I'm left handed and for me it just makes more sense to have my dominant hand on the fretboard. Most of us Lefties are fairly ambidextrous, so picking and strumming are not an issue. That's what works best for me.
same here. I'm almost ambidextrous. I can write with both hands, but my left is the dominant. I started playing left-handed then I decided it would be easier to be a right-handed player. heve you ever tried developing your right hand in writing, for example? I found out it helps me even more with my picking on guitar!
It was weird at first, but in no time playing right handed felt natural. My left-handed dad (who played guitar for a couple of years as a kid) encouraged me to learn right-handed as a leftie, and I’m glad he did. My guitar teacher actually liked that I was a leftie playing right-handed because I had better dexterity in my fretting hand. Props to the lefties playing righty!
Another 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 Saxaphones (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 Thomanns 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 then 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. Thank you for reading and apologies for the long post.
@@cb-ez7pz eh it’s actually not so simple, I’m a lefty who’s intro to guitar was rockband as a little kid and those were right handed, I remember hating it at first but after a while I got used to it and played air guitar ever since right handed bc of it, fast forward to now I’m two years in to playing right handed and am considering switching bc of limitations, I just feel like I’m still praying for the best rather than confidently picking each note, my left hand muting do be on point tho😂
THANK YOU. I'm left-handed and play right-handed and the "well, it must give you an advantage to fret with your dominant hand" thing irks me to no end. It's like, okay then go get a left-handed guitar and play that way (and of course no one does). And you just kinda blew my mind because the ONE thing I've struggled with more than anything else in my playing is hand synchronization. I believe this is why I've never been able to nail sweep picking.
@@dbvmayor Same here. Once I switched to right handed guitar, (because I needed a new guitar, but couldn't find a left handed one) someone told me "it should be easier because you're left handed". I didn't say anything, but in my head I was thinking that same thing.
I'm left-handed, but have always played right-handed. It just came natural to me. My oldest sister is left-handed and learning guitar. She went to a music store and the only LH guitar they had was a ESP Kirk Hammett guitar. She bought it anyway and tried playing on it and ended up selling it. She practices on a LH acoustic and a LH Gretsch electric.
Left-handed guitars can be difficult to come by in local areas. That was my experience growing up. I'd keep an eye out on sites like Sweetwater. They generally have a great selection of inexpensive left-handed guitars. I've bought two guitars from them in the last 5 years and they've both been great experiences.
Same here. I’m left handed and playing a right handed guitar seemed the natural way to play for me as well since the left hand is doing the complicated fretting, it just makes sense to me.
I'm a leftie who played right-handed for 3 decades, and it took years and years to "get good." I just switched to left, and after 6 weeks, I'm already almost to the level of playing I was the last time I played right-handed. So my advice for beginners: play with your dominant hand from the get-go!
I agree, I have been playing right handed but am a leftie. The hand that makes all the difference as far as a song is concerned is the strumming hand and if you cant do the quick micro rhythm movements needed its just not going to work. There are millions of songs with the same sequence of chords gut the strumming hand is what differentiates them.
Even if you don't play with your Dominant look at Eric Gales the Paul McCartneys from the Beatles Tribute Bands even though they're right handed they learn to play left handed, and some of them are left handed.
I’ve been playing left handed for almost 40 years. In the beginning I heard salesman after salesman try to sell me right handed guitars using the flimsiest of logic, which I always called them out on. Then I would hear the old line “why don’t you just restring a righty guitar like Jimi Hendrix?” It was really annoying.
@@Ottophil that’s the bullshit they would try first. Their logic of “well if you’re left handed you should play a right handed guitar” always got the reply from me of “so why don’t you play a left handed guitar?” That shut them up on that tactic.
Many don't know but, Jimi was actually right handed. Signed autographs with his right hand as well as threw a baseball with his right hand. That stellar guitar player Jesse Johnson of Prince/The Time fame is actually left handed. It's all about what feels "right" to YOU. Another weird example would be those that play with the strings reversed i.e. low E on the bottom of the neck. Eric Gales comes to mind. Phenomenal player!
He wrote with his right hand because his father believed that left handed people were from the devil. That was a common experience at that time. My great grandpa was one of these people. He wrote with both hands because his teachers pressured him to. Everything else was left handed. As for throwing baseballs, that's not really a good indicator. I know a pitcher who is left handed and throws right handed, and there are a lot of opposite throwing and kicking people who play sports. I'm left handed and play ping pong and tennis with both hands, throwing the paddle between hands depending on which side is better. (that's apparently really rare and difficult for most people) I'd be willing to bet he did a lot of other things left handed.
Mark Knopfler is another notable example. He's a lefty but plays right handed. He said he did it because his bends were better with his stronger hand. Or Dick Dale, who is a lefty but plays a RH guitar flipped but strung normally, so he's playing with the strings upside down like you mentioned.
I mean Ringo Starr was forced to be Right Handed even though he was a Leftie and still uses his Left hand a lot when playing Drums, and other tasks but not on Guitar or writing.@@BoomTexan
For people who do some things with one hand and others with the opposite (ex write left, throw right), that is called being cross dominant. I never knew the term for it growing up, so I always want to put that out there in case it helps others realize they aren't alone or 'weird'. I feel like a lot of natural lefties end up this way simply because we have to adapt to a world designed for righties but thats just my theory and there are definitely people who use their right hand more that are also cross dominant so thats obviously not the exclusive cause. Thanks for the videos Phil, this is a question that I see on forums and such a lot and it'll be great to be able to link to this video to help people figure out what works for them.
