Learning To Play Lefty

[tomteriffic]

Long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, my folks gave me a baritone ukelele as my first fretted instrument. I sat down with it, a pitch pipe and the book with that grumpy ol' Geezer, Mel Bay's picture in it.

I set about tuning the thing and it was fantastically difficult. The tuner knobs wouldn't get the strings high enough in pitch or they'd get them to pitch but the strings would be floppy. I broke at least one, I recall, in my efforts.

About that time, my older sister walked by, made some disparaging remark about my intelligence (or lack thereof) and flipped the uke over in my lap. Eureka! I'd been trying to tune a right-handed instrument wrong-handed.

That set the die right there and I have played righty ever since, even though I'm essentially a lefty. It has some advantages, over and above the easier availablility of guitars. In my investigations, it's explained why I never have to think about my picking and hardly ever have, even at the beginning. That's because my 'off' hand is intrinsically better at lighter, more intuitive, faster stuff.

The flip side of that is that, while I have great left hand strength, the speed and delicacy required for really fast playing has never really been there. Practicing scales over the past few years has helped that, amongst other things, and it was something that I never did in the beginning. But I'm still not where I'd like to be.

Enter advancing age. My left wrist is becoming more and more pained, and my arthritis is getting worse. BUT, if I did less grabbing with my left hand, it would ease the strain, and I might be able to get some dexterity in my newfound fretting hand.

I realize that this would be tantamount to learning the instrument all over from the beginning, other than I already know where everything is. Teaching the muscles would be a whole 'nother thing, though.

I can get a serviceable lefty axe cheaply enough, so that's not an issue. What do y'all think? An appropriate idea for an Impending Geezer?

[alpep]

indocin

[ArnieZ]

Tom,

There probably aren't too many people who have made the switch, and those who have proabably out of necessity. Paults can play both righty and lefty and maybe backawards and upside down . I think you should give it a whirl and see how it goes? what do you have to lose?

ArnieZ

[kurtsstuff]

You too can be...Michael Angelo....hehe

[Caddie]

Or Mac O'Grady

[tomteriffic]

Al, Indocin raises too much hell with my stomach. I can't even do buffered aspirin.

Kurt, I knew that on this board the Michael Angelo thing was inevitable Probably not gonna happen in this lifetime, though.

It might make for a helluva story over the long run, I may just give this a try. If it doesn't fly after an honest sustained effort, I've got an impoverished lefty friend who could certainly use the guitar.

[tomteriffic]

Strange side benefit to the angry left wrist. The bigger-necked guitars in the stable, which before now were not considered faves, due to my smallish hands, are now getting more play time since they seem to aggravate things less. I wonder if there's anything to that or if "It's all in me tiny mind"?

[BTMN]

Speaking of going lefty, Michael Angelo, and who you dont know is a lefty..... Joe Perry and Michael share something in common other than being guitarists, they are lefty's who play righty. I saw Michael a week ago at the Dean open house and then at a clinic he did Monday night. That guy is JAZZED to be getting payed to play guitar. I found it inspiring. So much so that I am getting a Dean Z 79 series Lefty on Monday. Bottom Feeder price approved too! Built as good as the Korean Hamers so I cant lose on the deal. I figure it will be tough to learn the fingers to do the job but I have made a first effort. but hey ya never know until you try. I just hope it doesn't mean that the G.A.S. will be twice as bad now.

WARNING: Man trying to be ambidextrious and serious while playing an '81 Z.

[kurtsstuff]

Hey! what about the guys that play lefty but the guitar is strung righty?? I know a couple of guys that play like that...they're good too!! would that be like if you were dyslexic and crosseyed at the same time....could ya see straight??..

[Guest Mike Lee]

A good way to piss off a budding right handed guitarist is to take the guitar they are stuggling with, turn it over and play it upside down lefty! I've done that a few times...

I play properly set up lefty guitars, but I've learned to play righty strung guitars backwards so I can try them out. It's not hard, you just have to visually reverse everything.

