Well there's a surprise!

Not too sure how scientific it is, but here's the one I did: lefthandedness test

There's another one here. This one does look a bit more scientific. Didn't change the result though. 96.67% lefthanded...

 

 

 

[Teebs]

13 minutes ago, leftybassman392 said:

There's another one here. This one does look a bit more scientific. Didn't change the result though. 96.67% lefthanded...

I just did the second test -

The laterality index for this respondent is: -50.00
The respondent is in the 2^d left decile
The augmented (15 item) index is: -36.67

I guess this means I'm 63.33% left-handed? (I'm not exactly sure how this works)

[PaulWarning]

11 minutes ago, leftybassman392 said:

 

There's another one here. This one does look a bit more scientific. Didn't change the result though. 96.67% lefthanded...

 

 

 

got 100% lefty, the only thing I do right handed is holding a computer mouse, and that, like a knife and fork I taught myself to do because I got fed up with changing sides on shared computers at work

[Daz39]

I got 65% righty. I am also equally average with either foot.

Slight skew though - as the reason I use a mouse left-handed was enforced from frozen shoulder some years ago.

[Silvia Bluejay]

Sorry but I've taken that test and it's rubbish. I was taught to write with my right hand, against my will, but the test doesn't consider that possibility, so it thinks I do that out of choice, and lowers my score.

Also, there is no option for doing something with either hand.

And of course, if all you have available is a tool that only works right-handed, such as the vast majority of scissors, you have to teach yourself to use it right-handed if it is to work properly. That, in this test, lowers your score too.

[Teebs]

4 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

Also, there is no option for doing something with either hand.

The second test has more options.

I'm left-handed, but can use both hands for a lot of things.

The first test didn't take any of that into account, the second did

[leftybassman392]

22 minutes ago, Teebs said:

I just did the second test -

The laterality index for this respondent is: -50.00
The respondent is in the 2^d left decile
The augmented (15 item) index is: -36.67

I guess this means I'm 63.33% left-handed? (I'm not exactly sure how this works)

Think of it as a percentage preference for left over right (or vice versa). Stats isn't really a specialist area for me so I'm happy to be corrected, but I read your result as:

On the main index you're 50% more likely to prefer your left over your right. On the extended index you're 36.67% more likely.

[leftybassman392]

The first test isn't much good - more of a lefty checklist really. The second is better but its scope is still a bit limited. I guess the counter argument would be to the effect that it isn't perfect, but that it's a very complex subject and you have to start somewhere. Asking questions of the 'if you had your time again...' variety is something you need to be very careful with I would think.

[Silvia Bluejay]

I can't see any further tests than the one I took.

If I was to create a test like that, I wouldn't quite do the 'if I had my time again' thing but I certainly would ask which hand you WOULD use if you were learning to write now, as very many, too many of us have been victims of 'violence' from that point of view. Indeed, in our case, I'd also ask whether you would learn to play bass righty or lefty IF choice and availability of instruments wasn't an issue, as the latter seems to be a rather important reason for going with the right-handed flow. I'm sure there are dozens of similar examples I could quote.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Silvia Bluejay

[Teebs]

16 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I can't see any further tests than the one I took.

This is the one I took...

http://www.brainmapping.org/shared/Edinburgh.php

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Teebs
*courtesy of leftybassman352 :)

[Silvia Bluejay]

Thanks - I'll try that later.

[Cuzzie]

I like this thread!

Full on righty here, but never thought about the sliding scale until mentioned here, as in aspects of my job, the angle of attack is just better with the left, so I switch  and just use it - not what I would call ambidextrous in anyway, but I must be on a scale.

Interetsingly there is a pHD (I think) student and amateur boxer who has just championed a theory, not without merit, that left handedness in battle was beneficial and they were better fighters so that in evolutionary terms they had to prevail.

He goes on to say that matching boxers across history etc. The southpaw more often than not comes out as a winner compared a righty.

Best tennis players often lefty.

Moving onto Gingers - technically a genetic mutation, has persisted not just because they are kissed by fire, but also despite burning in the sun, they use produce and use vitamin D more efficiently, hence it is beneficial.