I had wondered if my strabismus/lazy eye issues played into why I do right handed things sometimes (my strong eye is my right), but now I know I'm not the only one. My dad is super left handed and he was the only other lefty I've known for a long time.
Thanks Andrew! there had to be a word for that. I throw right, bat right, slap shot right, punch right, kick right, but still write with my left hand and play guitar left handed - oh never leave the wife walking 'right' either
Thanks so much for this video, Phillip. As a lefty guitarist, I've always been annoyed by people encouraging lefties to "just learn right handed" (60 Cycle Hum, I'm looking at you). Every person is different and this subject should be treated on a person by person basis, as you eloquently demonstrate. How much great music have we possibly lost because new players were discouraged by their options? I'm old enough to have heard stories of kindergarten age children that were forced to learn to write right-handed even though they clearly favored their left. There's no place for that kind of behavior in the 21st century. And we are living in a golden age of lefty guitar availability: when I started 30 years ago, lefties were rare and usually expensive. Now I have a collection of nearly 20 guitars that span the spectrum of cheap to expensive and (almost) all of them are great players.
That 60 Cycle Hum video was one of the douchiest, most unnecessary things I’ve ever seen come out of a guitar “expert’s” soapbox. Listening to someone be THAT wrong, AND that insufferably smug, is worse than listening to ACTUAL 60-cycle hum.
Yeah that 60 cycle video is incredibly stupid. Telling aspiring players to basically go against their natural preference and conform to societies accepted way of playing is just wrong
@@eddiequinones3396 Couldn't agree more (I'm a lefty). And the second part of your statement is so true it makes my head want to explode. At least we have Phil, right?
@@eddiequinones3396 True, that 60 Cycle Hum dude is a total douchebag but there another guy out there. I think he only made one video on this but the hate he received is incredible...and justified. Play how you feel. Screw anyone who tells you how to play.
In contrast, as an extreme lefty and guitar hoarder, I would highly recommend learning right handed. I don't have the strongest right hand picking skills, but it's not because it's my weak hand, it's because of not enough focused practice. The world of guitars is wide open if you play right handed and you will almost definitely overcome any awkwardness that you feel early on playing the non-dominant way. There are sure to be people who are exceptions, but they will definitely be a tiny minority of left handed people.
Phil, you're such a Saint. I don't see other channels doing this for the fans. Not only are you simply trying to help people, but you're not selling anything! Take a lesson Beato.
many many moons ago, my teacher tried to get me to play right handed, said I'd regret it if i didnt, so i tried for several weeks and just couldnt do it. Finally he gave in, helped me string one of the class guitars left, and there was no going back. I regret nothing. i love the instrument and it feels very natural and well, 'right'.
Oh, so you CAN string a righthanded guitar to be a left? What about the thickness of the strings which isn't the same? Do you carve a deeper pocket on the bridges of the guitar or change bridges too?
Play air guitar 🎸. Both directions, whichever is most comfortable and natural feeling is the way to go. I'm a lefty that plays lefty, no regrets. Tried the right handed way, and it just wasn't for me.
When I was about 13-14, I started playing guitar. I'm left-handed myself, but I started out playing right-handed. As I learned more about the guitar and rock bands like Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix, I found out left-handed guitars were a thing. While I was learning to play right-handed, I always felt like something was... off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I could once I started playing left-handed. Playing lefty just felt "Correct" to me, way back before anyone told me that there was a right or wrong way to play. Maybe it's just an instinct thing, I don't know. I switched to left-handed guitars after about 6 months to a year of playing right-handed, so starting over wasn't too big of a deal. I made more progress as a left-handed player in 6 months than I did right handed for a year. My main point is, whatever your dominant hand is, give it a try. If you're left-handed, give a left-handed guitar a try and you may like it. It may even feel better for you given you're strumming with your dominant hand. Some left-handed people do still play right handed because they use their dominant hand to fret the guitar. You can really do it either way, it's all up to user preference. I do like to advocate for playing left-handed if that is your dominant hand just because it came to me so easily and it has served me well for over 15 years. With companies like Glarry making lefties now, it's easier than ever to get entry level guitars left-handed, something that was a challenge for me as a teenager but not so much these days. Epiphone has some nice selections too. Left-handed or right-handed, they all play the same notes in the end. Edit: After you explained the test, it makes sense to me now. I've always clapped primarily with my left hand making all of the movement. Never even thought about it. That's really cool.
Wow, this matches my own experience so well that I could have written this. It was when I discovered Hendrix that I realized I was being taught wrong. And like you, I accomplished more in six months that I did in over a year of playing right handed. Funny that I told this story to my kids when they were young. When I moved to Seattle, I had to go visit Jimi's grave. My kids, around 4 to 6, jumped out the car and went running to his grave yelling "That's the man that taught daddy how to play guitar." Wasn't a dry eye around, but I guess they were right. He was my inspiration. Now if we could just get guitar manufacturers from wiring the pots backwards. Jimi's weren't. I don't buy production guitars anymore because of that idiocy. I build partscasters made from Warmouth parts.
Tried to learn right-handed with my brand new Hardtail Strat in 1964..... it didn't work..... so my machinist Uncle fashioned a brass lefty nut.... and I have played lefty ever since....even before I'd heard of Jimi...... I still have it.... just wished I'd kept the original nut..... It would be worth a mint.... but I'll never sell it
Oh please, it's all about how you first pick it up and what is comfortable to you. I am very right handed, I only do two things left-handed..play guitar and fire a rifle... I an also pretty ambidextrous...the clapping bit is horseshit.