Anyway, give a lefty guitar a try Tom. If you are near Indianapolis, come over some time and try mine out.

[tomteriffic]

Gene, it looks completely natural on ya. Good luck with it!! We can piss and moan over the frustrations together. I've got an eye on a lefty strato-type that, with a good setup should do just fine for openers. It'll at least tell me if I'm barking up the right tree.

Mike, I'm about two hours from the Indy airport and I know you're somewhere in that vicinity. A current, although vague, plan is to be there for a week, off and on this summer during the music festival and NAMM. Maybe we can hook up?

I play with my impoverished lefty buddy pretty often. One thing about playing with a lefty: It sure is easy to steal chords from across the room once you get used to it.

[Michael_]

Joe Perry and Michael share something in common other than being guitarists, they are lefty's who play righty.

Hey, thats cool, I do that too. I write and do many other things left handed, but play golf, baseball, guitar, etc right handed. I like to think it helps in some ways with hand coordination.

[paults]

Like Mike said, upside down and backwards is easy, if you just reverse the chords in your brain : ) You could probably play left-handed pretty quickly.

But, have you played around with different strap lengths? That'll change the muscle tension in your wrists dramatically.

Steve Morse is another lefty who plays righty.

[Guest JackButler]

Tom,

I'm a lefty who plays righty...funny thing is a previous bassist that I gigged with was a righty who played lefty..so no one got hit with a headstock! LOL!

I too find that playing really thin necks (Ibanez wizard type) hurt/aggravate my left wrist. I have big feet and little hands...go figure...but I find that necks that a slightly chunkier.

I used to participate in combative sports and have broken both of my wrist on seperate occasions.

I used glucosamine/chondroitin and shark's cartiledge to help. The glucosamine/chondroitin seems to help with stiffness and inflammation, while the cartiledge seems to help "lubricate" or help with movement.

Like Paults said...you could probably make the switch to lefty in a little while.

Also make sure you take a little extra time warming up. And go slow..remember its called warming up.

One of the most important things I learned was actually while doing a couple of clinics with Angelo back in the 80's for Randall amps...he told me "to play fast, you have to practice slow."

During the week, my first practice is usually between 4 and 5 am..just to get an hour or so in before I get the kids up and make breakfast. I start out painfully slow at around 72 bpm and really don't venture too far from that. Playing slow will also better you timing. Its harder to play extremely slow because of the anticipation of when the next note/down beat will fall...especially when playing quater or eight notes at a slow pace due to the spacing of the beats. Alot of guys can play fast..but stick them to a metronome and they can't play fast AND in time because they have developed speed without CONTROL.

Also try soaking/washing your hands in fairly warm to hot water before you play.. this will loosen up the hands and help to increase blood flow. It'll also save you a little money on strings... I try to get all of my students in the habit of washing their hands before they practice...its also nice to have this little pre-practice ritual..it helps clear the mind and you focus on the practice time at hand...gives you a routine where the brain goes...ok, I'm about to play/practice..and everything else gets pushed back into a dark corner of the mind for a little while.

If you'd like...I can pull up some mechanical drills/finger conditioning exercises for you and get them out to you...just drop me a line and let me know or post here.

Remember, don't play through any pain...pain is a sign...something's up, take a break...listen to your body and don't force anything.

Sorry for being so long winded...just can't think of one of my brudda's not being able to enjoy playing...hope this helps.

If theres anything else I can do...just let me know.

[alpep]

Al, Indocin raises too much hell with my stomach. I can't even do buffered aspirin.

that's what the prevacid is for.

and if all else fails there is always morphine

[tomteriffic]

Thanks for all the comments and info, folks. Very helpful, and nice to know that there are more converted lefties out there than just me. I'll get a hold of this lefty guitar and keep you posted.

[Steve Haynie]

Steve Morse is left handed, but plays right handed.

Bun E. Carlos is left handed, and I've seen his drum kits set up both right and left handed.