Absolutely. I'm right handed, teaching my left-handed daughter and left-handed grandson to play left-handed. I was ambidextrous in first grade but taught to do everything right-hand! I applaud anyone with lefties. :)
I’m a lefty guitarist too. I remember trying to play right handed when I was in year 8 in high school in the band - it was so uncomfortable that it hurt! Lucky enough to own some nice guitars too. Great informative video Alyssa, rock on!
Hi Alyssa great video. I am a lefty in every way possible. I have been playing lefty guitar for over 40 years now and believe me finding a lefty guitar way back then was really tough. My first guitar(which I still own and play regularly) was one of two lefty’s in a sea of right handed guitars. One of the things that really irked me way back when about guitar teachers was that they would say that I should be playing right handed because my “left handedness” will only limit my guitar playing. Phooey on that. That sort of thinking just made me more determined to play the way i was meant to play. Left handed. I am so glad that i stuck to my guns and embraced my left handed dexterity and am proud to play that way. As you said we are a small community and it’s great to see someone else playing left handed. Yes there are more left handed guitars available now than ever before but even if I go to a guitar store they will either have the cheapest model and or the most expensive model in the store. There is almost never a decent middle of the road guitar in a left hand configuration. The internet does have some better choices though. I will end my little rant with a saying that I heard a long time ago. “We are all born right handed but only a gifted few can overcome that adversity “. Rock on.
One aspect sometimes overlooked, is that righties tend to be more right hand dominant, than lefties are left hand dominant. I'm a lefty, and VERY left hand dominant. The only things I've trained myself to do right handed, is cut with scissors, and use a computer mouse. There is just no way, I could ever develop the dexterity in my right hand, for finger picking or strumming, so I buy left handed guitars and play left handed.
An another lefti guitar student here , while watching this video I can able to relate much things which I am facing while practicing Guitar.... Despite all obstacles being a lefti guitar is something cool😅
Fellow lefty here! Selection and quality have improved over the years. It was difficult to find decent affordable lefty guitars in the past, so a flipped righty was all we could work with. Learned to mod out of necessity but it was fun!
I’m about to buy my first guitar to start learning. I’ve never felt more stressed about buying something specifically for a lefty lol Thank you for the help!
Hello Allysia. This is a great post. It only took me 2 years to see it. I'm left handed. When I was 12 years old my parents sent me to guitar lessons. I started on a right handed guitar but after maybe a month or so, I told the teacher it didn't feel right. So he switched the strings around and that made all difference. Not only could I not play the notes easily but I could not strum with my right hand. Some people think that using one's left hand would be easy form chords but that's not the case. As far as reading chord diagrams, no problem I quickly learned how to mentally reverse them. When a video or book says use your left hand to form a chord, I just use my right hand. No big deal. Of course, notation is no issue. I never purchased a right handed guitar and had it changed to a lefty. I was either lucky to find a left-handed model in the store or I special ordered them. Taylor and Martin make left handed versions of almost all of their guitars. Gibson makes some of their models left-handed as well. I would say for me at least, I had no choice, it was play left handed or don't play guitar. BTW, I like your Jimi Hendrix shirt. I'm a big fan of his music.
I'm lefty just now learning how to play the guitar left handed style at the age of 38. I'm having a lot of challenge but your conversation really bring me a relief. thank you!
I’m a left handed guitar player.. like you.. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone because it sure feels like it sometimes..I play lefty because I tried righty an it just wasn’t working at all so even though it is a real pain to find left handed resources an you better bring your own guitar if you plan on playing it was well worth it!
I had some guitar lessons as a kid and was taught right handed because "it's easier". I got along fine with it, but I always felt like I'd be more comfortable playing left handed. I stopped playing for years and then decided to buy a left handed guitar. Obviously it felt strange at first, but now I feel like I'm a much better player than I could have been when I played right handed.
Same brother. Grew up playing right handed. My teacher thought I was insufferable. I gave up . Now I’m thinking of learning again. Should I get a left handed guitar or a right handed one? I have learned right handed guitar all my life, not that I’m even semi professional . But once I tried a friend’s left handed guitar and it felt a bit weird. Which type of guitar would you recommend? Thanks
Hi! Yes Lefty here and I got the same experiences you are telling girl. I started playing in "82 and there where so little left handed guitars back then. That my teacher flipped a right handed guitar so I could play left. Now a days there are a lot more lefty guitar available! 😁 Love your channel...keep up the good work!
I’m researching beginner guitars and wasn’t surprised that a lefty with the exact same specs was higher. I thought playing cello my whole life would help, it’s quite uncomfortable playing right handed guitar for me. Thank you for the info… very helpful!
Hi … i’ve played guitar all my life right handed until a couple years ago when I was forced to stop Due to an overuse injury of my left hand. So one year ago I started training to play left-handed and luckily it feels much the same and the upside is that I can correct the wrong stuff that I was doing right handed.
i agree with you completely. i played a righthanded upside down for the first year, of course, that was back in the 1980's. and although i have no injury, or impediment to holding a guitar in the right handed manor. i cannot do it. i can now play a right handed guitar upside down, with 3-5 minutes practice. i'm no eddie van halen. but i'm no eddie with a lefty either. love the video. lefties unite!
I tried right handed guitar at school but found it difficult. In my fifties I bought a left handed tele and have never looked back, Worth noting that some guitar apps cater for lefties - Chordify, Yousician, etc.
I started playing left, and switched to right because all the guitars were right. This was in 1990. I sucked for decades, and recently decided in midlife to switch back to left. Already after two months, I can play everything I did right-handed, but better because my left-hand is much steadier and tighter at rhythm, and I can do double-picked thrash riffs without any fatigue! I'm not a collector, so I would rather get a good cheap leftie guitar that I can mod the way I want with high-end pickups, etc., so I couldn't care less about the selection available to right handers anyway.
I started playing the guitar 3 years ago, with a right-hand guitar as that's the only available option in my city, but I always find the position uncomfortable. I haven't played for a while now, so I think it may be a good time for me to switch 'back' to left-handed guitar. Thanks very for the video! It encourages me to get a left-handed guitar, which many videos or articles (usually written by right-handed people) do not recommend.
I’m a lefty and I’m learning the guitar. When I play fps games on desktop, I have to use my left hand. When I draw, I use my left hand. I also bowl with my left hand. I was looking for a video like this to get advice from 🙏 thank you.
Left in Arizona. I try an Right- Hand acoustic and buy it was uncomfortable and my nerves went numb. Now about 15 years later wanting to pick it up again want to try left-hand and yes I play air guitar left handed. Many Blessings and namaste.
Im left handed and ended up switching to a right handed guitar early into learning it since my high school class didnt have enough left handed guitars for all the left handed people in class. Wasn’t too hard, just had to get used to switching what you do with what hand.
So right about the time you made this video. I was hit by a train. On August 26, 2020 in Lake Worth Florida near the Lake Worth station. Became the first survivor to not be dismembered, killed, or brain dead on impact. By miracle my pinky took the most damage. I was awake and lucid through the hit. I remember holding the hand the train hit directly hard onto the train after impact because my brain thought in seconds don't let yourself be sucked under the train. Then it broke my back, ribs, shoulder blades, punctured a lung once it came to a stop and sent me flying onto a pile of rocks and broken beer bottles and glass. To which I was completely covered. I survived all that and post surgery they warned me my pinky may have a 50/50 chance of having full function. Or it's a dead finger due to the nerve cells. My pinky never moved again and yet I tried to play guitar being a guitarist of 10 years since I was a kid. Now I turned to lefty guitaring because I can still strum with my left hand just can't finger with it. Due to my pinky causing my other fingers to stiffen up. Plus I could only do so much with 3 fingers. Now as a lefty guitarist I come to realize it's far easier to play than right hand guitar even as a ambidextrous person who's more right handed dominant. Lefty came easier because my right hand not only is completely unharmed but also because the strumming it did when I was a right handed guitarist made it easier to learn fingering and yes I also have been doing the mirroring. Great to see others do it the same way.