@@davelate4148 ...mate, I'm 68 years old, I know the problem, my first guitar was a Barney Kessel copy, and I had to have it changed to lefthanded, but my point is it's how you first pick it up not how you clap your hands. I have grand kids that are learning to play and that's how we found out which hand they play....just hand it to them... simple.
Thank you for this video. It confirms my choice to switch to left handed guitar. As a kid, I always picked up guitars left handed. However, I first studied piano, and later moved to double bass and electric bass. I was taught bass right handed. When I decided to learn guitar, I tried to learn right handed, but I found using a pick difficult. If I flipped the guitar, picking and strumming were much easier. So, I traded in the right handed guitar for a lefty. It is taking a little time to get my right hand up to speed for fretting, but it feels so much more comfortable overall. Makes me wonder how different my journey on bass would be if a left handed double bass had been an option.
Great video Phil, thank you for all the great content. You have been a valuable asset to my guitar & accessories education. I write with my right hand but cut food with my left. About 30 years ago, I picked up a right handed guitar. It never felt right & I lost interest. In February of 2019, I purchased a used left handed guitar & borrowed a right handed guitar. 12 left handed guitars later & I'm having a blast. Due to limited options for lefties, huge fan of buying inexpensive guitars & upgrading them myself. It blows my mind how a good set of pickups & pots with proper set up & intonation can not only improve sound & tone. Additionally it changes the way the guitar feels & plays.
I’m a lefty, and have played lefty from day one. I picked guitar up relatively easy in the first 2 weeks, and I’m certain that wouldn’t of happened if I would of learned righty. If you’re going to give up playing guitar it’ll be in the first few months, so every advantage you can get to succeed early is a good idea. I also can tell if people should learn lefty by just asking them to play air guitar- that gives it away in seconds. As for the ‘if you play lefty you’ll have less choice for high end instruments’ argument, I own lots of rarer lefties including a Gibson Flying V, an EVH Wolfgang, a Custom 22 10 top PRS, and A Gretsch Bo Diddley, and have a Gibson Explorer on the way. I probably wouldn’t have bought as many guitars if I wasn’t for being left handed because the search is greater. Thanks Phil for a great video that sees the problems lefties had from our position. I’ve gotten way too angry at several Righty Guitarist RU-vidrs who entirely dismiss the concept of lefty guitar because they’ve never had to experience what being left handed is actually like.
Oh man, the hunt makes it so much better! I love canvassing every music and pawn shop in the area when I go on vacation somewhere, I've picked up Chapman ML1, a Gibson 70's Tribute SG with Dirty Fingers pickups, and a Dean Custom 550FR with EMGs, the latter of which retailed over $1,000 when new. High end and even really solid mid-level guitars are out there, and it's more fun for me (and better for my wallet) for it to be a treasure hunt than to just be able to walk into guitar center and have a pick from 600 guitars instantly. I do wish more signature guitars and special finishes came lefty though.
Thank you Thank you Thank you! Finally someone has addressed the left handed Dilemma. I’m a lefty and have had limited choices because of it. Hopefully manufacturers will watch this video and the responses to start making more left handed guitars. I’m sure many people have quit guitar playing because they are natural lefty’s and they were forced to play right handed.
@@dancompton1728 Yeah, they always end up with the "bUtt tHeRe r nO lEfTy piAnOs" chestnut, without thinking about how hands and pianos actually work. And some of them seem so angry that we exist, too.
@@arthurpiccio7906 Yeah I don't get it. People actively troll in the comments about it. I don't understand why it's so threatening or offensive that someone would play a guitar the opposite way. It's just a guitar. Quit taking it so seriously.
Very interesting video Phil. I am left handed( write, throw, grab with) however I play guitar right handed. For me that may have been influenced by the posters I had on my wall of Clapton, Michael Schenker, Ace Frehley and even Hendrix. Right handed always felt "normal" to me. My chord and lead hand is my left. Thanks
For me I could immediately tell I was more comfortable playing left handed. I started with an acoustic I played upside down until I bought myself a left hand schecter. Trying to play right handed just felt so wrong to me
Hey Phil , thanks for the lefty video, as a lefty I appreciate the video , we don't get the selection in guitars that rightys get, I love your channel and all the information you share, hope to see more lefty guitars on you're show ! Thanks 🍻🤘💪🎸😎
Thank you so much for showing some love to the Lefty players! My son who is 29yo has been playing the guitar along with other instruments since he was 12. I have tried playing his guitars with zero success as he is a right-handed player. I am a true Lefty and I own a beautiful electric black Yamaha Pacifica (112J) lefty. I have been learning and playing it with ease and at 48yo! So, yes I'm a late bloomer, partly because I am an RN[16yrs] and also was discouraged by the small selection of quality left handed guitars! Can you please recommend a quality left handed acoustic guitar [a smaller than dreadnought please!] Would love to see a video of that! Thanks again for your great information and I'm addicted to your podcasts! So informative and honest! Hope the Mrs. is doing well! I love music and playing the guitar has helped me immensely during this difficult time.✌🏼🤘🏼✌🏼
I always suggest that people try to play right handed because I know how frustrating it is to be left handed. We get to watch all the reviews and think "that looks great, too bad I can never have one" because we don't get many options. So many times I've seen guitars that I would love to have but aren't available for lefties. I've always modified my guitars because the things I want don't really exist. I resorted to going the custom route last year because of this. I don't wish this upon anyone so if you can, play right handed.
Yep, that's the biggest reason I would suggest right handed. That being said, I've always wondered if you can get better deals on left handed used guitars because the market is smaller?
