Left handed Guitarists

Busty St Clare

Busty St Clare

Ex-Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
12,662
Location
Nice, France
So Busty Jr likes to shred. Well let me clarify, he is only 4 but he has taken quite a liking to playing guitar. He has a cut down 3/4 version that he loves to strum and is always writing songs ( I even caught him singing Kiss' "I was made for loving you" the other day). I have an acoustic guitar that I pluck but to be honest I have very little musical talent, just the ability to research and copy. I'd love to help him out and teach him a few chords.

The problem is he is left handed and I don't know what to do. Do I just teach him to play right handed or do I restring it upside down and let him develop into another left handed mother fucking genius? Is it just a matter as reversing the strings and retuning the guitar? When he picks up the guitar he does want to strum with his left but being young he still swaps and throws with his right when he wants, but he writes and will use utensils with his left. How did all you sinister guitar players develop?

And so as not to leave a dead lifeless thread here in NEM, here are some lefties for your viewing pleasure.....

Jimmi..
jimi%20hendrixxx.jpg


Iggy...
f315fb497cd4c455ef41a6d2e79933f5-POP.1.removTrus3.jpg


Jimmy Cliff...
cb94af3c49f79a867c43a48b6dd3c2d8-CLIFF.23.jpg
 
Get him a left-handed guitar. I am a right-handed player but my brother is a lefty and has a left-handed axe. Also, although he was not a "great" guitar player, wasn't Kurt Cobain a lefty?

On a side note does your son also like to create art?? Many of the lefties I've come across in my life have been very creative.
 
theotherside26 said:
Also, although he was not a "great" guitar player, wasn't Kurt Cobain a lefty?
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I think he was predominantly right handed, but played left handed cuz his Aunt was left handed, and she was the one who initially taught him.

See, the Sprite can isn't in reverse in this photo.
kurt_cobain_nirvana_kurt_writing.jpg


I don't really see the problem. I say just let him play however he feels comfortable until it becomes more apparent. Then you can start worrying about all the other stuff later.
 
theotherside26 said:
Get him a left-handed guitar. I am a right-handed player but my brother is a lefty and has a left-handed axe. Also, although he was not a "great" guitar player, wasn't Kurt Cobain a lefty?

On a side note does your son also like to create art?? Many of the lefties I've come across in my life have been very creative.
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yes, I find left-handed people to be much more creative, on an average, than right-handed peeps

and I have done my research
 
You can restring his guitar for the time being until he is old enough for a full size. Welcome to the wonderful world of hard to find guitars!
 
^Agree with this... Note that all three guitarists are playing upside-down, right-handed guitars in the pictures provided...
 
If he's anything like me he will probably want to play it upside down. I don't really have any issues playing it like that so I don't think it will cause him any problems.

oneswtwld said:
yes, I find left-handed people to be much more creative, on an average, than right-handed peeps

and I have done my research
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention we are better looking than most righties. =D

On the down side though left handed people live about on average 5 year less than right handed people and are more prone to mental illnesses like schizophrenia. :|
 
i'm a left and i learned how to play right handed since all of my strength is in my left hand so i would that to be my "fretting" hand. plus you have way more options when it comes to getting a new axe since left handed ones are more expensive and dont have as many options. i would say teach him to play a right handed axe...i tried a left handed guitar when i started and it didnt feel....right lol

thats awesome tho, hes 4 and he is already interested in playing guitar. get him playing now and who knows you might have the next jimmy page or hendrix
 
tribal girl said:
Jimmy Cliff's is still strung the right handed way though. So he's essentially just playing it upside and back to front. Must be tricky to learn that way.
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I have a buddy who learned this way... It's really interesting to watch. He now uses a lefty guitar, though (strung the normal way!)
 
I wouldn't say he is as creative as his right handed older sister but he is a fucking gun at working out puzzles and lego etc.

I am considering leaving the guitar right handed and let him learn to play it upside down like Jimmy Cliff. My thinking is he can then pick up any random guitar and have the ability to play it. I am just struggling to figure out how they position their fingers. If I decide to restring it is as simple as just swapping the strings top to bottom?

I found this site which lists a whole lot of left handed guitarists and even divides them into those who play it upside down, those who play it restrung, and those who play it right handed.

http://www.lefthandedguitarists.com/lefty_guitarist.php
 
tribal girl said:
Jimmy Cliff's is still strung the right handed way though. So he's essentially just playing it upside and back to front. Must be tricky to learn that way.

Another awesome lefty would be Greg Sage. <3

Greg+Sage.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJyuSq2_-_U&feature=related
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Saw the thread title and thought I'd have to mention Greg. Should've known I'd get beaten to it. :)

Genius guitarist. There's a radio broadcast somewhere (I think it's from his sol oyears) where the producers handed him a right-handed acoustic guitar and forced him to play it. He proceeded to play flawlessly.

Built his own equipment too. I hope he gets back to releasing music soon. Electric Medicine has been a long time coming...
 
33Hz said:
If he's anything like me he will probably want to play it upside down. I don't really have any issues playing it like that so I don't think it will cause him any problems.



You forgot to mention we are better looking than most righties. =D

On the down side though left handed people live about on average 5 year less than right handed people and are more prone to mental illnesses like schizophrenia. :|
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it's a thin line
 
SamhainGrim said:
Saw the thread title and thought I'd have to mention Greg. Should've known I'd get beaten to it. :)

Genius guitarist. There's a radio broadcast somewhere (I think it's from his sol oyears) where the producers handed him a right-handed acoustic guitar and forced him to play it. He proceeded to play flawlessly.

Built his own equipment too. I hope he gets back to releasing music soon. Electric Medicine has been a long time coming...
Click to expand...

I only have the first three Wipers albums. Actually no that's a lie, I have Power In One too but never really got into it. Also have The Best Of Greg Sage and The Wipers of course. So good. :)

Didn't know he built his own gear though. :D

It occurred to me when I was watching The Runaways the other day that Joan Jett's left handed, but plays right handed.

fanpop said:
Joan stated in an interview that though she's left-handed she plays right because she has more dexterity and control with her left, so why switch?
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