I am left handed, and have been playing everyday for 36 years. Buying guitars can be a pain, yes. But heres what ive done to lessen that pain. #1 Learn to setup your guitars. Learn it properly too. That way you have a more intimate knowledge of the instrument and what you like and dont like in a guitar. Of course the obvious bonus is that your guitars will play the way YOU want them to play. #2 Learn to shop with specs. Understand things like nut width and neck profiles. Eventually this will make guitar buying easier since most stores can order in the guitar but wont stock it. #3 Find a brand you like and dont be afraid to stick to it. Yes variety is the spice of life, but us southpaws sometimes have to make compromises. Youre gonna have to learn to like black guitars lol. #4 Youre likely going to have to special order guitars in the future (if you want 'nice' higher end guitars for sure) so order them through reputable smaller stores. Not big online conglomerates. The smaller stores will likely go the extra mile on special orders- you wont see that guitar until theyve gone over it completely and made it as best as it can be. My local mom n pop music store does this and every single one ive ordered through them has hit my hands in flawless condition For me, I personally like Schecter guitars. Why, because they have a great lefthanded range. I also have learned their specs inside and out: I can order one without ever picking it up because I know what a '20-22 mm thin C' neck feels like. I know that im more comfortable with a 42 mm nut width vs 43, or more. I know that an ash body will weigh less than a limba body. etc. etc. This doesnt mean i only order schecters though. I can use the same principles now to buy any brand really. Yes, there are times you will have to take a bit of a leap of faith but you wont be completely in the dark. I recently bought a Wolfgang Special, having never picked one up, but because i understood the specs and educated myself on how to set it up, i knew i wouldnt be disappointed, and I wasnt. The only tricky part was the assymetrical neck- id never played one so i wasnt completely sure. but because i know what i like and understood the differences, taking that leap wasnt as stressful. Anyways its made my life easier, maybe it can do the same for someone else.
Thanks. Some great advice here. I’m a lefty who has been playing right-handed for over 40 years. My instructor when I was starting out told me not to even think about playing left-handed, because back then all lefty guitars had to be custom ordered. In my mind, my left hand on the neck is doing way more work anyway, so if you are OK strumming and picking with your right hand, playing right-handed is always going to be the overall better choice.
A good way of deciding if a person should play left or right-handed guitar is to check which way they naturally play Air Guitar - especially if they are asked to try to play Air Guitar the wrong way round (for them) and they are uncoordinated and it feels awkward. There are a lot of myths about guitar playing orientation, with some people (not you Phil) presenting less than true statements as fact. The main thing to realise is that everyone is different, so what works for one person may not work for another person. Some people are completely ambidextrous and can do pretty much anything with either their left or right limbs. Other people are completely “one-sided”, and can only perform tasks to a competent level with either their left hand/leg or their right arm/leg. A third set of people are cross-dominant, and perform some tasks with their left side and other tasks with their right side (which tasks are performed best by which side will differ from person to person). When we say that a person is left or right-handed, we usually refer to the hand they write with but that is misleading as they may write with a certain hand but perform other tasks with the other hand. That is why when someone says everyone should play guitar right-handed because either they, or a famous player, play guitar right-handed but they are left-handed (meaning they write with their left hand) is based on a misunderstanding. Some people will naturally write with their left hand but their natural orientation for playing guitar is to play right-handed. Another irrelevant comment made is that there are no left-handed Pianos or Saxophones (or whatever). Those are all completely different instruments to the guitar, and the hands operate in a different way to guitar playing. Interestingly there are left-handed Cellos and Violins (Charlie Chaplin played violin left-handed), and Thomann in Europe sell some left-handed classical stringed instruments. Then there is the old “learn to play right-handed as your dominant hand will be fretting” chestnut. If this were a factor then most right-handed players should learn to play left-handed. In reality the picking hand performs highly complex tasks the more you progress with guitar, and the coordination between left and right hand is very important and made more difficult if a person is forced to learn guitar the wrong way round (for them). The next reason people give for saying everyone should learn to play right-handed is that you will struggle to buy a left-handed guitar. While it is true that there are more right than left-handed guitars in the world, the situation for getting left-handed guitars at every price point is much better than it has ever been. Even if you do not live near a music shop you can order online, and return the guitar if you try it and it is not right for you (always best to play a guitar before deciding whether or not to keep it). The guitar is a great instrument and is so adaptable being easily manufactured in both left and right-handed versions, and there are no problems in stage positioning when left and right-handed guitar and bass players feature in the same performance. Please remember that a minority of people will only reach their full potential as guitar players (and indeed will only keep playing) if they learn and play using their dominant orientation for guitar playing. Finally, what way round do I play guitar? I can play both left-handed and right-handed, and have put in the hours practicing and developing muscle memory on the instrument in both orientations. However, I am a better player performing left-handed as that is my dominant orientation for playing the guitar.
Chrissy, if you naturally “strum” / fingerpick with your left hand and form chords / play the fretboard with your right hand when playing air guitar then you are probably a left-handed guitar player. When you clap (applause) is your left hand on top and the right hand on the bottom, or is your right hand on top with your left hand on the bottom?
Hey ,as being lefty and a beginner I decided to return my new guitar after 2nd day of practicing . After watching your video I am now relaxed about my diccison dear😍. Thank you do much for your video. Lots of love from India💖💕🤍
I'm left handed and I play right-handed but I'm thinking of switching to lefthanded because I play fast Irish music and I feel my left hand is better rhythmically and faster for strumming. I'm gonna have to get used to fretting with the right hand and that's going to be a big challenge.
Thank you so much for this video! I started learning right handed and just couldn’t feel it. Just felt my left playing would be stronger (even with a broken right ring finger.) You have definitely cleared some things up for me! I’m def gonna play left!!
if you're left-handed play lefty. If your dominant hand were made for fretting, guitars would be built the other way around. But they're not. And there is a reason for that. Dont fight it
Fifteen years now as a Leftie. I accepted the bad advice to originally start guitar right handed. After four months of beginner lessons, I decided to try a left handed guitar. It only required ONE WEEK to catch up. I believe that one has to pick the guitar orientation based on which hand one would use for delicate work (such as artwork). If you would do art with your left hand, that is your orientation. Why? The art of guitar is mostly in the picking/fingering hand. While left handed play requires a few more steps/compromises/limits, it can be done with great success.
I'm lefty, I don't have any kind of experience playing the guitar. So i came here in order to get some tips and choose what type of guitar should I choose. I felt the same ache while I was trying to write with my non-dominant hand, but days later I was better and I can use both of my hands. After all i guess i'm going to use a right-handed, it will be confortable I just need to give it some time as I did before.
Southpaw here. I am 50 now and 30 years ago, there were NO lefty guitars in the stores. I am seeing so many manufacturers making leftys now...even if they seem to only paint them black, white and the occasional red. I learned by stringing a right-handed guitar to play southpaw. However, you nailed it! After a while, the mental conversions happen without much thought....
Thank you for sharing your experience with this video! Been playing for a decade in right-handed way. Always had difficulties in strumming but I always thought it's because I don't practice enough, but also playing always feels awful. Your story on why you choose to play left-handed way really strucks me! I will give playing according to my dominant hand a try soon! I hope I can enjoy playing this instrument again. Thanks for the video!
It's nice to see a video where someone is mentioning specific health or hand issues that make it the best option. I chose lefty because it felt right but my left hand's pinky and ring fingers have never operated as independently as my right. Because of that I didn't even know I was left handed until I struggled to learn to write (and play a child's size banjo). Meanwhile I know a lot of righties who swear by guitar preference who are generally better collectors than players...so options arent everything 😂.
I was taught on a right handed guitar but I hold it in the left handed position. I didn’t change the strings. What was challenging was strumming, I had to mentally change my thinking. If they said “Down”, I would strum from the thickest string up. Difficult but got the hang of it.