@@RogerThat902 Typically it's the opposite from what I've seen as a lefty/cross dominant person playing righty who kept an eye on the market just in case going righty didn't work out. The guitars are harder to come by, so they're typically listed for a bit more.
I am very left-handed and when I began taking guitar lessons as a kid, the instructor told my mother that because the guitar would initially be awkward in either direction, he was going to begin teaching me right-handed. It felt normal to me and 40 years later, I've never looked back- and I am SO glad he did this.
@@profane_kvetch Yeah I never had lessons when I started playing in 2004. I didn't know proper chords and things until a few years later. I was young and stubborn and just wanted to play. So naturally I picked up guitars the wrong way and now here we are. 😂
Fascinating! I do everything right handed, at least I thought I did. But, when it came to clapping, both hands moved the entire time, and the left hand is on top. I'm pretty well coordinated, and can do some things left handed if I need to.
As a strong left handed person I began bass playing a Right handed bass. There are definite advantages and dis advantages. For me, my left hand managed the fret board very easily and I developed my fretting quickly. My right hand was a bit f a different story. It took me a while to learn to finger pick and keep good tempo. Eventually I overcame this. Popping and slapping are easier in my opinion, for a lefty playing a right handed bass. In fact I can do a few things with my strong left hand, slapping/popping, that other right handed people can not do easily. John Patitucci is left handed and I stuck with overcoming my weaker right hand troubles with simple hard work and regular practice. Now that I am a pretty good bassist I am glad I learned on a right handed instrument. TIP: Learn at least one new thing every time you practice. This tip came from a lecture from the late Jaco Pastorius. Your presentation validates all of my thoughts over the years. Left handed or right handed. You can learn to play. Simply practice and learn. List your weaknesses and OVERCOME them. Well done and well thought out presentation. Thanks Very much.
I'm a lefty that has played right handed for 40 years but I am fairly ambidextrous. I'm very fortunate I can play right handed, most lefties I've met cannot. I still can't play left handed though...lol
This video really needs to go viral. My take on the guitar is both hands can get lots of technical use. I am right handed, and when I try to write left handed, it's awkward--as if I just don't have the finesse to make the fine motions needed . But then when I play guitar, which I play right handed, the left hand is really doing some intricate and precision work. IMHO, the fretting hand has the more technically demanding job much of the time.
I've played right handed since I was a teen. At 50, nerve damage is making me learn to play left handed. May I suggest you try both, if possible, and see what feels more right to you?
Phill, I'd love to see you partner with glarry to see how cheap you can make an excellent guitar, decent alnico magnet pickups, with decent hardware, with the nut filed right with decent tuners, but maybe don't spend as much time polishing fret ends, or the tops of frets. Mostly how cheap can you make a fairly excellent guitar whilst skimping on the things a lot of us can do at home. For less than $30 dollars we can all polish frets and fret ends. We can round a headstock and neck and fretboard with the left over material. Maybe this would be something fender does where they offer a partscaster, where we can choose which pickups we want, and only pay for each individual pickup, and maybe charge a bit less because we still have to build the guitar ourselves, that way we are not paying for huge labor cost.
It's as simple as this if right handers play right hand guitars because of their left hand fretting Then left handed people should fret with their right hand. And thus play a left hand guitar. Otherwise all right handed players would play prefer /left handed guitars...... How this isnt obvious that it's just the opposite is beyond me. Picking stings at a high level requires more precision and has less room for error than fretting notes at the same speed....... They can be deceived by strumming 'right handed' as their focus in the early stages of learning is on fretting specific notes so it might seem better fretting with your left hand but as that becomes muscle memory picking becomes far more important to progress which is easier with your dominant hand. So learn lefty if your left handed.
Another aspect is, not only the orientation of the guitar but also setup of the strings . All right handed players have the same orientation of the strings. But some left handed players like myself, Eric Gale and countless others. Set up the strings like a right handed player.
I’m left handed and learnt to play back in the early 70’s. In those days there was very little choice for lefties! I therefore learnt to play right handed and have played that way ever since! I would say that it initially gave me better dexterity on the fingerboard but the trade off was more difficulty playing a smooth rhythm with my right hand/arm. I don’t regret learning right handed as it has provided a variety of guitars to me that would not have been available had I played left handed!
As a left handed person, it always struck me as odd that other left-handed people would limit themselves by selecting a left-handed guitar. The fact is, BOTH hands have an awful lot of learning to do regardless of which way you choose to play. Most new players struggle the most with their fretting hand technique. In my case, as a lefty playing a right-handed guitar, I struggle with my strumming technique, but regardless, struggle is struggle and it's not going to be easy no matter what. Maybe my perspective is skewed because I'm mostly ambidextrous, but I think that most lefties are out of pure necessity. Most of us are very used to living in a right-handed world.
We 'limit' ourselves because we are left-handed. Why on earth would I play right handed when playing left handed plays so much more comfortable? I sound like crap right handed. Playing guitar is about fun and expressing yourself...not doing something unnatural just to have more choice of guitars
It's not so much the struggle as it is doing what feels natural. I'm right hand dominant but forget about strumming with it. Can't fret with my left hand either. Lefty FEELS righty when I play guitar.
@@phile5437 understood, but frankly, what does that natural feel actually gain you? I've been playing for 15 years and I still do my "air guitar" left handed because I suppose it still feels more natural, but so what? That doesn't translate into any benefit when learning or playing.
