Any Righties play left-handed, or lefties play right-handed?

[PitchShifter]

Curious how common it was after some interesting ideas came up this week.

1) A question in last week's New Scientist mag where someone asked why right-handed people play the guitar and fret with their left hand, a seemingly more dexterous activity than strumming or basic picking (steady on flamenco or classical types!) http://www.last-word.com/content_handling/show_tree/tree_id/2503.html

2) It's been a topic of some conversation amongst cricket commentators regarding batting technique.  Traditionally a right-handed person faces the bowler with the left side of their body in a batting stance (might be the same in baseball?). But lately, in the Australian national team, players at the top of there's been a number of players who bat the opposite way, right-handed people batting left-handed, and vice-versa. Some of the theories suggest that the dominate hand really should be the other way round to be working to one's strengths.

 

[ledzepplin6914]

one of my friends is a lefty and plays righty

 

[baskruit]

Absolutely. I'm in everything a lefty but two things: Playing bass (which would totally feel unnatural to me if I had to do it the way it's considered left) and using a computer mouse.
I must say that I'm very happy for it. Left (bass) guitars are not only harder to find, they just look wrong to me as well.

 

[jimh]

Check out Doyle Bramhall II or Jeff Healey. Two more unconventional (yet brilliant) players you wouldn't find.

Jeff plays (played) with his thumb on the fretting hand. And Doyle plays leftie, but strung righty, as if he just flipped the guitar over so the skinny strings are at the top.

Both are great players, but weird and interesting to watch

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

I have always wondered why "righties" fret the guitar with their left hand, and vice versa.  It seems like it should be the other way around.  I'm glad you posed this question.

 

[Superlizard]

As they say, lefties are in their right mind...

Which explains why we rule the galaxy.

 

[kboman]

Ed Harcourt is left handed and plays right handed guitars turned upside down (thin strings up). Robert Fripp is left handed and plays right handed.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

...... why right-handed people play the guitar and fret with their left hand, a seemingly more dexterous activity than strumming or basic picking (steady on flamenco or classical types!)

Excellent point.  My only guitar teacher made that obsevation that righties are actually playing left-handed because all of the fine motor skills are on the left-hand.  A band I was in years ago had a lefthanded guitar player that played righty for that reason.  He could use his dominant hand for fretting.  But IMO, the decision for most is not made based on dominant hands but rather comfort on the body.  For most righties, a rifle has the left hand under the stock and the right hand doing the trigger.  Holding a guitar has a similar feel.  Left hand under the fretboard, right hand over the body.  Playing an instrument developes muscle memory for no other purpose than playing that instrument. 

If you've ever seen a parent with a small child in a music store trying to find a guitar for a 1st lesson, some kids not knowing what fretting or picking is will pickup a guitar and hold it how it feels comfortable.  Sometimes it's lefty, sometimes it's righty.  On one occasion, the salesman suggested no preference but laid out scenarios for a child that held a right handed guitar left handed.  There is less demand, therefore less selection of lefthanded instruments.  If playing lefthanded, they will be mostly limited to playing their own unless they have a lefthanded friend.  Impromptu jams on other gear is almost eliminated. 

 

[Superlizard]

A huge advantage us lefties have:

Nobody touches our geetars.  :laughing7:

 

[Steve_Karl]

I'm a lefty and play righty.
When I started playing I'd never heard of a left handed guitar so I never considered that there was a choice.

 

[Mor Paul]

I've wondered the same thing. Actually, I may try learning to play the other way around sometime or another.

 

[AndyG]

I've picked up a left-handed guitar a few times, and even though my brain knows what to do, it has a real hard time getting my right-hand fingers to do it!

However, to add to the weirdness, when I play golf, I'm a right-handed shot.  When I play hockey, I'm a left-handed shot.  Go figure that one out!

 

[erogenousjones17]

Didn't Dave Mustaine switch from left to right or vice-versa?

 

[Steiger]

As a kid I was a lefty until i broke said arm.

Been right ever since.

Play guitar right, write right (most of the time) but shave and clean teeth with left.

Playing golf, I swing both ways (grrr yeah baby) but the left swing is heaps better than my right.

Rightio...

 

[Return of Guitlouie]

Albert King is another lefty who played a right handed guitar without re-stringing.  He could bend those high strings three steps, because he would yank down on them, and there was plenty of fretboard to hold his note.  He was, by all accounts, a very powerful guy. Somewhat related to this.....all of the top chefs in the world train themselves to be able to do critical kitchen activities with both hands, in case they injure themselves.  Knife skills are very important to these guys, and being able to do what they do with both hands keep them running their kitchens.  An aside to this....I myself try to do this when I'm at work, and I have discovered something interesting.  I can use a whisk with my right hand like nobodys business, but I just can't get the motion right with my left.....UNLESSS, I cross my hands like you sometimes see drummers doing.  If I cross my left hand under my right, so that the bowl I'm whisking in is on my right side, I can whisk both bowls at the same time.  Oh brain, you are so weird.

 

[exaN]

I'm righty but I play hockey lefty and golf righty :tard:

 

[TexxasJam]

I'm a righty who plays lefty...due to an injury to my left-hand. 

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

A huge advantage us lefties have:

Nobody touches our geetars.   :laughing7:

I think the novelty of it would get them touched more.  Any guitar player would try to play it lefty or turn it over and play it upside down.

 

[Dan025]

it is interesting that we tend to play that way. but when i started it did seem more natural to hold it that way, also rhythm comes more naturally to my right hand. maybe that will get some childish comments but seriously it just feels uncomfortable to strum with my left hand. maybe it is because writing requires intricate movements at the wrist, the fingers aren't really that involved when you write. on the neck your wrist is supported and doesn't need to make rapid movements in rhythm. it seems to me that it is easier to train just the left hand the finger movements while the right hand does what comes naturally than to train both hands to do new things in coordination with each other and in time.

 

[DangerousR6]

As they say, lefties are in their right mind...

Which explains why we rule the galaxy.

not really, you are fretting with your right hand. Which means using the left side of your brain.... :glasses9: