Left Handed Guitar Playing - a Guide
Left handed people can become guitar players but there are some adjustments you need to make to your guitar and your outlook. First if you think that you "should" be right handed because that is how guitars are designed, think again. If the hand that keeps telling you it wants to perform actions is your left hand, you are better off listening to it. This is your active hand, which makes your right hand passive. So in a way, your left hand tells your right hand what to do. Paul McCartney is one guitar player who tried to make his right hand do the picking and it did not work. He only started to get anywhere with playing the guitar after he changed the strings around and started picking with his left hand. There are lots of left handed guitar players who have mastered their instrument and gained fame and fortune. I have already mentioned Paul McCartney, and there are many others like Curt Cobain, Tony Iommi, Jimi Hendrix and Slim Whitman.
Dick Dale, "King Of The Surf Guitar" is one notable exception to this rule. The first guitar he learnt to play on was a normal right handed guitar. So he forced his hands to learn to play without changing the order of the strings on the guitar. Even after he was able to buy custom made left handed guitars, he still played with the strings in the right hand positions because that is what he was used to. Bobby Womack and Albert King also play like this.
So what changes need to be made to a guitar to make it suitable for playing left handed? Well, when you hold a guitar in playing position the sixth string - the E string which is the thickest guitar string needs to be on top of the guitar, that is closest to your shoulder. To achieve this the order of the strings needs to be reversed. If you hold a right handed guitar in front of you and look straight at it, the sixth string is on your right hand side. To string the guitar for left handed playing, the first string should be on the right hand side.
Also, the two parts of the guitar that actually hold the strings on - the bridge and the nut need to be changed around. If you look closely at these parts you will see that they have slots cut in them to hold the strings. Naturally the nut and bridge will need to be turned upside down to fit the strings in the reverse order.
Now for the question of buying left handed guitars. Many guitarists complain that left handed guitars cost around double the price of right handed guitars, so you will need to do some serious shopping. Tokai and Vintage make serviceable mid-range left handed guitars for a reasonable price,. Fender make all the 'basic' model Telecasters and Stratocasters for leftys, and Gibson make left handed versions of all their flagship guitars.
Now let us look at another challenge for left handed guitarists - chord charts. If you do a search on the web you will find a range of printed left handed chord charts and chord generators. A good on to start with is "Left Handed Guitar Chord Chart", by Robert Tarchara. There are also books that are written especially for left handed guitar players:
Mel Bay Left-Handed Guitar Chords, by William Bay, 2005
Guitar Case Guide to Left-Handed Chords, by Rikky Rooksby, 2001
Guitar Case Guide to Left-handed Scales, by Rikky Rooksby, 2006
Fortunately there are many left handed guitar players who have been willing to share the knowledge and experience on line. Some can be found on forums, others have set up their own websites. Among other tips they can help with where and how to buy left handed guitars.
About the Author
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? http://playaguitarforfree.com/ is my blog which shows you that there are many people like you who wish to learn how to play bass, acoustic or electric guitar. You will find guitar lessons, videos, articles and reviews to answer your questions, calm your fears and help you play the guitar.
Left Hand Acoustic Guitar
The left hand acoustic guitar is for those individuals who feel that their left hand is far more capable of playing the instrument than their right. However, this depends on the hand capabilities which vary from individual to individual. The guitar has to be played with two hands but the decision of using the guitar for fingerpicking or chording, depends on the guitarist. Each hand requires the player to play according to their personal orientation. For those who find themselves more adept with the left hand acoustic guitar, there are several options and brands available for them to buy.
Features of Left Hand Acoustic Guitar
The left hand acoustic guitar is designed as an exact opposite to the right hand guitar. The body and strings of such guitars are in reverse of their position to the guitars made for right-handed individuals. The guitar's neck in a left hand acoustic guitar is on the right side. Also, such guitars have their pick guard (the plastic along the strings and next to the sound hole) just below the sound hole. However, some left-handed guitarists choose to play a right-handed guitarist with their upside down to suit their hand orientation.
Playing Left Hand Acoustic Guitar
The best way to begin playing a left hand acoustic guitar is to buy the basic six-string guitar. The technique of learning how to play the left hand acoustic guitar is much similar to playing the ordinary right hand guitar. After buying the guitar, the musician must understand the kind of song that is emitted from the guitar and how it differs from each string. Also, getting the hand accustomed to the guitar, despite the painful calluses that build are important. Lastly, the guitarist must also practice the chords on their left hand acoustic guitar daily to get the best sound.
Tips on Buying Left Hand Acoustic Guitar
Guitars are becoming an increasingly common instrument but buying a left hand acoustic guitar is a difficult task. The fundamentals for buying the guitar are exactly the same as buy a right-handed guitar but the problem lies in finding the instrument. A large number of stores don't have left-handed guitars. The buyer must do research to better understand what kind of brands are available in the market. They must also practice on both a right and left hand acoustic guitar to see which sounds better, if a left hand guitar is difficult to find then an individual can get one custom-made according to their playing needs
About the Author
Interested in learning more? Read more detailed writings about Left Hand Acoustic Guitar right now. Visit our site for lots of great Silvertone Acoustic Guitar Information.
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