Being a 61 yrs. old beginner my opinion is if you can afford it, get a left handed guitar whether it be electric or acoustic. The nut, some pickups like a Railhammer humbucker, the bridge has to be positioned for left handers, it isn't as simple as just flipping the strings around on a right handed guitar. The only downsides as mentioned is the selection and higher price. Good informative video.
Just bought a left handed electric guitar and looking so forward to it arriving. I can highly recommend the "Artist AS1 Black Left-Handed Electric Guitar". I bought it in Australia with free postage and an amp for less than $300 NEW!
@@allanedwards1067 Looks like you scored a pretty good deal, I'm glad that you got what you really wanted and are playing how you want to play. Now just go have fun and enjoy this new learning experience.
I learned right-handed guitar 10 years ago. I didn't think I had an option. Something was always off. Not just how I sounded but it gave me headache on top of the difficulty to pluck and strum. I bought a classic 8, restringed so I could play it left-handedly. My memory muscles developed faster, it felt way more natural with everything. 🎉
I’m 15 deciding to try a guitar for the first time being a lefty. I’ve been a piano player for about four years and it’s gone pretty well. I would like to try it first right handed and depending on how I feel I might switch to lefty.
I just bought my leftie daughter to take lessons, a left handed guitar, she made me exchange it for a rh guitar. Found it more intuitive for fingering on the fret to be with her left hand
My 9 year old grandson is a lefty, he just started learning on a ukulele, we got the strings reverse, since it's difficult to get a left handed one in India
I'm a left handed person who wants to start learning how to play the classical guitar but unfortunately, I can't find a good beginner lefty guitar with a tight budget of money. Hopefully I will be able to find one soon to start a new and interesting journey :)
Thanks for this video ! I'm a left-hand ukulele player, despite the fact that I'm more righty than lefty (yes, lol). I have always had a problem of lateralization, and unfortunately, when I picked up a ukulele for the first time I just couldn't figure out how I would ever been able to play it right handed. My brain just totally blocked. But when I turned it left, it felt so easy and natural, so I decided to go that way. Advantage : it was way easier to learn from videos due to the mirroring effect, as you mentioned it ! Concerning the chord charts, I never felt is was problematic : it's just a habit to take to mentally transpose them in the good position. Now concerning the instruments, due to the fact that most of them are not adapted for left hand playing (nut-slots size and compensated saddles), I had to learn how to adapt my ukuleles myself : I bought some tools (nut files, bone blanks, action gauge, etc.) and I'm proud to say that I have become quite skillful at it ! I have set-up ALL my ukes myself, to my personal liking. But knowing I'll have to do it every time, I always choose instruments that have a perfectly symetrical built (symetrical inside bracing, no cutaway or side soundhole, and a horizontal saddle), so I can invert the strings with no problems. I'm tempted to give the guitar a try, and since some time I have started investigating for a parlor guitar. I will most probably check right handed instruments that are adaptable (= symetrical) and set them up myself. Too sum it up, for me the most important thing was having fun with my instruments, and feel comfortable with them. Not go against my grain and torture myself because other people think their way is best. 😊
Hey Bernardine, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to hear about your ukulele journey so far. You’re absolutely right, this same thing can be done only on guitars that are symmetrically braced. Some minor modifications will need to be made, but it is possible! I wish you all the best as you look to begin your guitar journey as well!
@@AllysiaRazonMusic Thanks for your reply Allysia ! I loved your video and I was glad to see that some other people follow their own way and can manage despite diktats. Best wishes ! 🙂🍀🌸
I am right handed and play left handed too! It just always worked better for me. I haven’t switched my ukuleles over yet, but thinking about it, because learning chords is a bit difficult.
I learned for a year on a right handed guitar. I never gave up. on my birthday my dad got me a left handed. I could play better in one week. fast forward 15 years. i realized that when i fractured my ring finger on left hand, when was a child, i lost mobility. and it all made sense
I am a left handed.As a beginner i try to use right handed guitar but after how many months there is no progress.After a few years decide to play back and learn again use left handed guitar and i feel very comportable.now going to 2 months.hope i will success this challenge.
Hi there….totally enjoy this talk about lefties but I’m about to buy my first guitar 🎸 who is ambidextrous….but not sure if to go left or right 🤦🏻♀️ This video was very helpful hopefully I decide which way to go soon or just buy both🤷🏻♀️
yooo .... i am lefty and i want comfort not just to show off someone, I'll do my best to be the best left handed guitarist 🎸 you make me more powerful and made my day to choose a left hand guitar proudly, i am going to order Donner DAG-1CL41 full size as a beginner ☺️❤️
Rhythm for me was the biggest issue -- I can fret with either hand, however the strumming came more natural and sounded more musical using my left hand. Also being a left-handed guitar player comes with two additional perks, less chances of others just grabbing your guitar(s) to play on them. The other when you do find a rare guitar you know it's even more rare since it is left-handed. ps. There are a lot of great budget friendly left-handed options these days (not just for beginners), Looking at Thomann's house brand for instance, CNC manufacturing really levelled the playing field by quite a bit.
I am left handed guitarist for 40 years! I go to some places like Sam Ash, the Guitar Center, Rudy's, and others have left handed guitars. I am right handed, but play the guitar Left! I tried playing the guitar right handed, but it is very frustrating playing, I was around 6 years old. I could not play it right or have coordination playing it. My brothers have no problem playing the guitar right handed. It was very very annoying and frustrating that I did not pick up the guitar. When I was a teenager, I was looking at my brother's guitar and decided to play it left. I felt the comfort already. So my mother's ex-boyfriend give me his guitar and had it set up left handed. I took lessons and everything feel in place. I started to fly. So I have been playing for 40 years now.
I’ve noticed if you ask a lefty to play ‘air guitar’ they usually play naturally left handed. I think you should start out with the most chance of being able to succeed. I picked up the guitar very quickly with a lefty guitar, but I doubt I would have playing righty. In a way it’s an advantage to be a lefty, because watching right handed guitarists feels like watching in the mirror.
Great video!!i am left handed. I have run the gamet on Left handed misery..lol from geting warped guitars because the music store has collecting dust on wall. Or the guitar teacher that doesnt realize you are seeing chords BACKWARDS..i am a proud lefty i boxed left handed and could not imagine playing right handed.
One of the easiest way for a right handed guitarist to feel how a lefty feel is buying a guitar with reverse headstock. Tuning theguitar is reversed. Buying a replacement tuner also need to be done carefully. Because I need to make sure the store has the lefty version of the same tuner. Even worse when if the tuner isnt available and I have to put special order. I have to explain to the store I want to buy lefty version because my right handed guitar has reverse headstock.
Hi fellow left-hander just discovered you on utube, well what can I say, as a younger brother, my older brother got a guitar, in the 50s Rock around the clock days, so me being left handed, I had no options I could not put it down till I had mastered 5 cords,, so I made more progress than my big brother, alas, I play left-handed with strings the wrong way round, but, did not progress to far. But it was a stepping stone to the many other instruments I enjoy, including, Violin (upside-down) and Mandolin (upside-down), yes and 5 string Banjo, yes (upside-down). But Keyboards are no problem. Music is about fun and exploration, just in the process of learning a beautiful Persian tune (I Promise You) its to late for me to change. Thanks for you post.
I found this video when searching up playing guitars left-handed. Your experience sound much like my experience when learning how to shoot a pistol left-handed, although I get the joke "you're shooting wrong handed" or "your mom is a witch". I am still trying to figure if I should play the guitar left or right-handed. My body naturally prefers to hold the guitar on my left side and it is more comfortable fretting with the right hand. The only problem is strumming with my left hand. My left hand gets more fatigued than my right when strumming. I would imagine that less of a problem as you build more muscle with experience.
Lefty here! Want to start playing guitar and trying to figure out if I should just force myself to learn right-handed. However, watching your video, I've decided to stick with playing left-handed. You're right. The feeling of playing the guitar the way that feels better for you, is better than the other way around. Thanks for the advice!