I'm a left-handed man with a trace or more of ambidexterity. I have always tried new tasks both lefty and righty to see which one felt or worked better. I did the same when I first tried playing guitar. I might mention that I borrowed a guitar from a friend from high school, and that that guitar was a Strat copy of unknown manufacture. Naturally, the ergonomic shape of the guitar's body influenced my choice of orientation. It just felt more comfortable, so I went with it. Of course, this choice worked well in my favor, since I can buy pretty much any guitar and play it with confidence. Please note, though, that I'm not coming out of my comfort zone, so I recommend this choice to no one but myself.
I'm mostly left handed, first times I picked up a guitar I held it left handed, but since the guitar that we had at home was right handed I went ahead and learned it right handed, after two weeks it felt natural. I think people over think this too much, as Paul Reed Smith said ... "We also sell left hand guitars to people who play left hand pianos" 😅
Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden was ranked in the top few hundred in British competitive Fencing, then one day they were at a Shooting Range, and the instructor noticed he used the gun sight ‘lefty’. Dickinson did some research and then relearned to fence left handed, and was ranked in the top 50. Very Princess Bride.
A group. Of my friends started playing like around 1980 and we all got guitars and my one buddy was left handed and his mom picked him up a old 1966 fender music master guitar right handed. We all played constantly . Well in 3 months my left handed buddy past us all up.
When I got into hockey my dad bought lefty sticks, but I only felt normal shooting/playing righty. When I picked up guitar around the same time, lefty was the only way I could play. Right handed feels nearly impossible for me to do.
I'm left-handed who play right handed, and the whole "learning scales are easier" is a myth, it all comes down to just practicing really, in fact we're kinda inferior now when it comes to right handed techniques, like fingerstyle stuff and whatnot since our right hand is weaker, I still struggle with doing funk style rhythms and whatnot, in the end if you're left-handed I highly recommend playing right handed instead, since you'll have more options for guitars and whatnot and not having to adjust guitars and whatnot.
Good tip about the clapping test. My granddaughter sometimes seems interested in learning guitar, so I'll try it on her the next time she and her brother come over to visit. I'm a little ambidextrous for many things, but definitely right-handed when it comes to guitar. I have that same Glarry model, and I also have a Squier Affinity. I like modding inexpensive guitars, and got fret jobs done on both, put different pickups in both, different pots, switches, etc. They still ended up costing only about $500 each, with all the parts and labor from modding, and they're now genuinely custom instruments, built to my specs, that play very well and sound great.
It’s each to their own .. I like being a lefty .. it makes sense to me. I write and guitar lefty, but I play golf, baseball and do everything else righty 👍👍
Great video and really informative, phil. This is the first video I've seen concerning this subject matter. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.
I’m a lefty. I’m left hand dominant but left arm dominant. I play guitar, write, eat left handed. Throw,, bowl, and shoot right handed. I learned on a right handed guitar playing left handed so the guitar was upside down. I played that way for 20 years. I fell better with lefty guitars though.
You're whats known as cross dominant. I am too. Left hand is typically more precision stuff, right is more power stuff for me. Learned right handed guitar though and so far its been going pretty well.
As a child, my first grade teacher tried to make a righty out of me by taping my pencil into my right hand. It backfired on her when she forgot to take the tape off one day. Mom was P-O'ed. I was about 7, Dad strung up a Kay flat top lefty for me but it wasn't working out. He put it back to righty, I never looked back. BTW, I'm left dominant ambi.
I saw the title and said to myself,” Uh Oh, Phil’s about to piss me off!” But it turned out to be a nice video! Thanks for the lefty love Phil! It really does make a difference.
Hi Phil. Love your videos! Like others, I’m left handed but play right. The basic rule for me has always been one hand (write or throw) … I’m left. Two hands (bat, shoot, golf) …. I’m right. Based on your test … left. Based on how badly I play … maybe I should switch:) Tx!
I’ve tried your test myself. As a righty I clap with my left hand… So I think there is more to it. Magbe it’s more of a stance thing. Like when you try to play classical with one feet up as support and you curl your body around your guitar and try to make certain movements with each hand, and either fretting or picking feels more natural with the other hand. Because there are no lefthanded piano’s… (or drumkits,…) i believe you can learn your hands to do the same thing in a way. Besides that, I am amazed at when lefthanded kids play ‘airguitar’ and they automatically play a lefthanded one… not sure if thats a sign.
My son is left handed (actually ambidextrous...writes, eats, brushes teeth lefty, throws, swings, kicks, righty). I started teaching him guitar right handed, just so that he could use my guitars at the beginning. He struggled a lot. He could make chord forms with his left hand, but rhythm with the right just wasn't working. So, I got a lefty nut for one of my guitars, restrung it, and voila, he plays lefty. I built him 3 guitars, that he can play now. My only issue is....teaching him. I never actually thought it would be so difficult to teach a mirror image, but it is. I'll try showing him chord fingerings and it just looks "weird" to me, so I think it's wrong, but it's not. It's not a problem with him, but rather with me, looking at a lefty play, while I'm sitting across from him. Right now, he mainly just uses Rocksmith on the Xbox to learn what he wants to learn. It's not really a "passion" for him to learn guitar, so he just noodles with them for now. I've actually wondered if it would be easier to teach him how to play bass, since the left hand (right hand in his case) is much simpler than on a guitar.
Don't forget how cool a backwards strung guitar can be. Any guitar can be correct if you string it right! Also, Phill, you just gave me a great idea for an offset reverse tele design! Lol thank you Phill, you have really turbocharged my 35 year nerd lust for guitars!
