Question
#11
Q. I am looking into getting started playing the guitar.
I am left handed and I am getting conflicting information on how
to start out. Should I start with a right handed guitar and try
to learn that way, or stay true to my left handedness?
A. This is a very common question. When making your decision
keep these things in mind.
There is not a left handed piano, saxophone, flute, or really
any other instrument for that matter. Somehow, someone turned
around a guitar and it stuck. Walk into a music store and look
at your selection of left handed guitars...maybe 1 out of 100.
You could turn around a right handed guitar and re-string it to
play left handed, but you will have to have some custom work done
in order to do so. Either way it is going to cost you more money.
Left handed guitars are more expensive, and custom work ain't
cheap either.
I have taught guitar professionally for over 15 years and have
had plenty of left handed students. I try to get them to start
out playing right handed, and here is why. All educational material
that you see in books, Internet, video etc. is all written for
the right handed guitar player. You could turn around what you
see in your head, but you probably have enough to worry about
when you are first learning to play. I have seen some books written
for left handed players. But after you complete that book, there
is nothing else written like that. I have found that my student
that start out left handed tend to be more confused with learning
that way, as opposed to playing right handed.
If you are left handed, your left hand is the strongest. When
you play guitar your left hand is the one that does the majority
of the work... Why not have your strongest hand do the hard work.
If you do start to play right handed remember that it is going
to be a little awkward which ever way you hold the guitar. Don't
let that awkwardness make you think that you are holding the guitar
the wrong way.
Of course there are those that will say "what does he know, he's
right handed". You will have fun playing the guitar no matter
which way you hold it. But think about these things before you
decide.
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