Thank you for this! Fellow lefty here, but I've been wanting to save up money to potentially buy and learn to play 5-string bass, at some point in my future. This video just gave me enough confidence to try and see where my ambition is going to take me from "only alot of thought" to something more tangible! 😁
i'm a lefty and been using my dad's guitar (he's right handed) for i think 6 years now hehehe he thought me how to play (the g, em, c and the others) the first time, it's half easy and also not if you have bad memorization and doesn't practice often goodluck to the others who is also a lefty and want to learn guitar. (it's your choice whether you buy a left hand guitar as i'm also here to decide whether i need to buy or not wwww)
I'm a lefty guitar player myself even though my dom hand Is my right hand lol. I've been using Justin guitar's "nitsuj" playlist to teach myself and practice
i am also Left-Handed guitar player and yes walking into a guitar shop / Guitar Center Sam Ash ill find maybe 2-3 Left-Handed guitars. There out there ( Left-Handed Guitars)
I’m lefty and selection is limited but I have several including a Martin guitar. I’ve learned to read the music backwards. Once you get use to it I don’t think I could go back. Also an electric guitar can usually be switched to a left handed setup so go that route if you can’t find a left handed guitar
I am 60/40 lefthanded, so I am a bit confilcted as whether to play lefthanded, but since I do a little bit more things lefty , I feel it's the way to go. But I want to learn to play both ways if it's possible.
I write with my right hand so I am technically right handed, but I play guitar left handed because that is the only way that is comfortable. I can learn intuitively by seeing those right handed people play right handed. I do not rely on chord shapes, tab or sheet music, I rely on seeing where the guitarist's hand is and hearing the notes that they play.
I'm 67 years old then playing since I was 8. I'm left-handed and I play left-handed. I just started building mine when I was 16 years old. Been building them ever since
Hey there. You could / should try playing a RH guitar upside-down (like I do). There are a lot of us out there playing the guitar this way which I demo in this vid... ua-cam.com/video/f-hiL_bJ_bs/v-deo.html . Cheers.👍
I just bought a right handed guitar as a left handed player. It's my first guitar... I have the odd feeling that I might want to change later. I guess I'll see how I go for a few months and make a decision later. It's such a hard decision at first when you're not really familiar with the instrument, and how to play and things like that. 😅
I'm a Lefty and I'm teaching myself Bass through UA-cam videos. I've found a nice Left Handed Edgewood Classic IV at my local Pawn Shop for a nice price. I'm off and running! 👍🏾
Hi and hello its lovely to hear from you I'm a left handed classical guitar player it is very in portent to have left handed guitar because of the harmonic on the classical, not so much on a acoustic guitar, please keep on with your teaching and the very very best wishes from bernie 🎶🎶🎶🙏🙏🌹🌹🎶🎶🙏
Lefty here who shreds right hand. You did the it right way my friend. It never ever feels 100% comfortable playing righty as a lefty. We're talking guitar solos, fast playing etc. If I stop playing for a week my right/pick hand deteriorates noticeably. I have to play every day and not miss more than 1 or 2 days to keep the chops.
I would argue it should be based on what feels right instead of hand dominance. Some people feel more comfortable fretting with their normally dominant hand, some people feel more comfortable strumming with their dominant hand. For others, it doesn't matter and they should play right handed. I'm right hand dominant and I play left handed because I need to fret with my dominant right hand. I can't fret with my left hand and strumming feels awkward with my right hand. I have a better understanding of the lefty struggle living in a right handed world, even though I suffer a fraction of that struggle. It's a bummer eyeballing that sweet guitar or bass, knowing it doesn't come left handed. The jokes are DEFINITELY tired and old. Regardless of how hard I try, it's like pulling teeth to get righty players to understand why I can't "Just play right handed". Even so, I wouldn't play any other way, because.... I can't!
Exactly, that’s a great point! Even some right hand dominant people like yourself decide to play lefty for the same reason I did- doing what feels right/most comfortable. In the end, I think what matters most is that we can enjoy playing our instrument, and sound good in the process! Thanks for your comment and I wish you all the best in your musical endeavors!
Hi Alyssia. Good to see that there are a lot of left handed guitarist and I am not alone. I am trying to start my guitar journey as a left handed but went to a store and found there are no left handed guitars and was stunned. My question is that whether I should get a right handed guitar and play it left Handedly or should i get a left handed guitar. Which would be a greater choice for my journey. Looking forward to your reply.
Mate, save yourself the pain and frustration that I went through as a lefty who plays and shreds on a righty guitar and get yourself a left hand guitar. Once you get past chords and strumming any further progress is determined or stymied by your picking hand.
I'm a leftie and I play as a rightie but I don't have the rhythm in my right hand for strumming that I do in my left so thinking of changing to a left handed guitar.
As a left handed guitar player myself when I watch a right handed person play , I think of it as looking in the mirror because when i look in the mirror playing my guitar i look right handed , So i say don't worry about it just play away , As far as learning to play right handed being left handed ? I say go for it , There are switch hitters in baseball so why not switch guitar players . I think it's awesome !!!
One time i recall i found a lefty model ( A Les Paul) people in the store were looking at me funny another time i asked a Guitar Center employee if they had any he replied no you get no love ( referring to me of course)
I used to play live in bars as a left handed player. The big advantage I found was that the drunken member of the crowd never wanted to play your guitar in the break. So I would look on as the right handed guitar player in the band had his guitar manhandled. Never a problem for me. 😁
Hey Allysia, just recently, at 75, I decided it was time to take up the guitar, so off I went to the local guitar shop, and bought a basic Squier Strat complete with Frontman brand new! Got it home and proceeded to try it out. Then I hit a problem, I couldn't apply my left thumb without pain, and the whole hand seemed too weak to hold a good shape, so now I'm considering buying (or exchanging the guitar I have already bought) a left handed one to see if that could be the answer? I enjoyed playing this video very much and be thankful if you or any of your followers could help with advice? 🎸
I’m 81 and play lefty, don’t let right handed players trying to talk you into playing right handed. Be who you are.
You are right grand pa 🔥😎👍
Absolutely. I'm right handed, teaching my left-handed daughter and left-handed grandson to play left-handed. I was ambidextrous in first grade but taught to do everything right-hand! I applaud anyone with lefties. :)
Thank you, I keep playing right handed but it always feels so wrong
You know it's genuine when grandpa says it!😎
I’m a lefty guitarist too. I remember trying to play right handed when I was in year 8 in high school in the band - it was so uncomfortable that it hurt! Lucky enough to own some nice guitars too. Great informative video Alyssa, rock on!
Hi Alyssa great video. I am a lefty in every way possible. I have been playing lefty guitar for over 40 years now and believe me finding a lefty guitar way back then was really tough. My first guitar(which I still own and play regularly) was one of two lefty’s in a sea of right handed guitars. One of the things that really irked me way back when about guitar teachers was that they would say that I should be playing right handed because my “left handedness” will only limit my guitar playing. Phooey on that. That sort of thinking just made me more determined to play the way i was meant to play. Left handed. I am so glad that i stuck to my guns and embraced my left handed dexterity and am proud to play that way. As you said we are a small community and it’s great to see someone else playing left handed. Yes there are more left handed guitars available now than ever before but even if I go to a guitar store they will either have the cheapest model and or the most expensive model in the store. There is almost never a decent middle of the road guitar in a left hand configuration. The internet does have some better choices though. I will end my little rant with a saying that I heard a long time ago. “We are all born right handed but only a gifted few can overcome that adversity “. Rock on.
those teachers were definitely wrong because Jimi Hendrix ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS in my opinion the BEST guitarist is left handed
One aspect sometimes overlooked, is that righties tend to be more right hand dominant, than lefties are left hand dominant. I'm a lefty, and VERY left hand dominant. The only things I've trained myself to do right handed, is cut with scissors, and use a computer mouse. There is just no way, I could ever develop the dexterity in my right hand, for finger picking or strumming, so I buy left handed guitars and play left handed.
An another lefti guitar student here , while watching this video I can able to relate much things which I am facing while practicing Guitar.... Despite all obstacles being a lefti guitar is something cool😅
Fellow lefty here! Selection and quality have improved over the years. It was difficult to find decent affordable lefty guitars in the past, so a flipped righty was all we could work with. Learned to mod out of necessity but it was fun!
