Left or right handed?

[Chrism147]

Hi Guys,

I wondered if anyone out there would be able to help me please – possibly having been in a similar position maybe?

I've wanted to learn the bass for many many years but never really committed to it due to time restrictions. However now that the world has tilted slightly on its axis I have a little more time to commit to it.

There is a catch slight though – in my late teens I had a hand injury and lost a couple of finger ends to my left hand, I lost the end of my index and ring fingers and the dexterity on the middle finger is limited as I have a fused joint. So being right handed would it be better in the long run to learn to play left handed as I have all the digits required to manage chords, fret work, etc even though it doesn't quite feel natural to hold a plectrum in my left hand (I briefly played guitar right handed for about 6 month before my accident, but only really messed around at that point being 17 years old with other interests/distractions being around).

If anyone could guide me in the right direction I would appreciate it, before I go out and purchase a bass to start on my music journey. I think I know the answer to my question but was concerned that not being a natural feeling would learning left handed take much longer than if I persevered and tried to overcome my handicap which may in the long run hinder the level of play I could get too playing right handed. 

I look forward to any comments and feedback. Thanks in advance.

Cheers Chris
(now aged 47)

ps - Stay Safe!

[leftybassman392]

Playing lefthanded would seem to be your best option. There's a number of ways to pick the strings, but there's really only one way to fret them. The injury you've sustained to your left hand makes it unrealistic to use it to fret strings if I've understood the nature of the injuries correctly.

Over the years on these forums I've been a fairly vocal advocate of playing the way that comes naturally to you, but your circumstances appear to dictate otherwise. The good news is that being totally one-handed is rare; most people can do things with either hand at need even if they have a strong preference one way or the other, and the human brain is remarkably good at adapting to its situation.

Hope this helps.

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by leftybassman392

[Roger2611]

Hi Chris,

Welcome to Basschat, by the sound of things learning to play left handed (so your plectrum is in your left hand) sounds like it would allow you to progress further with the ability to cover more notes on the fret board with your right hand (I am assuming you have identified you can hold a plectrum in your left hand?)

As for training your brain to play opposite handed to what feels natural, I guess Ronnie O'Sullivan is the perfect example that switching hands and playing at the highest level is perfectly possible? To me the thought of swapping over and learning left handed sounds impossible but that is because I had the option of learning to play whichever way my brain favoured in the first place but as @leftybassman392 has put above, the brain is very capable of adapting.

Rog

Edited May 10, 2020 by Roger2611
mashing keyboard rather than typing!

[chris_b]

Switching around to playing left handed is a good idea. Didn't Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath have a similar injury to the finger tops of his left hand? His answer was to switch to playing left handed. You'll be in for some extra work but you could do this.

[Chrism147]

Thanks guys! really appreciate all your feedback... now to find a suitable left handed bass guitar to start my journey on (any advice on purchasing also appreciated - acoustic / electric)!!! Watch this space for progress, glad I found this website/forum to absorb many years of knowledge from you kind folks!!! 😎

ps – Roger2611 I can relate to the Ronnie analogy as snooker is the only hobby I'm any good (this was the main distraction when I was 17) - and I'm now lucky enough to have a full size table of my own and have mustered up a 30+ break left handed... 95 right handed mind  so if I apply myself I'm sure I can get to where I want to be playing left handed. Who know I could be the next Paul McCartney - I've got the hair since lockdown!

Chris

[paddy109]

Chris - go for it and like you said you have the time to practice. Don’t forget most of us probably found holding a new instrument slightly alien to start with. I would imagine you have had to learn to adapt anyway since your teens.

I am a lefty but play right handed by some strange quirk as it feels more comfortable.

Best of luck and get the basics right when you start.

Paddy.

[Skybone]

30 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Switching around to playing left handed is a good idea. Didn't Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath have a similar injury to the finger tops of his left hand? His answer was to switch to playing left handed. You'll be in for some extra work but you could do this.

Tony Iommi is a leftie anyway, and it's the fingers of his fretting hand that were damaged (ironically, on his last day at the factory). He made some plastic "thimbles" for his fingertips.

[Lozz196]

As mentioned Tony Iommi managed to adapt after an accident, additionally Django Reinhardt I believe had missing fingers, didn’t stop either of them. If you can learn left handed it would be the practical option, but you don’t have to discount right handed.

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Chris.

It looks as if you have thought about this quite a bit.

I'd say go for the left handed approach.  If right handed players like myself can get the fingers of their left hands to dance among the frets... you might actually find it easier to do chord work with your right hand and then all's you got to do is train your left hand to pluck or pick.

I hold a belief that most musicians are bi-dextrous or become that way of necessity.