I had the same issue as that person did back when i started in 1988, i got so fustrated trying to play right handed i quit 3 weeks in, then 1 year later i tried again but this time found a left handed series 10 in pawn shop that got me to where i was able to get my number 1 a 1990 left handed charvel metallic black 475 guitar. I say any guitar store who blatantly tells a left handed play to play right handed should be put out of business. i can see guitar companies back in the day before CNC machines having issues making left handed models, THEY DON'T HAVE AN EXCUSE TODAY, neither does Tremolo companies like floyd rose who limits left handed versions to just the original model and the cheapo base models. Here is the fact if left handers would stand united and not learn to play right handed but learn to play left handed, there would be alot more left handers out there to where these companies would have to cater to us as well but, these people cave in and these companies see that and get away with this you play right handed or go to another brand or don't play at all attitude. This is why i supported that person, almost every guitar company hated and alot of people attacked Ed Roman for they claim he was making counterfeit versions of brands models for left handed customers. I don't see no issue in that if the brand won't make it for you go to a great luthier and have them make it and it probably will end up 1000 times better as well. So if these companies don't want to make left handed versions of all their models, then do a deal with a ghost builder, luither where the person can specifically build custom left handed versions of all models of all brands. Both can benefit from this. But anybody who tells a left handed person to go play right handed. GO TRY TO PLAY LEFT HANDED AND SEE HOW WELL YOU MAKE OUT. See how frustrated you get and i can say this 90 percent of you would quit probably in the few hours, you would not make it a week. I am talking a real left handed guitar not a right handed strung left handed. Go try see how far you get then come back and try to state left handers need to learn to play right handed. Sorry but this is a topic that gets me pissed off. Especially when it's these music stores responsibility to guide the people who is just starting out to help them. thank god for schecter, dean who makes alot of left handed models. but i would stay away from the cheapo brands like series 10 (If they are still around) and those on the same level of series 10 guitars. They are on the basic bottom level of quality control, i know i had a series 10 guitar for year 1989-1990. Thank god Charvel made the 1990 model 475 left handed model or i would probably been stuck with it.
Interesting topic! I am severely left handed person too and I can play right handed and left handed guitars. Why? Well as a kid I have learned playing guitar from my sister, she was right handed and had a right handed guitar (and obviously she tought me to play right handed). Later I wanted an own guitar and my father went with me to a local guitar shop to buy one. The owner said to my father: I see, your kid is left handed, you better buy him a left handed guitar. So I got a left handed guitar and continued practicing with that. But: The guitar of my sister was easier to play, so I sometimes borrowed it from her for practicing. Result is: I can play both kind of guitars. The interesting question is: Are there differences between playing a left or a right handed guitar? Yes, for me there are a few differences: On a right handed guitar, hammer-ons, pull-offs and bendings are more precise and playing has a bit more of dynamics and expression. But: Regardless how often I practice, I am unable to shred on a right handed guitar as fast as I can do it on a left handed guitar. And: On a left handed guitar, the brain-to-hand-connection is a little bit better. Means: If I hear a melody or cord-progression in my head and want to play it on the guitar, than this is on a left handed guitar a little bit easier for me. Do I hear differences in the playing? Yes, I think so. On a right handed guitar, music sounds a little bit more melodic and "smoother", on a left handed guitar, there is a little bit more power and "pressure". But are this big differences? No, its more nuances. So, my personal conclusion is: At the end, it doesn´t matter, what kind of guitar you play as a left handed person, you can learn both (with enough practice). It is more a question of practicing. Means: On a right handed guitar, you have to invest more effort in training your right hand (especially if you want to learn fingerpicking or flamenco), but your left hand action is easier to learn and requires less effort. Reverse: On a left handed guitar, strumming and picking (and rasgueados!) with the left hand is easier to learn, but to learn complicated cord-changes with your right hand is more difficult and time consuming than on a right handed guitar. I had left handed and right handed guitars in the past, but today I only play right handed guitars, the left handed one was sold. Why? First: For me, training the left hands is easier than training the right hand. Learning cord changes and patterns is for me much easier on an right handed guitar, and fretting goes much smoother. And: It simply looks better when you play a right handed guitar! And you find a much better selection of nice right handed guitars at the dealership. So, today I have given up to invest time in practicing left handed playing and concentrate all my efforts in right hand guitars. So, for all left handed people outside there, if you want to learn guitar, my recommendation to you is to think about the following question: What do you think is easier for you? To train your left hand for fretting the strings and doing the cord chances? Or is it easier for you to train your right hand to do that? And keep in mind: Strumming and picking the strings is easier to learn than playing cords.
I am another one of these lefties playing right handed. I think it honestly helped me, left hand came easy to me, and because I was used to using my right for a lot of things, I was really able to quickly pick up the right hand stuff.
Can anyone please explain why it would make any difference to play any instrument that requires skill in BOTH hands to play one way or the other? Here we are using a test to .'predict' an outcome that is impossible ( as far as I know) to measure because the subject cannot actually play the thing from the off. Who's to know that if the player chose either way there would not have been an equal outcome? Unless I have evidence to the contrary (this video is no such thing), I would recommend left handed players to learn guitar in the standard configuration for practical purposes (you can play most guitars). IMHO there is no such thing as a left or right handed guitar. Just as with the piano its BOTH handed (some folks have adapted to one handed or two footed). I'm left handed and I fret with the left hand and pick with the right. Strong fretboard hand / weak picking hand. I stand to be educated.
My son writes right handed, swings a bat and a golf club left handed, shoots a basketball right handed, plays the guitar left handed. I'm constantly in awe of him!
Does he shoot pool lefty too? I'm right handed but play guitar and shoot pool lefty. I think the activities you've mentioned are more based on what feels natural than hand dominance. For golfing and baseball, it probably just feels more natural to rotate his body "lefty".