I’m about to buy my first guitar to start learning. I’ve never felt more stressed about buying something specifically for a lefty lol
Thank you for the help!
i wasnt sure to buy a left handed guitar before this as i was scared that it may go to waste but now i am confident . Thnx
Hello Allysia. This is a great post. It only took me 2 years to see it. I'm left handed. When I was 12 years old my parents sent me to guitar lessons. I started on a right handed guitar but after maybe a month or so, I told the teacher it didn't feel right. So he switched the strings around and that made all difference. Not only could I not play the notes easily but I could not strum with my right hand. Some people think that using one's left hand would be easy form chords but that's not the case. As far as reading chord diagrams, no problem I quickly learned how to mentally reverse them. When a video or book says use your left hand to form a chord, I just use my right hand. No big deal. Of course, notation is no issue. I never purchased a right handed guitar and had it changed to a lefty. I was either lucky to find a left-handed model in the store or I special ordered them. Taylor and Martin make left handed versions of almost all of their guitars. Gibson makes some of their models left-handed as well. I would say for me at least, I had no choice, it was play left handed or don't play guitar. BTW, I like your Jimi Hendrix shirt. I'm a big fan of his music.
I'm lefty just now learning how to play the guitar left handed style at the age of 38. I'm having a lot of challenge but your conversation really bring me a relief. thank you!
Hey a lefty guitarist here! Actually you are right for the mirroring part, it makes learning easier despite all the other challenges faced.
I was wondering about that! Thanks!
Hi I’m a lefty. Don’t own a guitar yet, but this is still helpful when I do get one.
I’m a left handed guitar player.. like you.. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone because it sure feels like it sometimes..I play lefty because I tried righty an it just wasn’t working at all so even though it is a real pain to find left handed resources an you better bring your own guitar if you plan on playing it was well worth it!
I had some guitar lessons as a kid and was taught right handed because "it's easier". I got along fine with it, but I always felt like I'd be more comfortable playing left handed. I stopped playing for years and then decided to buy a left handed guitar. Obviously it felt strange at first, but now I feel like I'm a much better player than I could have been when I played right handed.
Same brother. Grew up playing right handed. My teacher thought I was insufferable. I gave up . Now I’m thinking of learning again. Should I get a left handed guitar or a right handed one? I have learned right handed guitar all my life, not that I’m even semi professional . But once I tried a friend’s left handed guitar and it felt a bit weird. Which type of guitar would you recommend? Thanks
Hi! Yes Lefty here and I got the same experiences you are telling girl. I started playing in "82 and there where so little left handed guitars back then. That my teacher flipped a right handed guitar so I could play left. Now a days there are a lot more lefty guitar available! 😁 Love your channel...keep up the good work!
I’m researching beginner guitars and wasn’t surprised that a lefty with the exact same specs was higher. I thought playing cello my whole life would help, it’s quite uncomfortable playing right handed guitar for me. Thank you for the info… very helpful!
Hi … i’ve played guitar all my life right handed until a couple years ago when I was forced to stop Due to an overuse injury of my left hand. So one year ago I started training to play left-handed and luckily it feels much the same and the upside is that I can correct the wrong stuff that I was doing right handed.
i agree with you completely. i played a righthanded upside down for the first year,
of course, that was back in the 1980's. and although i have no injury,
or impediment to holding a guitar in the right handed manor. i cannot do it.
i can now play a right handed guitar upside down, with 3-5 minutes practice.
i'm no eddie van halen. but i'm no eddie with a lefty either.
love the video. lefties unite!
I tried right handed guitar at school but found it difficult. In my fifties I bought a left handed tele and have never looked back, Worth noting that some guitar apps cater for lefties - Chordify, Yousician, etc.
I started playing left, and switched to right because all the guitars were right. This was in 1990. I sucked for decades, and recently decided in midlife to switch back to left. Already after two months, I can play everything I did right-handed, but better because my left-hand is much steadier and tighter at rhythm, and I can do double-picked thrash riffs without any fatigue! I'm not a collector, so I would rather get a good cheap leftie guitar that I can mod the way I want with high-end pickups, etc., so I couldn't care less about the selection available to right handers anyway.
I started playing the guitar 3 years ago, with a right-hand guitar as that's the only available option in my city, but I always find the position uncomfortable. I haven't played for a while now, so I think it may be a good time for me to switch 'back' to left-handed guitar. Thanks very for the video! It encourages me to get a left-handed guitar, which many videos or articles (usually written by right-handed people) do not recommend.
I’m a lefty and I’m learning the guitar. When I play fps games on desktop, I have to use my left hand. When I draw, I use my left hand. I also bowl with my left hand.
I was looking for a video like this to get advice from 🙏 thank you.
Left in Arizona. I try an Right- Hand acoustic and buy it was uncomfortable and my nerves went numb. Now about 15 years later wanting to pick it up again want to try left-hand and yes I play air guitar left handed. Many Blessings and namaste.
I’m a lefty but i play right handed guitar and i think it’s much easier because i think it’s much easier to fret with your dominant hand
Im left handed and ended up switching to a right handed guitar early into learning it since my high school class didnt have enough left handed guitars for all the left handed people in class. Wasn’t too hard, just had to get used to switching what you do with what hand.
So right about the time you made this video. I was hit by a train. On August 26, 2020 in Lake Worth Florida near the Lake Worth station. Became the first survivor to not be dismembered, killed, or brain dead on impact. By miracle my pinky took the most damage. I was awake and lucid through the hit. I remember holding the hand the train hit directly hard onto the train after impact because my brain thought in seconds don't let yourself be sucked under the train. Then it broke my back, ribs, shoulder blades, punctured a lung once it came to a stop and sent me flying onto a pile of rocks and broken beer bottles and glass. To which I was completely covered. I survived all that and post surgery they warned me my pinky may have a 50/50 chance of having full function. Or it's a dead finger due to the nerve cells. My pinky never moved again and yet I tried to play guitar being a guitarist of 10 years since I was a kid. Now I turned to lefty guitaring because I can still strum with my left hand just can't finger with it. Due to my pinky causing my other fingers to stiffen up. Plus I could only do so much with 3 fingers. Now as a lefty guitarist I come to realize it's far easier to play than right hand guitar even as a ambidextrous person who's more right handed dominant. Lefty came easier because my right hand not only is completely unharmed but also because the strumming it did when I was a right handed guitarist made it easier to learn fingering and yes I also have been doing the mirroring. Great to see others do it the same way.
Omg! I'm so sorry 😭❤️
Theres a magazene called guitar heros i think ur name needs to on front page
Excellent video. I’ve played lefty for 50 years. I taught my lefty son to play righty and he is outstanding. I just could never get it.
I am left handed, and have been playing everyday for 36 years. Buying guitars can be a pain, yes. But heres what ive done to lessen that pain.
#1 Learn to setup your guitars. Learn it properly too. That way you have a more intimate knowledge of the instrument and what you like and dont like in a guitar. Of course the obvious bonus is that your guitars will play the way YOU want them to play.
#2 Learn to shop with specs. Understand things like nut width and neck profiles. Eventually this will make guitar buying easier since most stores can order in the guitar but wont stock it.
#3 Find a brand you like and dont be afraid to stick to it. Yes variety is the spice of life, but us southpaws sometimes have to make compromises. Youre gonna have to learn to like black guitars lol.
