View Full Version : Lefties (not under-dogs)
When I started to learn the mando, not having played any fretted instrument, I found it impossible to find a new lefty beginner instrument (be it 'cheap').
Yes, of course there were some, but not many lefties around (mostly used and not so many new stock items), but nothing that I would want to purchase for little money. So, I purchased my first instrument as a righty.
Actually there was no problem to learn on this instrument since my fingers and mind had no idea what was right (righty) or wrong (lefty). The DVD's and books that I started with favored the righty, therefore, there was no problem to learn 'righty' on my own. When I sought out my first player instrument I had no thoughts to convert (my fingers and mind) to a lefty. I simply purchased an off the shelf Gibson righty model.
Lefties UNITE! What are your experiences?
mando83
Oct-20-2007, 9:40pm
I'm left handed and never thought to play any other way but Right handed. I know Adam Steffey is also left handed and he plays Righ handed too.
I never had any problems. My little sister (who is 14 years younger than I am)...is also left handed. She can't play right handed though...so it's hard teaching her.
Hello, lefty support group. #My name is not important, but what is important is that I haven't touched a lefty mando for two years! #
Of course, two years ago was when I started, so it wasn't such a biggie. #I never even had a lefty mandolin andangway. #All I had was a plywood Carlo Robelli (they make mandolins?!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif ) from Sam Ash. (They sell mandolins?!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif)
Anyway, I digress. In the beginning I was kind of apprehensive about starting righty, but a guitar-playing dude told me that since neither of my hands knew what they were doing yet, it wouldn't make any difference which way I learned. #Looking back, sometimes I think that I would be a better/faster mandolin player had I started the way God made me, but really, who knows?
So all in all, I'm #not really sure what's better for a leftie. #Maybe somebody'll write a paper on it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Mandolusional
Oct-20-2007, 10:16pm
There are a LOT of left-handed people playing standard oriented instruments. It's interesting you have a hard time teaching your sister, out of curiosity, would you say it's because you have difficulty teaching her that way or she has difficulty picking it up? I play left-handed and find learning that way very easy because anytime I learn from a righty it's like looking in a mirror. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
jk245
Oct-20-2007, 10:18pm
Looking back, sometimes I think that I would be a better/faster mandolin player had I started the way God made me, but really, who knows?
If you think about the way your fingers work, there really is no big deal to begin with your four fingers pressing down on the frets (on the left hand or right hand) or with your other two fingers (on the right hand or left hand) holding a pick and positioning the pick over the appropriate string(s) and moving or pushing the stings. You still must have two hand control.
Eugene
Oct-21-2007, 12:41am
Click here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=25;t=30476), here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=13923), here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=25;t=29007), here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=25;t=47599), and all of the links linked at those links.
David Houchens
Oct-21-2007, 12:37pm
I am a right handed person who would like to learn with left. Unfortunately I have played right handed bass for years. I may have to unthink
some things. I have a bum pinky finger on my left hand and am frustrated at not being able to do a 4 finger chord. I can use a three finger chord still using the G strings but its not the same. Any body switch late in life? I build my own instruments so a lefty mandolin isn't going to be the problem I'll have the trouble with. It'll be teaching the old dog to walk backwards. Thanks. Any encouragement is greatly welcome. David
...and all of the links linked at those links.
True said, we have seen this topic in various forms before.
In life we learn from new experiences and inspiration.
Look forward not backward.
On this board most topics have been revisited untold times and we can always obtain new ideas from the responses.
WoodyMcKenzie
Oct-23-2007, 6:10am
If you are really left handed then you should play left handed if you want to be the best you can be. The fretting hand is a slave to the picking hand most all the time. The pick drives the music. Read my left handed soapbox at my website. Also, it's no big deal to set up a right handed A style mandolin as a lefty. The mandolin won't know.
Woody
mckenziemusic.com
Eugene
Oct-23-2007, 8:25pm
If you are really left handed then you should play left handed if you want to be the best you can be.
I wouldn't dare to be so prescriptive regarding how other folk conduct their musical business...and it's too bad characters like Julian Bream, Chris Thile, etc.--not to mention pretty much every left-handed concert pianist, violinist, or flutist who has ever been--have so foolishly restricted themselves and limited their abilities. #Seriously, do whatever you must to do what you'd like to do and enjoy. #I really, really am stereotypically left-handed, I have chosen to play standard instruments, I feel no shame for it, and I have no interest in changing how you do your thing if you can make it work for you. #If you're really pining for it (and you really shouldn't be), you're welcome to read my left-handed soapbox rants around this forum.
WoodyMcKenzie
Oct-24-2007, 7:37am
Eugene--
You are correct and I perhaps shouldn't be so prescriptive. I can only say that from my own experience from first trying right handed that becoming left handed was a huge improvement for me. It probably doesn't matter so much for people who have genius talent like Thile, though I suppose it's possible that he could play even better had he started left handed. I guess by posting to these lefty threads I just want to make sure that people know that being a left handed musician is a valid alternative. I still believe that it's easer to play with feeling when your dominant hand is driving the music. That's my advice, and it is of course cheap.