Phillip, I'm left handed however, I used my right hand for various things throughout my 65 years. In the 60's and 70's it was a drag being an artist due to all right handed tools, you learn to adapt. I knew the term ambidextrous but I knew I wasn't that. I'm Cross Dominant. I taught myself to play guitar right handed because I liked the look of a right hand guitar. It was purely esthetics. But years later I learned to love the look of an upside down strat, but of course with the low E at the top.
I bought a new, left-handed American Standard Strat from your store in Chandler back in 2011 and we chatted about this very subject. I miss that store ...
I am right handed, when I turned 11 years old my Nana got me a second hand guitar for my birthday. She bought a left handed one by mistake and I didn't have the heart to tell her. I'm not 43 this year and still play left handed! Only regret I find is when I go shopping for new guitars I wish I played right handed;)
I am a leftie and been playing left handed guitars since I was 15, now 59! I would say that as you become more proficient, the sophistication and subtleties of what you do with your strumming / picking hand becomes increasingly important. You can learn all the fretboard with your less dominant hand but for all the creativity, I think your dominant hand contributes more if it is the strumming / picking hand. All that is less important if all you want to do is learn to strum a few chords , in that case there are a lot more right handed guitars in guitar stores!
I'm a born lefty, when I started playing I naturally air guitared lefty. The guitar I had was my grandfather's acoustic and needed the bridge replaced because it was broken. Asked to have a left handed bridge put on it, ended up the shop didn't have one and put the right handed bridge on. So I began learning right handed and found that fretting and fingering was much easier. From playing baseball my right hand is pretty useful so it was fairly easy to strum and pick right handed and gets easier the more I practice. Plus there are a lot more choices of finishes and styles right handed. Now my brother is left handed too and he plays lefty but builds his own because of it. So in the end it worked out for me and haven't looked back since.
I'm lefty and tried learning guitar righty, and for years I just couldn't get it, and I kept going back trying to learn but it just never clicked, it was the most frustrating thing in the world. And then one day I was listening to Van Halen and playing air guitar lefty and had an epiphany. I ran to my guitar flipped the strings, and everything clicked, I was playing Fade to Black a week later! 😁 I think you should use the pick with whatever hand you right with, same motor skills.
Hey Phil, Now that you have both Right & Left Glarry's; you can throw them together and start busting out your Michael Angelo Betio shred. Take the channel in a whole new direction, you could start a Nitro cover band. 🎸
One advantage I found I bought a Squier Strat and a Squire PBass back in the 90s specially ordered specially made it’s the only way I could get them then recently I’ve had both guitars to tech to check out as they are getting old now the PBass has proper fender P bass pickups but the rest of electronics weren’t. The Strat has proper fender electronics but cheap pickups so for not that much money I have two reasonably high standard left handed guitars The tech reckons the Strat is a proper fender apart from badge and pick ups
Thanks for the clap test, Phil! I'm a leftie who plays rightie and I sometimes regret learning this way as I feel like my right hand lags behind the left. According to your test, I'm a both-hand clapper, so I guess I just need to practice more!
The clap test doesn't work for me from the second grade of elementary school (50 yrs ago). Many thanks to the teacher who told the children about it. In recent years, my eyes have been disturbed by pawnshop models of guitars especially made for the wrong hands. =)
I am a left handed, and I am extremely bad on my right hand, including playing guitar, holding a spoon or bottle of beer... On my foot it is opposite, i can comfortably use my left or right foot when i play football. So question is; should i play left or right handed guitars? Knowing the facts that I have explained above, answer for me was quite simple -> Left handed guitar but... it was a very bad choice because: 1- the guitar I am after usually is not available on left handed version 2- neck, body, shape etc of the guitar i am after might not be exist on left handed version 3- i cannot just grab someone elses guitar and play or show them the notes because they are right handed 4- i will need to order custom guitar if i want exact guitar i am after so yeah, I started my guitar career with £10 classic guitar, then within a month i purchased cort i believe g210 LH, and after a year purchased ESP LTD EC50 LH. I replaced pickups with EMG 81/85's on EC50, and i was still not satisfied with the guitar, because i was drop tuning and the guitar simply could handle for max 30 mins. so what have i done? I have ordered two custom guitars; one from Kiesel and the next from Mayones. Both of them are 26'5 scale, Kiesel Ultra Vbeing V body shape 7 string aggresive guitar, and Mayones Duvell Elite is 6 string guitar. I choose my own taste of pickups, wood, paint, neck, fingerboard etc. and i can honestly say that i do not need any other guitars - i know you can barely hear this from a person who plays guitar, but i am extremely happy with the outcome!
No need the overthink or test, play the way it feels natural. I am right handed but when I picked up a broomstick as a kid in the late 70's and started playing air guitar to Nugent, Sabbath and Van Halen, I played it left and never thought twice about it. In fact at that point I assumed I was playing right handed. I played a right handed guitar upside down for half a year before I realized I had to flip the strings or start playing right handed, I flipped the strings as playing right is not an option for me.
I am left handed but play right handed for a few key reasons. If I go to another persons house and they have a guitar the odds are it will be a righty guitar. I want to take it off the stand and be able to play. None of this “oh man of you had a lefty guitar I can totally shred for you”. Another reason I figure is there are various instruments that have no left hand version. Anybody playing a left handed piano? With this said, do whatever gets you playing. I won’t say what is best either way, I know I am potentially handicapping my playing so I can be more flexible in what guitars I can play out in wild.