#4 Youre likely going to have to special order guitars in the future (if you want 'nice' higher end guitars for sure) so order them through reputable smaller stores. Not big online conglomerates. The smaller stores will likely go the extra mile on special orders- you wont see that guitar until theyve gone over it completely and made it as best as it can be. My local mom n pop music store does this and every single one ive ordered through them has hit my hands in flawless condition
For me, I personally like Schecter guitars. Why, because they have a great lefthanded range. I also have learned their specs inside and out: I can order one without ever picking it up because I know what a '20-22 mm thin C' neck feels like. I know that im more comfortable with a 42 mm nut width vs 43, or more. I know that an ash body will weigh less than a limba body. etc. etc. This doesnt mean i only order schecters though. I can use the same principles now to buy any brand really. Yes, there are times you will have to take a bit of a leap of faith but you wont be completely in the dark. I recently bought a Wolfgang Special, having never picked one up, but because i understood the specs and educated myself on how to set it up, i knew i wouldnt be disappointed, and I wasnt. The only tricky part was the assymetrical neck- id never played one so i wasnt completely sure. but because i know what i like and understood the differences, taking that leap wasnt as stressful.
Anyways its made my life easier, maybe it can do the same for someone else.
Thanks. Some great advice here. I’m a lefty who has been playing right-handed for over 40 years. My instructor when I was starting out told me not to even think about playing left-handed, because back then all lefty guitars had to be custom ordered.
In my mind, my left hand on the neck is doing way more work anyway, so if you are OK strumming and picking with your right hand, playing right-handed is always going to be the overall better choice.
A good way of deciding if a person should play left or right-handed guitar is to check which way they naturally play Air Guitar - especially if they are asked to try to play Air Guitar the wrong way round (for them) and they are uncoordinated and it feels awkward. There are a lot of myths about guitar playing orientation, with some people (not you Phil) presenting less than true statements as fact. The main thing to realise is that everyone is different, so what works for one person may not work for another person. Some people are completely ambidextrous and can do pretty much anything with either their left or right limbs. Other people are completely “one-sided”, and can only perform tasks to a competent level with either their left hand/leg or their right arm/leg. A third set of people are cross-dominant, and perform some tasks with their left side and other tasks with their right side (which tasks are performed best by which side will differ from person to person). When we say that a person is left or right-handed, we usually refer to the hand they write with but that is misleading as they may write with a certain hand but perform other tasks with the other hand. That is why when someone says everyone should play guitar right-handed because either they, or a famous player, play guitar right-handed but they are left-handed (meaning they write with their left hand) is based on a misunderstanding. Some people will naturally write with their left hand but their natural orientation for playing guitar is to play right-handed. Another irrelevant comment made is that there are no left-handed Pianos or Saxophones (or whatever). Those are all completely different instruments to the guitar, and the hands operate in a different way to guitar playing. Interestingly there are left-handed Cellos and Violins (Charlie Chaplin played violin left-handed), and Thomann in Europe sell some left-handed classical stringed instruments. Then there is the old “learn to play right-handed as your dominant hand will be fretting” chestnut. If this were a factor then most right-handed players should learn to play left-handed. In reality the picking hand performs highly complex tasks the more you progress with guitar, and the coordination between left and right hand is very important and made more difficult if a person is forced to learn guitar the wrong way round (for them). The next reason people give for saying everyone should learn to play right-handed is that you will struggle to buy a left-handed guitar. While it is true that there are more right than left-handed guitars in the world, the situation for getting left-handed guitars at every price point is much better than it has ever been. Even if you do not live near a music shop you can order online, and return the guitar if you try it and it is not right for you (always best to play a guitar before deciding whether or not to keep it). The guitar is a great instrument and is so adaptable being easily manufactured in both left and right-handed versions, and there are no problems in stage positioning when left and right-handed guitar and bass players feature in the same performance. Please remember that a minority of people will only reach their full potential as guitar players (and indeed will only keep playing) if they learn and play using their dominant orientation for guitar playing. Finally, what way round do I play guitar? I can play both left-handed and right-handed, and have put in the hours practicing and developing muscle memory on the instrument in both orientations. However, I am a better player performing left-handed as that is my dominant orientation for playing the guitar.
My air guitar is always facing right?! I also feel like my right hand is stronger for “pressing the strings” lol. I’m obviously a total beginner!
Chrissy, if you naturally “strum” / fingerpick with your left hand and form chords / play the fretboard with your right hand when playing air guitar then you are probably a left-handed guitar player. When you clap (applause) is your left hand on top and the right hand on the bottom, or is your right hand on top with your left hand on the bottom?
Hey ,as being lefty and a beginner I decided to return my new guitar after 2nd day of practicing . After watching your video I am now relaxed about my diccison dear😍. Thank you do much for your video. Lots of love from India💖💕🤍
I had the same fear and now i am relaxed ❣
@@mayanksamriya8817 🥰
I'm left handed and I play right-handed but I'm thinking of switching to lefthanded because I play fast Irish music and I feel my left hand is better rhythmically and faster for strumming. I'm gonna have to get used to fretting with the right hand and that's going to be a big challenge.
Thank you so much for this video! I started learning right handed and just couldn’t feel it. Just felt my left playing would be stronger (even with a broken right ring finger.) You have definitely cleared some things up for me! I’m def gonna play left!!
Also, you’re pretty awesome! Thanks!😃
if you're left-handed play lefty. If your dominant hand were made for fretting, guitars would be built the other way around. But they're not. And there is a reason for that. Dont fight it
Good advice , mate. Don't waste time fighting things unless you really have to
Some lefties are kinda ambidextrous and so playing righthanded feels kinda natural for them, but others can't and so playing lefty feels more natural.
Fifteen years now as a Leftie. I accepted the bad advice to originally start guitar right handed. After four months of beginner lessons, I decided to try a left handed guitar. It only required ONE WEEK to catch up. I believe that one has to pick the guitar orientation based on which hand one would use for delicate work (such as artwork). If you would do art with your left hand, that is your orientation. Why? The art of guitar is mostly in the picking/fingering hand. While left handed play requires a few more steps/compromises/limits, it can be done with great success.
I'm lefty, I don't have any kind of experience playing the guitar. So i came here in order to get some tips and choose what type of guitar should I choose.
I felt the same ache while I was trying to write with my non-dominant hand, but days later I was better and I can use both of my hands.
After all i guess i'm going to use a right-handed, it will be confortable I just need to give it some time as I did before.
Southpaw here. I am 50 now and 30 years ago, there were NO lefty guitars in the stores. I am seeing so many manufacturers making leftys now...even if they seem to only paint them black, white and the occasional red. I learned by stringing a right-handed guitar to play southpaw.
However, you nailed it! After a while, the mental conversions happen without much thought....
Thank you for sharing your experience with this video! Been playing for a decade in right-handed way. Always had difficulties in strumming but I always thought it's because I don't practice enough, but also playing always feels awful. Your story on why you choose to play left-handed way really strucks me! I will give playing according to my dominant hand a try soon! I hope I can enjoy playing this instrument again. Thanks for the video!
play left handed
It's nice to see a video where someone is mentioning specific health or hand issues that make it the best option.
I chose lefty because it felt right but my left hand's pinky and ring fingers have never operated as independently as my right. Because of that I didn't even know I was left handed until I struggled to learn to write (and play a child's size banjo).
Meanwhile I know a lot of righties who swear by guitar preference who are generally better collectors than players...so options arent everything 😂.
I was taught on a right handed guitar but I hold it in the left handed position. I didn’t change the strings. What was challenging was strumming, I had to mentally change my thinking. If they said “Down”, I would strum from the thickest string up. Difficult but got the hang of it.
Leftie here. My first guitar was a plywood guitar. Had the jokes, as well. I just am unique, so are all lefties.
Being a 61 yrs. old beginner my opinion is if you can afford it, get a left handed guitar whether it be electric or acoustic. The nut, some pickups like a Railhammer humbucker, the bridge has to be positioned for left handers, it isn't as simple as just flipping the strings around on a right handed guitar. The only downsides as mentioned is the selection and higher price. Good informative video.
Just bought a left handed electric guitar and looking so forward to it arriving. I can highly recommend the "Artist AS1 Black Left-Handed Electric Guitar". I bought it in Australia with free postage and an amp for less than $300 NEW!
@@allanedwards1067 Looks like you scored a pretty good deal, I'm glad that you got what you really wanted and are playing how you want to play. Now just go have fun and enjoy this new learning experience.