 

[Grangur]

On 23/02/2019 at 18:12, 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!

 

On 23/02/2019 at 19:28, BassTractor said:

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.

 

I too am a lefty who plays right handed, although left-handed for most other things.

There are no left handed brass or wood-wind instruments. Also, nobody would get a job in an orchestra who configured their violin to play left-handed, because when playing their bow would point the opposite way to everyone else. This could cause folk to get bows tangled up and cause embarrassment to the whole orchestra.

[leftybassman392]

15 minutes ago, Grangur said:

There are no left handed brass or wood-wind instruments.

 

Image captured from here

Not trying to be awkward, but in this area of human endeavour, where there's a will there's usually a way. Saying 'there's no such thing as a lefthanded...' is IME a dangerous exercise.

Edited February 26, 2019 by leftybassman392

[Grangur]

25 minutes ago, leftybassman392 said:

 

Image captured from here

Not trying to be awkward, but in this area of human endeavour, where there's a will there's usually a way. Saying 'there's no such thing as a lefthanded...' is IME a dangerous exercise.

...generally...

 

[Daz39]

1 hour ago, Cuzzie said:

I like this thread!

Full on righty here, but never thought about the sliding scale until mentioned here, as in aspects of my job, the angle of attack is just better with the left, so I switch  and just use it - not what I would call ambidextrous in anyway, but I must be on a scale.

Interetsingly there is a pHD (I think) student and amateur boxer who has just championed a theory, not without merit, that left handedness in battle was beneficial and they were better fighters so that in evolutionary terms they had to prevail.

He goes on to say that matching boxers across history etc. The southpaw more often than not comes out as a winner compared a righty.

Best tennis players often lefty.

Moving onto Gingers - technically a genetic mutation, has persisted not just because they are kissed by fire, but also despite burning in the sun, they use produce and use vitamin D more efficiently, hence it is beneficial.

 

Indeed: I think (unless I walked round Warwick Castle backwards) that stairwells were designed all to curve clockwise so that attackers moving up would foul their sword arms (right) on the central shaft, whereas defenders from above had the curve of the tower to work within. Therefore left-handed swordspeeps were handy to have about.

As with tennis, so with Cricket - lefties fare disproportionately better with the bat because most bowlers are used to the right-hander. Left handed bowlers are even better coz no one likes facing them.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Daz39

[Cuzzie]

Agreed - but even on open battlefield, you are not looking for the left hook as much, and if a lefty slips a righty slash/hook then they are completely opened up to be gutted

[leftybassman392]

1 hour ago, Daz39 said:

Indeed: I think (unless I walked round Warwick Castle backwards) that stairwells were designed all to curve clockwise so that attackers moving up would foul their sword arms (right) on the central shaft, whereas defenders from above had the curve of the tower to work within. Therefore left-handed swordspeeps were handy to have about.

A short extract from the family scrapbook:

The legend of the left handed staircase

[stingrayPete1977]

All instruments in the string family are readily available left handed. 

[Dan Dare]

27 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

All instruments in the string family are readily available left handed. 

Not the violin family. The tops are carved and strutted differently inside. Although you can fit a bridge/strings left handed, you would really need to remove the top and swap the bass bar and soundpost for it to work properly.

[paul_c2]

5 hours ago, Grangur said:

 

 

There are no left handed brass or wood-wind instruments. 

Not true. While the trumpet, trombone, tuba and most brass instruments are right-handed, the French horn is left-handed (and also its not in the brass family).

[BassTractor]

28 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

and also its not in the brass family

Huh? I see a regular brass instrument mouthpiece, which in my world is defining.
Or are you saying it's a brass instrument that still isn't family? In case, I'm with you.

[stingrayPete1977]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

Not the violin family. The tops are carved and strutted differently inside. Although you can fit a bridge/strings left handed, you would really need to remove the top and swap the bass bar and soundpost for it to work properly.

You can buy them left handed, built as left handed not modified, violin cello and double bass all available to buy online today.