My daughter wants to play guitar...
 

I have 3 guitars she could use but they're all standard, right-hand configurations and she's left-handed.

My wife thinks I should teach her to play right-handed. Since she's never played before, it won't be like she'd have to unlearn anything.

However, I'm concerned that I could be potentially limiting her later on because she might not ever fully develop the dexterity she might have otherwise developed if I had just gotten her a left-handed guitar to start with.

Jimi played a righty, he just strung it backwards.

I'm kind of curious why guitars are set up this way anyway. I'm right handed and play right handed, so that means I'm doing much more intricate work on my guitar with my left. that has never made sense to me. I bet I would be a lot better forming chords with my right.

I'm left handed and play right.

I'm also left-handed, and my guitar teacher insisted on teaching me right-handed.. and I am sooo glad he did! Lefty guitars are rare and more expensive typically than right-handed axes. And being a lefty, most of my dexterity is in my left hand, which is what moves around the fretboard. I would absolutely say to teach her right handed...

This, its the easy fix.

try fingerpicking and that "intricate work" will be for both hands and you'll be a better player for it.

I'm a finger picker. Never took to the pick. I still think I'd be a better player fretting with my right hand.

Get her a left handed guitar. I went that route and tried to learn right handed when I first started. I got really frustrated and gave up. I didn't start playing again for two years when my friend restrung a right handed upside down so I could practice left handed. It still never sounded right and I didn't start to excell until I bought a left handed guitar. So coming from a left handed guitar player I strongly encourage buying her a left handed guitar if she is serious about learning

Try it. I'm left handed, and play the guitar right handed. Give it a go.

It can be difficult finding good guitars that are left handed. But I hate it when guitar teachers make their students play right handed. Some of the greatest guitar players played left handed

Right handed.

Her strongest and dominate hand will be responsible for the most intricate parts, which will be to her advantage, if she sticks with it.

Guitar is super easy: it's just shapes. She'll benefit greatly with a right handed guitar.

Any pics? With pics I can determine what kind of guitar would suit them best.

Lol...the hard part of playing a right handed guitar is the right hand. The left hand is easier. To be great one must master both in the physical sense. :)

I've played for a lot of years, and I disagree.

I am a music store owner.

Personally, I have never understood this obsession with a left handed guitar. Frankly, guitar, like violin, is an ambedextrious (sp?) instrument. Furthermore, more advanced guitar playing has more work on the LEFT hand when playing in a traditional "right handed" configuration. So I would think that this would only be a benefit for a lefty to learn traditionally.

Violin players dont get the choice for example as all bows have to move in the same direction. If they did lefty violins, the lefty & righty players would have bows hitting between them constantly in a section.

That would make the symphony pretty entertaining. I wish they would try it.

Have her pick one up and pretend to play... Whichever she chooses will be the natural choice. I've played guitar left and right, banjo, piano, bass, cello, tenor banjo and numerous other instruments... All have their own natural feel when you pick one up. Her mind will make the choice for you.

Guitar? The Dane Cook of plucked string instruments? Please.

Set her up with a dulcimer.

Very true.

There is a place in Houston that specializes in left handed guitars.

I play right handed so can't vouch for the prices but check it out anyway, couldn't hurt.

http://www.southpawguitars.com/

can't agree with this. When I first picked up a guitar at the tender age of 12, I immediately held it in the lefty position. It didn't take more than a lesson or two in the right-hand position to switch my feel to that of a right-hander. And as myself and at least a few others have stated here, as a lefty, most of your dexterity is in your left hand, which is what flies around the fretboard when playing your guitar right-handed. I suppose there's no absolute answer, but coming from where your daughter is now, I am extremely glad I learned how to play right-handed...

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...58813204_n.jpg

But are you handicapped?

Can't do that without modifying/filing the nut. It's a major pain in the ass. One slight slip and you're buying a new nut.

She's nine, you dope.

I'm a lefty and I learned to play righty. It's an advantage. The left hand fretting and playing chords as well as scale runs is dependent upon left hand dexterity.

Have her learn right handed. It's really a tremendous advantage being a lefty playing righty if she ever wants to stretch it out.

First of all, I can't believe how many left-handed people we have here. :)

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm gonna let her play on the Strat tomorrow.

I was pretty surprised by that as well. I had always assumed that I was a freak of nature being a lefty playing right-handed guitar. Sounds like that's actually pretty common.

I agree, get the girl started right (pun intended)

Z

Where the **** are all you left handers coming from?

Not in terms of my guitar playing.

Right or left handed there is nothing natural about playing the guitar when you first pick it up. Natural comes with practice and bloody fingers, doesn't matter which hand imo. I really don't personally know any left handed players and I've known and jammed with many guitarists over the years. Maybe I have but I don't remember any.

