Advice from a Left-Handed Guy Playing a Right-Handed Guitar: My Gift to The Upper Bout

So, my bud Brian at The Upper Bout and I were talking last week about guitars (is there really anything else to talk about at a guitar shop???) and we got to talking about how I'm left-handed but I play right-handed guitars. At some point in time, Brian mentioned my blog and (maybe somewhat jokingly) that I should write a post about why I made that decision and think that left-handers should at least consider doing the same thing.

So, without further ado...

Why Left-Handed People Should Consider Playing Right-Handed Guitars

So here we go.

If you are left-handed, you're probably used to having difficulty with some right-handed objects: golf clubs, scissors, 3-ring binders, can openers, and plenty of other things. At some point in time, it becomes a sense of pride that we are lefties. We like to tell people we're left-handed, talk about how we are so much more awesome than right-handed people, tell our share of jokes and lefty-isms ("Left handers use the right side of their brain; righties only use what's left!"), talk about how we're more creative, more agile, or discuss all the things we do that are left-handed or right-handed (for the record, there are only 2 things I do that are right-handed: golfing and batting....well, and playing guitar, which I'll talk about soon, but the rest is lefty).

Around the time I was 10 years old, a relative of mine had just given up learning to play guitar, and so they had one for sale, and only $50. One day, while I was visiting, they brought out the guitar and I tried to learn how to play. Fun! I was hooked. My parents paid the money and I became a guitarist.

Hold your breath.

It was a right-handed guitar.

FOR SHAME!

How could any self-respecting lefty be caught playing a right-handed guitar? Don't I have the same level of pride other lefties to?

Of course I do.

But here's what I believe: Right-handed guitars are EASIER for lefties, and lefties can be better at guitar than right-handed people can.

Here are the main points I wish to share:

1. Guitar was made for 2-handed use. Think about it: it's not as if your strumming/picking hand is the only had doing any work. You need to have good use of both of your hands. Left-handed guitar players need to learn how to use their right hands, and vice-versa.
2. Your non-handed guitar hand (or something like that) often does more work than your picking hand. Right-handed guitar players, especially those playing solos, need to have a lot more finger and hand agility in their left hands to play the right scales, transitions, hammer-ons and slides, while the picking hand, while needing some agility, doesn't require much finger agility, at least not at the level of the left hand. Plus, when you're learning, the hardest part is learning how to fret notes, not pick strings. Why would you want to use your non-dominant hand for the more difficult task when starting out?
3. All things considered, it's easier to get and try out right-handed guitars. Don't even get me started with vintage instruments, but if you walk into a guitar shop, you'll maybe find 1-2 lefty guitars, if you're lucky! Keep in mind, this isn't the reason I'm suggesting lefties play right-handed, but as a lefty who plays right-handed guitars, I appreciate the fact I can sit down in pawn shops, guitar shops, or with people selling guitars on Craigslist and play the instruments they have. I get to try out a lot, develop some preferences, and I'm not stuck playing what's available, or buying guitars online. I've occasionally bought guitars online, but I prefer to play them first!
4. You can talk about how you're a lefty who plays right-handed guitars. Still an incredible source of pride. Better yet, write a blog post that nobody reads and feel really great about yourself!

Final Disclaimer: I will never declare to you that there is a right and a wrong way to play guitar. After all, Jimi Hendrix broke basically every "rule" about how to hold and play a guitar and did fantastically. My only statement is that I implore all left-handed players to at least try out, for a week or two, playing a right-handed guitar before deciding to play a fairly rarely-made instrument type. You may enjoy how easy it is for a smart, creative lefty like you! :)

~C