Left-handed musicians - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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dwill123

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Posted: August 14 2014 at 19:50

Billy Cobham, drummer extraordinaire.

SteveG

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Posted: August 15 2014 at 10:57

Dean wrote:

SteveG wrote:

a few left the strings as they were and actually played the guitar completely backwards and upside down. I can think of two. Can you think of any?

Dick Dale, Doyle Bramhall II, Dan Swano

You forgot the electric original: American blues man Albert King. I don't believe that's him pictured above.

Edited by SteveG - August 15 2014 at 11:13

uvtraveler View Drop Down

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Posted: August 15 2014 at 12:15

As a left-handed guitarist I can tell you that the percentage is probably less than 10% because if there is any way you can pull off being a righty, your life is way easier. A lot of dominant lefties may have enough dexterity to switch to right-handed playing. I just couldn't do it, even though I actually write with my right hand.

I can play a right-handed guitar upside down better than about 80% of the right-handed players playing right-side up because I had to do it so often at friends' houses or jams when I didn't have my guitar.

The hardest part is buying new guitars...the selection you can play in the stores are very limited. I used to test out right-handed models and hope for the best when I ordered the left-handed version. Now, I just go to large chains like Guitar Center and see what they have and buy the best one I can afford.

So, there are probably really 10% of the population who would have preferred to play guitar lefty, but a decent percent switched to righty to avoid the complications.

Dean

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Posted: August 15 2014 at 13:37

SteveG wrote:

You forgot the electric original: American blues man Albert King. I don't believe that's him pictured above.

I didn't forget him, I don't like blues therefore he is not someone I would have committed to memory. I only know of Bramhall because I had a wtf moment when I saw him play the solo in this otherwise pedestrian performance:

Edited by Dean - August 15 2014 at 13:40

What?

infocat

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Posted: August 15 2014 at 20:17

SteveG wrote:

^Same deal as Mark Knopfler who I think is a genius. By the way, there were plenty of left handed guitarists that played right hand guitars after inverting the strings but a few left the strings as they were and actually played the guitar completely backwards and upside down. I can think of two. Can you think of any?

Dick Dale.

--
Frank Swarbrick
Belief is not Truth.

PrognosticMind View Drop Down

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Posted: August 16 2014 at 05:55

SteveG wrote:

Dean wrote:

SteveG wrote:

a few left the strings as they were and actually played the guitar completely backwards and upside down. I can think of two. Can you think of any?

Dick Dale, Doyle Bramhall II, Dan Swano

You forgot the electric original: American blues man Albert King. I don't believe that's him pictured above.

Dan Swano is an incredible player; I always forget he's a lefty.

ginodi

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Posted: August 21 2014 at 12:09

I used to be a right-handed guitar player until a left hand accident where I lost 3 2/3 fingers when I was 19 back in 1978. I have been playing left-handed since I resumed playing in 1981. I purchase only left-hand guitars, but for awhile I had played right-handed guitars ala Hendrix. There have been no problems other than not being able to fingerpick, naturally. I dabble in keyboards as well, but I am limited to 5th chords on the left hand.

Michael678 View Drop Down

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Posted: August 21 2014 at 14:41

Gerinski wrote:

Some people say that left-handed people may be in principle more adept to creative and artistic talents (their proportional predominance in some sports has nothing to do with intrinsic better potential but only with statistical and practical advantage).

However, while the general average of left-handed people seems to be around 10%, I would say that the number of left-handed musicians I know of, at least in Prog and Rock in general, seems to be much less than this. Out of my head I can think of Paul McCartney, Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Phil Collins, Rod Morgenstein or Ian Paice, but at any rate surely not 10% of the musicians I know.

Probably with some instruments such as keyboards it is hard to spot them since nearly all of them play right-handed instruments, left-handed pianos and keyboards are very rare or non-existing altogether. Some others may play right-handed instruments out of practicality, even if left-handed guitars and basses are not that rare anymore and drum kits can be assembled in any direction for the same cost. Perhaps the lack of left-handed teachers for them plays a role too?

Any thoughts on the subject? (BTW I'm right-handed Wink

)