If that "mob" was worth anything they'd start eliminating these people.

The trailer park by the nuclear power plant...

Speaking of left-handed guitar players...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-Bielawski.jpg

of course, if this lefty would've learned to play right-handed, he might have amounted to something.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6azobZEcj...mi-Hendrix.jpg

Notice that Jimi is actually playing a RIGHT-HANDED guitar.

Jim and Tony both learned to play before they actually made left-handed guitars.

http://www.lefthandedguitarists.com/...guitar=2&opt=3

Famous left-handed guitarists who play right-handed

AL ANDERSON
BILLY BOB THORNTON
BILLY CORGAN
BOB BROZMAN
BRUCE COCKBURN
CALVIN NEWBORN
CARL WILSON *
CHRIS MARTIN (Coldplay)
CHRIS REA
DANNY GATTON *
DAVE HOLE *
DAVID BOWIE *
DAVID BYRNE
DUANE ALLMAN
ELVIS COSTELLO
ERIK DARLING (The Rooftop Singers)
GARY MOORE
GEORGE BARNES
GEORGE VAN EPS *
GILES HEDLEY (Giles Hedley Blues Band, The Aviators)
INORAN (a.k.a. INOUE KYIONOBU)
JANICK GERS (IRON MAIDEN)
JIMMY RAINEY
JOHN WETTON (KING CRIMSON)
JOHNNY WINTER
JULIA ROBERTS
KEANU REEVES
KEITH CARRADINE
LEFTY FRIZZELL
MARE WINNINGHAM
MARK KNOPFLER *
MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO *
MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
MICHAEL HEDGES
NICK LOWE
NOEL GALLAGHER (Oasis)
PASCAL PERIZ
PAUL LE MAT
PAUL SIMON
PHIL HILBORNE
PRESTON REED *
RIK EMMETT (Triumph)
ROBERT FRIPP
RUVANE KURLAND
STEVE CROPPER *
STEVE MORSE
TED GREENE

We're working on the gingers at the moment.

One at a time.

I'm lefty, I tried righty with the same thoughts in mind. It didn't work out so my father took the guitar to a shop & had it flipped like Hendrix.

I felt much better about myself and my playing. I felt more comfortable in the lefty setting than the righty & my playing took off. Don't do it to your daughter, if she's lefty - she's a lefty.

Sure the selection is extremely limiting in terms of buying a new ax down the line but I've always found great guitars.

Just my two cents since I've been in a similar situation.

wut


I literally half glanced at this list... and THIS was the first name i saw.

He's been in a few bands out here and is actually a good bassist.

Johnny Depp is a really accomplished guitarist as well. That's actually why he moved to L.A. originally: To be a rock star.

Look at this way, Dude: If your daughter has any real talent and decides to pursue this for a living in some fashion, whether it's as a songwriter or sideman or a band or whatever, it makes more sense for her to walk into a room and play right handed.

If she's asked to sit in somewhere or sit in on a session or contribute to a song or whatever, she'll always need to have her left-handed instrument on her at all times. IMO, that's a major detriment.

And as I said earlier, guitar is easy. It's just shapes. I doubt she's out to be the next Yngwie Malmsteen. And make her take piano lessons as well. If you can play piano, you can virtually understand and play almost any instrument because it's laid out so simply that the music theory is natural.

Been-there, done that...:thumb:

My 13 yr old daughter has become quite the musician; instumentally and vocally, as a lefty. In-part it is because of who she is, and in-part because of learning in a right-handed world as a left-handed musically inclined "tweener"...I'm proud, and she "rocks."

Just my experience...

Stick with a right handed guitar. She can use her dominant hand to work the neck.

mmmhhmmm. I guess Wild Stallions wasn't all bullshit then.

http://content6.flixster.com/questio...299540_std.jpg

Alex Winter's brother used to play keyboards in a cover band from St. Louis that occasionally played in KC back in the late 80's and early 90's.

Congrats man! My 10 year old daughter started playing drums this year. My mom, my brother, my father in law and myself all played drums. It feels good to pass it on. Enjoy it bro!

you have a daughter? 2, right bob?

One daughter and one son.

I'd start teaching her the more standardized way which is right handed. As a lefty she should be able to pick up the switch back rather easily if she just can't figure it out right handed. As it is now you are dealing with a clean slate so go the more common less expensive route.

She could end up being a bit of both as my younger son is. He writes left handed, eats right handed, kicks right footed and plays drums, djembe, congas and bongos. My other son self taught bass, guitar, keyboards. Both of my sons got the musician bug and we love it. Except when they want to try to make that their life's work...Bubble busting is hard.