# http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Woody
Eugene
Oct-24-2007, 9:26am
By the way, thank you for taking my quip in the spirit of comradery rather than contention. I pulled some clips from your site and do enjoy what you do.
Eugene--
You are correct and I perhaps shouldn't be so prescriptive. I can only say that from my own experience from first trying right handed that becoming left handed was a huge improvement for me.
An interesting point.
As a lefty who has never played a left handed instrument, I wonder if it would be difficult for my mind and fingers to adjust to the new way of thinking to do things 'backward'.
My father grew up in the early 1900's, as a lefty, was forced to write with his right hand. He had a terrrrible handwriting as a righty. He did every thing else lefty. I wonder if he could have developed a better handwriting by converting to lefty.
WoodyMcKenzie
Oct-26-2007, 4:25pm
As an interesting twist to this discussion, consider what Niles Hokannen did. To become a better teacher, he *relearned* mandolin left handed to better understand what beginners go through. He probably has more than average wrinkles on his brain!
As an interesting twist to this discussion, consider what Niles Hokannen did. To become a better teacher, he *relearned* mandolin left handed to better understand what beginners go through. He probably has more than average wrinkles on his brain!
Maybe Niles was a 'closet' lefty!
Perhaps not different than a baseball switch hitter batter.
Great at one side and great at the other side too.
.
.
.
Did any company commercially make a left handed piano?
.
.
.
Lefty&French
Oct-26-2007, 5:29pm
...I wonder if he could have developed a better handwriting by converting to lefty.
converting ? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
...I wonder if he could have developed a better handwriting by converting to lefty.
converting ? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Hay, he always was a lefty. In the 1910's era in New York City the educators thought that the smart portion of the brain had a a right side advantage. I can imagine that the teachers used a ruler to slap the left hand if the student tied to use it to pick up a pencil! Dad had the worst right hand writing that I could ever image. However, he did wonderful painting and carving using his left hand.
Actually, I don't believe that musical leftyness and coordination leftyness are related. There isn't a single thing I can think of that I don't do naturally righty except musical things. And I do all of them lefty.
Roger Wheeler
Oct-28-2007, 12:51pm
I'm a lefty who started playing guitar at the age of 11. #I bought a righty Yamaha FG100 acoustic and restrung it. #The pick guard was upside down and I had no fret markings since I was looking at the bottom of the neck when I played. #I was born left-handed and it never occurred to me learn to play right-handed. #One of the happiest days of my musical life is when I got a custom left-handed Martin SP000-16R! #Finally I had a guitar that was RIGHT (no pun intended). I recently decided to learn the mandolin and had no problem finding a number of lefty models in stock at various prices and quality. #I ended up settling on a Collings MT lefty. # One HUGE advantage of playing left-handed is that you never have to worry about having your axe "borrowed" by someone who wants to show everyone how much better he plays than you for about 45 minutes. #I sense alot of #condescending attitudes about left-handed people who should've just sucked it up and learned to play right-handed like all the other "normal" musicians. # I tend to agree with those who believe everyone should play however they feel comfortable. # Until I draw a paycheck from playing any instrument I'll reserve judgement on how anyone plays theirs! #Keep on pickin' however you can. #
Eugene
Oct-28-2007, 5:46pm
I sometimes draw pay to play. Still, rather than being more freely judgemental, I often feel I need to be more respectful and supportive of others playing!
Lefty&French
Oct-28-2007, 6:13pm
I'm a lefty who started playing guitar at the age of 11. #I bought a righty Yamaha FG100 acoustic and restrung it. #The pick guard was upside down and I had no fret markings since I was looking at the bottom of the neck when I played. #I was born left-handed and it never occurred to me learn to play right-handed. #One of the happiest days of my musical life is when I got a custom left-handed Martin SP000-16R! #Finally I had a guitar that was RIGHT (no pun intended). I recently decided to learn the mandolin and had no problem finding a number of lefty models in stock at various prices and quality. #I ended up settling on a Collings MT lefty. # One HUGE advantage of playing left-handed is that you never have to worry about having your axe "borrowed" by someone who wants to show everyone how much better he plays than you for about 45 minutes. #I sense alot of #condescending attitudes about left-handed people who should've just sucked it up and learned to play right-handed like all the other "normal" musicians. # I tend to agree with those who believe everyone should play however they feel comfortable. # Until I draw a paycheck from playing any instrument I'll reserve judgement on how anyone plays theirs! #Keep on pickin' however you can. #
Same story and feelings... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Jonathan Peck
Oct-30-2007, 1:27pm
Here's a solution that I had never before thought ofAudey Ratliff plays RH mando upside down (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJIvzsd-8pc)
David M.
Oct-30-2007, 3:50pm
I ended up settling on a Collings MT lefty.
Nice... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif