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Steven Clarkson
Jul-31-2010, 4:34pm
My daughter, who is six years old, is getting really interested in music, especially the mandolin!!! Is there any lefty mandolins that would be good for her to start with. I know that she has small hands and that we would need to have an instrument that would be easy on her fingers (fret wise). I would rather spend a little bit more to get an instrument that keeps her coming back to practicing. Thanks for your input,

Steven

MikeEdgerton
Jul-31-2010, 4:40pm
If it was me I'd look at some of the Kentucky A style mandolins in the lower range and have someone cut a new nut and change out the bridge. The dots will be on the bottom of the fretboard but new ones can be put on the new top of the neck. I don't know if anyone sells an entry level lefty mandolin.

Tim2723
Jul-31-2010, 5:09pm
The only bigger name that I know of that regularly supplies left-handed instruments as part of their production line is Michael Kelly. A very decent starter-intermediate instrument, but perhaps a bit more than you expected to pay. They start at around $600.

Steven Clarkson
Jul-31-2010, 5:50pm
Thank you! I think both of these would be good options. I'll keep looking at the classifieds and maybe something will pop up,

Steven

Bruce Clausen
Jul-31-2010, 9:17pm
As has been pointed out here many times, lots of excellent professional mandolinists and guitarists (plus virtually all violinists) who are left-handed play on the standard instrument rather than a so-called "left-handed" one. If your daughter is not already playing a stringed instrument, it's very unlikely to make any difference to her which hand does which job, and there are real disadvantages for the student whose instrument is not the standard one. I suggest getting her to at least try playing in the normal way before going the left-handed route. And then if necessary, as Mike points out, a standard instrument can always be set up to be played "backwards".

Steven Clarkson
Jul-31-2010, 10:55pm
That's a good idea - Lot's of things to consider!

mandroid
Aug-01-2010, 12:45am
Good point , I can't think of ever seeing someone in the violin section of an orchestra playing with the bow in their left hand.

Mandolin Mick
Aug-01-2010, 7:07am
Bruce made a good suggestion. I've known leftys who learned to play the righty way & those that couldn't play the righty way and learned to play lefty. I even saw someone who took a right handed instrument and turned it upside down and played backwards; a professional musician!

Steven Clarkson
Aug-01-2010, 7:35am
She writes, paints, etc. with her left hand. I think she has a lot more dexterity with that hand. Not that she couldn't learn to compensate. Maybe I'll head over to Fiddler's Green when I get back to Austin and let her try a few instruments out. Thanks for everyone's help.

Steven

Mandolin Mick
Aug-01-2010, 8:13am
Yeah, dexerity has everything to do with it. I come from a family with ambidextrous individuals, you know, write or use a hammer with either hand, etc.

Though righty, I have more dexterity with my left hand because of playing stringed instruments. I'd say I'm at least twice as good with my left hand for fine motor skills like typing, etc.

Steven Clarkson
Aug-01-2010, 8:49am
I have never thought about this, but do you think that (for a right hand player) that the right hand technique is far more important than the left hand technique. This could be an important thing to consider for a kid. Just a thought,

Steven

Mandolin Mick
Aug-01-2010, 9:01am
My first thought is the chording hand is more difficult to learn ... but then, why do most rightys play the way that uses the right hand for picking? It's probably an individual thing.

Steven Clarkson
Aug-01-2010, 10:23am
That's a good thought. I think I'll try the right hand option first (let her play around with my mandolin) and go to the lefty model if necessary. Thanks everyone,

Steven

Michael Lewis
Aug-02-2010, 1:43am
Steven, I urge you to encourage her to play standard instruments. I have 2 specific left handed friends that play fretted instruments, one plays right handed and the other plays left handed. They are both good but the one that plays right handed is much better and he told me he thinks right handed instruments are actually better suited for left handed musicians as the most dexterity is demanded of the left hand. Down the line when trading or looking for instruments you will find lots to choose from that are RH and very few that are LH. Trying friends instruments at jams is another boon for RH pickers.

Steven Clarkson
Aug-02-2010, 11:34am
Steven, I urge you to encourage her to play standard instruments. I have 2 specific left handed friends that play fretted instruments, one plays right handed and the other plays left handed. They are both good but the one that plays right handed is much better and he told me he thinks right handed instruments are actually better suited for left handed musicians as the most dexterity is demanded of the left hand. Down the line when trading or looking for instruments you will find lots to choose from that are RH and very few that are LH. Trying friends instruments at jams is another boon for RH pickers.

Thank you Michael,

Steven