If she truly loves the instrument and/or has a gift for it then she'll pick it up rather easily. It's like magic to watch.

Lefty, learned to play righty, which is the way any music teacher should do it. I hated it at first, but having the dom hand for the frets was an advantage for stamina. If it was my lefty kid, I'd teach 'em the standard right-handed way. I'd only switch if the kid couldn't grasp the technique, but that shouldn't be an issue for a beginner.

if you go the strung backwards route, just make sure you adjust the bridge accordingly.

Both of my girls take piano lessons. My youngest (the one who wants to play guitar) has struggled with it a bit but she's picking it up fast.

My oldest, I just sit and listen in wonder. She learns faster than I ever did. She jets through whole lesson books. She's the same with the clarinet. And with the clarinet, she skipped an entire year of instruction when she skipped a grade.

My oldest wants to play drums. It's the reason why she started piano lessons. The school band program requires that anyone playing percussion has at least 2 years of piano...

Un-possible.

The nut would have to be altered or more likely completely replaced.

My dad is a retired band teacher and I played trombone for him from 6th grade through high school but put it down and haven’t picked up a musical instrument since so he’s excited that I’ve bought an upright bass and have been learning how to play. When he and mom get back from Texas this spring he wants to get together and jam.

I'm another lefty that plays a righty (I thought I was the only one).
I've always felt that the dexterity in my left hand has compensated for a weak right picking hand.
I've always had to work on my picking way more than anything related to my left, (i.e chord formations, scales, bending, etc...).
I would suggest she play a right handed guitar, but make sure she doesn't slack on her picking by using too many hammer ons and pull offs with her left.

Every guitarist from the 80's disagrees with you. :p

The other advantage to her learning on a righty is that 95% of the lessons and tutorials available on the internet are taught righty.

shit, that's what I meant.

Totally true. That’s how I got away with it for so long. LMAO

Shit, I just realized what kind of situation you ****ers have put me in...

:facepalm:

I'm a lefty and play golf right handed..she'll be fine.

....it's all in your head, anyway.

If she becomes a serious player, it is more difficult to find preferred equipment lefthanded. I started teaching my son to play right handed as well (he's a lefty). I think if you already have the equipment, check to see how well she responds and how perservering she is. I don't know, so far my son hasn't shown the followthru to prove me right.

I would want my dominant hand picking and strumming. Dexterity comes pretty quick with practice.

Yeah, that's a big part of it.

I don't want to lay down a 40% premium for a lefty axe only to have her quit in a year...

Exactly. You guys act like this girl is going to be shredding through scales. I would want my dominant hand doing the strumming or picking. Really depends what kind of guitarist she is but if she is learning acoustic which I think all beginners should start with. Definetly don't create a larger learning curve by forcing her to play right. You can buy a cheap left handed guitar to see how she responds

restring the rightie to allow her to learn it leftie (yes I know the pick gaurd will be upside down)......if she sticks with it, you go buy her a new leftie.

If she wants it do what you can and hook her up lefty.

She'll pass through a phase or make you proud and keep with it...

I've seen you golf. :evil:

This is an interesting topic.

I started playing drums at a young age (righty). I was pretty accomplished and when I was a freshman in HS I met another fellow drummer who was left handed. We were both in orchestra and other band combos (jazz, etc). We both had our drum kits at school and I started messing around with his left handed kit. I sucked at first, but after a while I got to the point I liked playing lefty as much as righty. It also made for some interesting variations doing things I normally did right handed on a left handed kit. I improved a lot in that short amount of time compared to the previous months/years.

True.

But not sober and with intent.

The nut is grooved for right-handed strings.

You can't just turn it upside down.

If she plays righty, I don't have to buy a guitar. I have a half dozen of them.

Spanish Classical. She should learn to read music, it will help open doors later (playing piano, violin, etc)

Let her mess around with both left and right handed guitars and see what feels more comfortable. Some people are left handed but prefer a right handed guitar.

But she's NOT a rightie, DAD!:mad:

:doh!:doh....

You can buy a cheap left handed guitar for less than $100 bucks at a pawn shop. A decent learning guitar to see if she will stick with it before buying her a better one. In the end I would leave it up to her. Go to a guitar shop and have her play a left handed guitar and a right handed one then let her decide. I just know from personal experience I quit playing out of frustration when trying to learn right handed. There is a steep learning curve for playing the guitar and the first year is more about perseverance. (very easy to get frustrated)

She's been playing the piano for just under a year...

Excellent.

I suck at piano but personally, there isn't a finer musical instrument in the world.