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Post by millar70 on Dec 29, 2019 23:50:12 GMT
millar70: on second thought, playing a guitar requires actively using both hands, so it's hard to say that you're really playing it "right-handed" vs. "left-handed". You made a good point about the more dominant hand playing the fretboard better. Even though my right hand is the more dominant, I didn't seem to have a problem with using my left hand on the fretboard. But switch it around, I don't know, somehow it would feel unnatural. But maybe if you gave me a left-hand guitar and let me take a crack at it, I might have a different opinion. Still, in my mind, I really believe that me strumming with the right hand, and working the fretboard with the left hand, feels the most natural. Truthfully, there are no left-handed or right-handed guitars, it's really just how it is strung. The guitar you see Cobain playing at that Unplugged show is a right-handed guitar that is strung left-handed. It might look awkward and upside down, and when there are knobs on the guitar it might be awkward to play upside down, but if the strings are normal, it doesn't really matter. It's always been a misconception that Jimi Hendrix played upside down guitar, that's not really true. Although Jimi was known to be able to play very effectively with the strings set up for a right-handed player, if you look closely at most pictures of his most famous performances, he is playing a right-handed guitar that is strung for a left-hander. I can doodle a little bit playing upside down, and I've impressed a few folks playing their right-handed guitars, but I can't really do all that much. And if I think about playing that way too much, it affects how I play in my normal style. |
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Post by ellynmacg on Dec 30, 2019 15:02:13 GMT
millar70 : I'm right-handed... tried picking at a guitar a few times in my life. Always did it right-handed. It was hard enough trying to do it right-handed, couldn't imagine in a million years trying to tackle it left-handed. That would just seem very awkward, clumsy and unnatural to me! Maybe Cobain just felt more comfortable playing left-handed, who knows? I'm pretty sure both Hendrix and McCartney are naturally left-handed, I'm positive McCartney is. You just gotta do whatever feels comfortable to you. I do most everything left-handed, but I do golf with a right-handed swing, same when I used to bat in baseball. I also kick more naturally with my right leg, not my left one. Evidently you guys are unaware that Paul McCartney (don't know about Hendrix) has had his basses--and presumably his guitars-- re-strung (i.e., in reverse order, top to bottom) so that they'll be in the same order as they would be for a right-handed person. My husband, who is a part-time musician, says "Any competent luthier (guitar tech) could take care of that problem easily." In other words--get yourselves a competent luthier. 
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Post by Nora on Dec 30, 2019 15:37:23 GMT
millar70: on second thought, playing a guitar requires actively using both hands, so it's hard to say that you're really playing it "right-handed" vs. "left-handed". You made a good point about the more dominant hand playing the fretboard better. Even though my right hand is the more dominant, I didn't seem to have a problem with using my left hand on the fretboard. But switch it around, I don't know, somehow it would feel unnatural. But maybe if you gave me a left-hand guitar and let me take a crack at it, I might have a different opinion. Still, in my mind, I really believe that me strumming with the right hand, and working the fretboard with the left hand, feels the most natural. I am a lefty and play all the instruments i can as a right handed person and honestly to this day I didn’t even think of doing it any other way. Like I didn’t realize that was an option. Like literally THIS very moment is my first time thinking wait... shouldn’t I be playing as a lefty, why don’t I? Why was this not even discussed, when I started learning to play various instruments.... Mom? I now question my left handedness  . Wait, no, tried opening a can of fruit or cutting my nails with scissors, and it was confirmed, i indeed am a hapless lefty. |
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Post by Honolulu on Dec 31, 2019 23:01:35 GMT
I'm not talking about online, but in my everyday real life. I haven't heard someone say something interesting in years. It's all just meaningless niceties and random inane comments. When's the last time you heard someone say something interesting? I think for the majority, being smart or thinking deep thoughts requires more mental effort that people are willing to give. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2019 23:08:21 GMT
millar70 : on second thought, playing a guitar requires actively using both hands, so it's hard to say that you're really playing it "right-handed" vs. "left-handed". You made a good point about the more dominant hand playing the fretboard better. Even though my right hand is the more dominant, I didn't seem to have a problem with using my left hand on the fretboard. But switch it around, I don't know, somehow it would feel unnatural. But maybe if you gave me a left-hand guitar and let me take a crack at it, I might have a different opinion. Still, in my mind, I really believe that me strumming with the right hand, and working the fretboard with the left hand, feels the most natural. I am a lefty and play all the instruments i can as a right handed person and honestly to this day I didn’t even think of doing it any other way. Like I didn’t realize that was an option. Like literally THIS very moment is my first time thinking wait... shouldn’t I be playing as a lefty, why don’t I? Why was this not even discussed, when I started learning to play various instruments.... Mom? I now question my left handedness . Wait, no, tried opening a can of fruit or cutting my nails with scissors, and it was confirmed, i indeed am a hapless lefty. Lol, unless it's something done in concert with my left hand, or requiring little to no dexterity, my right hand is mainly decorative.
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Post by Nora on Dec 31, 2019 23:11:16 GMT
I am a lefty and play all the instruments i can as a right handed person and honestly to this day I didn’t even think of doing it any other way. Like I didn’t realize that was an option. Like literally THIS very moment is my first time thinking wait... shouldn’t I be playing as a lefty, why don’t I? Why was this not even discussed, when I started learning to play various instruments.... Mom? I now question my left handedness . Wait, no, tried opening a can of fruit or cutting my nails with scissors, and it was confirmed, i indeed am a hapless lefty. Lol, unless it's something done in concert with my left hand, or requiring little to no dexterity, my right hand is mainly decorative. mine too, pretty much, I am just amazed that since everybody around me knew I was a lefty nobody ever even suggested the option to play a let handed guitar flute or violin... piano i get. sax, sure, but the rest? I got some new year conversation with mom waiting. who knows maybe i could have played better :-D better than just purely decorative music ;-). anyway, happy new year, Greg. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2019 23:28:53 GMT
Lol, unless it's something done in concert with my left hand, or requiring little to no dexterity, my right hand is mainly decorative. mine too, pretty much, I am just amazed that since everybody around me knew I was a lefty nobody ever even suggested the option to play a let handed guitar flute or violin... piano i get. sax, sure, but the rest? I got some new year conversation with mom waiting. who knows maybe i could have played better :-D better than just purely decorative music ;-). anyway, happy new year, Greg. Happy new year Nora!
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Post by millar70 on Jan 1, 2020 2:39:45 GMT
Lol, unless it's something done in concert with my left hand, or requiring little to no dexterity, my right hand is mainly decorative. mine too, pretty much, I am just amazed that since everybody around me knew I was a lefty nobody ever even suggested the option to play a let handed guitar flute or violin... piano i get. sax, sure, but the rest? I got some new year conversation with mom waiting. who knows maybe i could have played better :-D better than just purely decorative music ;-). anyway, happy new year, Greg. I know there are guitars made for left-handed people, but I'm not sure about flutes or violins. I would assume so, but don't know for sure. I know one thing, I've been looking for a left-handed banjo for a loooooooong time, but have never seen one. |
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. Wait, no, tried opening a can of fruit or cutting my nails with scissors, and it was confirmed, i indeed am a hapless lefty. 