I'm another lefty who has always played right handed. On fretting vs picking I would definitely say I struggle more with the picking hand, which shouldn't be a surprise. My sense is that lends to a more legato playing style. Play to your strengths, etc. But I have been investing more time in the right hand lately, as I have always held the pick between the thumb and middle finger, which is pretty unconventional (you should see how I hold a pencil with my dominant left hand; think caveman with a big fat crayon, but flipped over), and am trying to coerce it to a thumb-and-first finger approach. As soon as I stop thinking about it, or start playing for fun rather than practice it 'just goes back' to the way it has been done for 30 years. Conditioning or hand clapping test result? Who knows. Good vid as always, Phillip.
I'm lefthanded and following a beat, clapping or rocking the foot along to the beat of a song, definitely comes natural to me with my left side. I'm still a complete newbie, but the strumming gives me a lot of hardship and I seriously struggle with keeping up a steady beat or even make another beat other than straight down and up, down up, down up etc. But I live in a community of righthanded guitarists so I HAD to learn playing righthanded otherwise I would never be able to use other guitars than my own and it would be super challenging copying chords others are playing and learn new tunes and vice versa, they would have a hard time copying my chords to a new tune... I learned to open cans with a righthanded can opener as a child because I had no choice, and with scissors I can use both hands but prefer the left... Soo I'm thinking, time, practice and a whole lot of patience with myself... unfortunately I don't have much of the latter... 3 months in, practicing daily, my strumming still really really really sucks and I can do the down, down up, up, down strum, but the moment I try to sing at the same time my brain totally crashes 🤯🤯🤯
I’m extremely left handed but tried for years (on and off) to learn right handed. Started working with an instructor a few months ago, and he noticed how my left hand was doing fine but my picking hand just wasn’t improving-he hadn’t realized I’m a lefty. So this morning I ordered a Squier Affinity Tele (on Amazon!) to give left handed a go. Tonight I found this video-yeah I’m way way left handed. Wish me luck.
I’m am 100% a leftie player, I just cannot get my hands to work the other way round. I was born left handed, but made to do most things right handed. It’s probably really good for my bank balance that I am this way though - it’s much harder to find cool left handed guitars secondhand 😉
Im left handed and started with a right hand guitar. I play the guitar for almost a year by now and im struggling with my picking hand. My left hand on the fret board is fast and it feels just right, but my right hand just wont geht some motions right like for example tremolo picking. I can barely pick fast and it hurts. Is it possible to get the right hand like my left hand? I feel like i wasted a Year full of hard practicing...
If I learned Left -Handed Piano, then YOU CAN LEARN “RIGHT HANDED” GUITAR! (right? Left handled organ, piano, saxophone drums and percussion, microphone, keyboards, theremin, Pennywhistle, accordion, bassoon…. It’s important to get the left or right hand version, correct? You wouldn’t want to be left handed and get a standard guitar and end up sounding like Robert Fripp, right? (Actually, he played the Custom, not the Standard, I believe
I'm left-handed and play right handed. I was born with all 4 of my fingers on my right hand underdeveloped. They're all just past the second knuckle. Also my ring finger and my thumb on my left hand are short. Makes some chords difficult. But i can hold a pick 😁
I mix and match with everything. I play right handed, write left handed, everything is random. When asked about it, I always reply without hesitation that I’m amphibious and wait for their reaction. 😉
Nice vid, Phil. I’m right-handed. Most of my strength is in my right hand and arm. But… when I was about 5, my sister had an acoustic and as soon as I picked it up and tried to play, I automatically held it as lefty. It’s very comfortable for me. Playing righty isn’t. Years ago a guy in a music shop, after I asked him if they ever sell lefties, told me that playing lefty is a waste of time and that everyone should learn to play right handed. I never shopped in that store after that comment. I’ve owned a number of lefties - Fender/Squier, Ibanez, etc. - and now own a lefty PRS SE Custom 24. How about that!
Fender Mod Shop, though it could be called expensive, will let a lefty customize a guitar like nothing else I've seen. Most stock Lefties usually have just 2 colors to choose from or none at all. I got my seafoam Green Tele that way.
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.
Honestly, Phil, I wish more guitar sales people bothered to do this test with customers comming in to their store. It would have saved a lot of guitarist. Insted they will push a right handed on you at any cost. I’m a lefty that have tried to learn guitar for well over 20 years. I have probably quit more times than I started. 3 years ago I got my frist lefty. In the frist year I had more progres that the former 20 years combined. It is hard to learn to play guitar. Don’t make it harder than nessecary. -Get the right instrument from the get-go!
ive never played a left handed guitar, but i do most other things left handed (writing, sports etc) but playing right handed guitars never felt like a problem. like top comment said, i think its actually an advantage to be fretting with your dominant hand, especially with metal music. but it never held me back not using left handed guitars, if i play my guitar left handed it feels weird at this point but ive been playing for 13 years now so habits have formed. i even learned fingerstyle on classical guitar, so my right hand has never held me back, its the easier part of the instrument in my opinion.
Great video, you really nailed it. Being right or left-handed is not a choice, when I was young my guitar teacher advised me to start playing right-handed, "You will adapt to it quickly" but guess what, I didn't work out, after almost a year of trying to trick my brain into play right-handed I gave up on playing guitar.
I'm exactly the same as you, I own around 100 guitars and I put it down to "I should buy it, I might not find another" It's a human instinct to want what you can't have, and I bet we both want a silver sky 😮 You can find stuff if you look, some I nabbed are lefty Gibson Tikibird an original lefty Steinberger GL4TA with a lefty TransTrem even a lefty Rolant GR707 and the more prosaic SG's Les Paul's Strat's and tele's. The funny thing is 90% of the time I play a USA G&L legacy that only cost about £1,000