I learned right-handed guitar 10 years ago. I didn't think I had an option. Something was always off. Not just how I sounded but it gave me headache on top of the difficulty to pluck and strum. I bought a classic 8, restringed so I could play it left-handedly. My memory muscles developed faster, it felt way more natural with everything. 🎉
I’m 15 deciding to try a guitar for the first time being a lefty. I’ve been a piano player for about four years and it’s gone pretty well. I would like to try it first right handed and depending on how I feel I might switch to lefty.
I say play on which ever side you feel comfortable with .
Play lefty
I just bought my leftie daughter to take lessons, a left handed guitar, she made me exchange it for a rh guitar. Found it more intuitive for fingering on the fret to be with her left hand
That’s great you were able to find the right fit for your daughter!
You bought a lefty daughter? WTF
My 9 year old grandson is a lefty, he just started learning on a ukulele, we got the strings reverse, since it's difficult to get a left handed one in India
I'm a left handed person who wants to start learning how to play the classical guitar but unfortunately, I can't find a good beginner lefty guitar with a tight budget of money. Hopefully I will be able to find one soon to start a new and interesting journey :)
I found one on Amazon less than 200.
i got fender cd60s same price as their right one for 179
Thanks for this video ! I'm a left-hand ukulele player, despite the fact that I'm more righty than lefty (yes, lol). I have always had a problem of lateralization, and unfortunately, when I picked up a ukulele for the first time I just couldn't figure out how I would ever been able to play it right handed. My brain just totally blocked. But when I turned it left, it felt so easy and natural, so I decided to go that way. Advantage : it was way easier to learn from videos due to the mirroring effect, as you mentioned it ! Concerning the chord charts, I never felt is was problematic : it's just a habit to take to mentally transpose them in the good position.
Now concerning the instruments, due to the fact that most of them are not adapted for left hand playing (nut-slots size and compensated saddles), I had to learn how to adapt my ukuleles myself : I bought some tools (nut files, bone blanks, action gauge, etc.) and I'm proud to say that I have become quite skillful at it ! I have set-up ALL my ukes myself, to my personal liking. But knowing I'll have to do it every time, I always choose instruments that have a perfectly symetrical built (symetrical inside bracing, no cutaway or side soundhole, and a horizontal saddle), so I can invert the strings with no problems.
I'm tempted to give the guitar a try, and since some time I have started investigating for a parlor guitar. I will most probably check right handed instruments that are adaptable (= symetrical) and set them up myself. Too sum it up, for me the most important thing was having fun with my instruments, and feel comfortable with them. Not go against my grain and torture myself because other people think their way is best. 😊
Hey Bernardine, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to hear about your ukulele journey so far. You’re absolutely right, this same thing can be done only on guitars that are symmetrically braced. Some minor modifications will need to be made, but it is possible! I wish you all the best as you look to begin your guitar journey as well!
@@AllysiaRazonMusic Thanks for your reply Allysia ! I loved your video and I was glad to see that some other people follow their own way and can manage despite diktats. Best wishes ! 🙂🍀🌸
I am right handed and play left handed too! It just always worked better for me. I haven’t switched my ukuleles over yet, but thinking about it, because learning chords is a bit difficult.
Beginner left handed person here and i came to figure out which way to play.
I learned for a year on a right handed guitar. I never gave up. on my birthday my dad got me a left handed. I could play better in one week. fast forward 15 years. i realized that when i fractured my ring finger on left hand, when was a child, i lost mobility. and it all made sense
I am a left handed.As a beginner i try to use right handed guitar but after how many months there is no progress.After a few years decide to play back and learn again use left handed guitar and i feel very comportable.now going to 2 months.hope i will success this challenge.
i am a left-handed , it is a blessing
Yes I'm jumping in on the left-handed bros. I did air guitar for 10 minutes and I'm like NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH left-handed all the way
I am a lefty and a beginner playing the guitar. And I'm so excited and thanks for sharing and I just subscribed too!
Hii i am one of them from india
Me too
Hi, me too🎸
Me too.. 🖐🏻
Us
Which guitar do you have guys
Hi there….totally enjoy this talk about lefties but I’m about to buy my first guitar 🎸 who is ambidextrous….but not sure if to go left or right 🤦🏻♀️ This video was very helpful hopefully I decide which way to go soon or just buy both🤷🏻♀️
yooo .... i am lefty and i want comfort not just to show off someone, I'll do my best to be the best left handed guitarist 🎸 you make me more powerful and made my day to choose a left hand guitar proudly, i am going to order Donner DAG-1CL41 full size as a beginner ☺️❤️
How exciting! Good luck and have fun learning!
Rhythm for me was the biggest issue -- I can fret with either hand, however the strumming came more natural and sounded more musical using my left hand. Also being a left-handed guitar player comes with two additional perks, less chances of others just grabbing your guitar(s) to play on them. The other when you do find a rare guitar you know it's even more rare since it is left-handed.
ps. There are a lot of great budget friendly left-handed options these days (not just for beginners), Looking at Thomann's house brand for instance, CNC manufacturing really levelled the playing field by quite a bit.
My trouble… I play right handed guitar upside down. And don’t know if I should buy a left handed left strung and relearn from scratch
I JUST BOUGHT A LEFTY GUITAR TODAY, THANKS FOR THE VIDEO.
I am left handed guitarist for 40 years! I go to some places like Sam Ash, the Guitar Center, Rudy's, and others have left handed guitars.
I am right handed, but play the guitar Left! I tried playing the guitar right handed, but it is very frustrating playing, I was around 6 years old. I could not play it right or have coordination playing it. My brothers have no problem playing the guitar right handed. It was very very annoying and frustrating that I did not pick up the guitar. When I was a teenager, I was looking at my brother's guitar and decided to play it left. I felt the comfort already. So my mother's ex-boyfriend give me his guitar and had it set up left handed. I took lessons and everything feel in place. I started to fly. So I have been playing for 40 years now.
I’ve noticed if you ask a lefty to play ‘air guitar’ they usually play naturally left handed. I think you should start out with the most chance of being able to succeed. I picked up the guitar very quickly with a lefty guitar, but I doubt I would have playing righty. In a way it’s an advantage to be a lefty, because watching right handed guitarists feels like watching in the mirror.
Great video!!i am left handed. I have run the gamet on Left handed misery..lol from geting warped guitars because the music store has collecting dust on wall. Or the guitar teacher that doesnt realize you are seeing chords BACKWARDS..i am a proud lefty i boxed left handed and could not imagine playing right handed.
One of the easiest way for a right handed guitarist to feel how a lefty feel is buying a guitar with reverse headstock. Tuning theguitar is reversed. Buying a replacement tuner also need to be done carefully. Because I need to make sure the store has the lefty version of the same tuner. Even worse when if the tuner isnt available and I have to put special order. I have to explain to the store I want to buy lefty version because my right handed guitar has reverse headstock.
Hi fellow left-hander just discovered you on utube, well what can I say, as a younger brother, my older brother got a guitar, in the 50s Rock around the clock days, so me being left handed, I had no options I could not put it down till I had mastered 5 cords,, so I made more progress than my big brother, alas, I play left-handed with strings the wrong way round, but, did not progress to far. But it was a stepping stone to the many other instruments I enjoy, including, Violin (upside-down) and Mandolin (upside-down), yes and 5 string Banjo, yes (upside-down). But Keyboards are no problem. Music is about fun and exploration, just in the process of learning a beautiful Persian tune (I Promise You) its to late for me to change. Thanks for you post.
I found this video when searching up playing guitars left-handed. Your experience sound much like my experience when learning how to shoot a pistol left-handed, although I get the joke "you're shooting wrong handed" or "your mom is a witch". I am still trying to figure if I should play the guitar left or right-handed. My body naturally prefers to hold the guitar on my left side and it is more comfortable fretting with the right hand. The only problem is strumming with my left hand. My left hand gets more fatigued than my right when strumming. I would imagine that less of a problem as you build more muscle with experience.
Lefty here! Want to start playing guitar and trying to figure out if I should just force myself to learn right-handed.
However, watching your video, I've decided to stick with playing left-handed. You're right. The feeling of playing the guitar the way that feels better for you, is better than the other way around.
Thanks for the advice!
Thank you for this!
Fellow lefty here, but I've been wanting to save up money to potentially buy and learn to play 5-string bass, at some point in my future.
This video just gave me enough confidence to try and see where my ambition is going to take me from "only alot of thought" to something more tangible! 😁
i'm a lefty and been using my dad's guitar (he's right handed) for i think 6 years now hehehe he thought me how to play (the g, em, c and the others) the first time, it's half easy and also not if you have bad memorization and doesn't practice often goodluck to the others who is also a lefty and want to learn guitar. (it's your choice whether you buy a left hand guitar as i'm also here to decide whether i need to buy or not wwww)
Hi im a left-handed beginner and I'm from India
I'm a lefty guitar player myself even though my dom hand Is my right hand lol. I've been using Justin guitar's "nitsuj" playlist to teach myself and practice
i am also Left-Handed guitar player and yes walking into a guitar shop / Guitar Center Sam Ash ill find maybe 2-3 Left-Handed guitars. There out there ( Left-Handed Guitars)
I’m lefty and selection is limited but I have several including a Martin guitar. I’ve learned to read the music backwards. Once you get use to it I don’t think I could go back. Also an electric guitar can usually be switched to a left handed setup so go that route if you can’t find a left handed guitar
I am 60/40 lefthanded, so I am a bit confilcted as whether to play lefthanded, but since I do a little bit more things lefty , I feel it's the way to go. But I want to learn to play both ways if it's possible.
The first time I ever picked up a guitar it was left handed. It just feels right. I tried to learn right handed as a kid and it was really difficult
I write with my right hand so I am technically right handed, but I play guitar left handed because that is the only way that is comfortable. I can learn intuitively by seeing those right handed people play right handed. I do not rely on chord shapes, tab or sheet music, I rely on seeing where the guitarist's hand is and hearing the notes that they play.
I'm 67 years old then playing since I was 8. I'm left-handed and I play left-handed. I just started building mine when I was 16 years old. Been building them ever since
Im also a left handed, can i learn guitar at my age now im 56 years old
I can’t see why you couldn’t
@machette ganda lalake of course you can…Go for it! And be patient with yourself.
Yes you definitely can! I believe in you! (:
Can we restring right handed guitar ??
I'm lefty, i wanted to learn guitar from so many years and now I'm thinking of buying one.
But i don't know which one to buy yet
Hey there. You could / should try playing a RH guitar upside-down (like I do). There are a lot of us out there playing the guitar this way which I demo in this vid... ua-cam.com/video/f-hiL_bJ_bs/v-deo.html . Cheers.👍
I just bought a right handed guitar as a left handed player. It's my first guitar... I have the odd feeling that I might want to change later. I guess I'll see how I go for a few months and make a decision later. It's such a hard decision at first when you're not really familiar with the instrument, and how to play and things like that. 😅
I completely understand. Best of luck in your guitar playing!
I'm lefty too, I can feel u every word
Me too 😥
I'm a Lefty and I'm teaching myself Bass through UA-cam videos. I've found a nice Left Handed Edgewood Classic IV at my local Pawn Shop for a nice price. I'm off and running! 👍🏾
That’s awesome! Enjoy the process!
Acoustic Guitar is next! 🥂👍🏾
Hi and hello its lovely to hear from you I'm a left handed classical guitar player it is very in portent to have left handed guitar because of the harmonic on the classical, not so much on a acoustic guitar, please keep on with your teaching and the very very best wishes from bernie 🎶🎶🎶🙏🙏🌹🌹🎶🎶🙏
As a leftie who has played for over 30 years, I still regret not forcing myself to learn righthanded.
That is a weird combo of masochism and sadism. What is your safe word? Do you only have to think it?
Lefty here who shreds right hand. You did the it right way my friend. It never ever feels 100% comfortable playing righty as a lefty. We're talking guitar solos, fast playing etc. If I stop playing for a week my right/pick hand deteriorates noticeably. I have to play every day and not miss more than 1 or 2 days to keep the chops.
Every time I go to.get strings changed they ask me u know this left handed guitar are u left handed
respect iam also lefty player but i can play both ways iam just best at lefty
No one is DECIDING to be left-handed. I am left-handed. A no brainer, so I play left-handed.
I would argue it should be based on what feels right instead of hand dominance. Some people feel more comfortable fretting with their normally dominant hand, some people feel more comfortable strumming with their dominant hand. For others, it doesn't matter and they should play right handed.
I'm right hand dominant and I play left handed because I need to fret with my dominant right hand. I can't fret with my left hand and strumming feels awkward with my right hand.
I have a better understanding of the lefty struggle living in a right handed world, even though I suffer a fraction of that struggle. It's a bummer eyeballing that sweet guitar or bass, knowing it doesn't come left handed. The jokes are DEFINITELY tired and old. Regardless of how hard I try, it's like pulling teeth to get righty players to understand why I can't "Just play right handed". Even so, I wouldn't play any other way, because.... I can't!
Exactly, that’s a great point! Even some right hand dominant people like yourself decide to play lefty for the same reason I did- doing what feels right/most comfortable. In the end, I think what matters most is that we can enjoy playing our instrument, and sound good in the process!
Thanks for your comment and I wish you all the best in your musical endeavors!
If we change the string up side down then it works right
i have the same question but i still don’t know if it’s right to do that or not
I am a leftie guitarist but haven't played for 30 yrs. Thinking about taking it up again in my 50s
Hi Alyssia. Good to see that there are a lot of left handed guitarist and I am not alone. I am trying to start my guitar journey as a left handed but went to a store and found there are no left handed guitars and was stunned. My question is that whether I should get a right handed guitar and play it left
Handedly or should i get a left handed guitar. Which would be a greater choice for my journey. Looking forward to your reply.
Mate, save yourself the pain and frustration that I went through as a lefty who plays and shreds on a righty guitar and get yourself a left hand guitar. Once you get past chords and strumming any further progress is determined or stymied by your picking hand.
Very good information. Should help a lot of people wading into this matter.
I'm a leftie and I play as a rightie but I don't have the rhythm in my right hand for strumming that I do in my left so thinking of changing to a left handed guitar.
You can improve it through consistent and focused like I did but you ramp up faster if you strummed/picked with your dominant left hand.
As a left handed guitar player myself when I watch a right handed person play , I think of it as looking in the mirror because when i look in the mirror playing my guitar i look right handed , So i say don't worry about it just play away , As far as learning to play right handed being left handed ? I say go for it , There are switch hitters in baseball so why not switch guitar players . I think it's awesome !!!
Thanks mam you saved my feelings from dying
Newbie to guitar learning and am left handed 🎸😌
Same
One time i recall i found a lefty model ( A Les Paul) people in the store were looking at me funny another time i asked a Guitar Center employee if they had any he replied no you get no love ( referring to me of course)
I used to play live in bars as a left handed player. The big advantage I found was that the drunken member of the crowd never wanted to play your guitar in the break. So I would look on as the right handed guitar player in the band had his guitar manhandled. Never a problem for me. 😁
Very true! Can’t say I haven’t done the same, especially with my nylon string guitars... 😂
Finely I got a Positive advantage of being an Left handed Guitarist 😂😂😂
Newbie here planning to buy a guitar but I'm lefty what should I buy left handed guitar or right handed guitar??
Which way do you naturally play Air Guitar?
@@craigthomson3621 left hand
Hey Allysia, just recently, at 75, I decided it was time to take up the guitar, so off I went to the local guitar shop, and bought a basic Squier Strat complete with Frontman brand new!
Got it home and proceeded to try it out.
Then I hit a problem, I couldn't apply my left thumb without pain, and the whole hand seemed too weak to hold a good shape, so now I'm considering buying (or exchanging the guitar I have already bought) a left handed one to see if that could be the answer?
I enjoyed playing this video very much and be thankful if you or any of your followers could help with advice? 🎸