[6string]

Originally Posted by Donovan

Another rightie here I've got a leftie brother and he's been thinking about getting into guitar. That lefthanded thing is bothering him a bit though. Would you guys recommend him to start out playing righthanded?

I don't think it matters when your first starting out, it's all foreign in the beginning anyway

[Misty2u]

Yep, I'm a rightie too. I'm the odd one out in my family though as my hubby and both my daughters are left-handed.

Originally Posted by allthumbs

I make up for it with two left feet though.LOL

Nicely put..!!

[Donovan]

Thanks Joe and 6string, I'm pretty sure he'll be better off trying righthanded then. I agree that practice and the muscle developed through practice means a lot more than what your dominant hand is, especially since the fretting hand is doing a lot of complex motions. Don't underestimate the importance of the picking hand though, an awkward hand will KILL your timing

And btw Dan, wasn't Jimi Hendrix lefthanded, but did he just play righthanded guitars (with the strings inverted of course)? I thought he liked doing it that way because the toggle switch (and whammy bar?) would be on top for easy access...

[danthelion]

Originally Posted by Donovan

And btw Dan, wasn't Jimi Hendrix lefthanded, but did he just play righthanded guitars (with the strings inverted of course)? I thought he liked doing it that way because the toggle switch (and whammy bar?) would be on top for easy access...

You're possibly right, unfortunately we can't ask Jimi himself. I read what I posted in a David Mead book & also saw it on a TV doco (about his life in general) some years ago interviewing some who knew him saying to the effect 'commonly thought by many he was left, but little known fact was right in everything else etc..'
In other words I am not claiming to be an authority on it, just relaying what I have come across.

[madman360]

lefty playing right handed.....i was really thinking about flipping my guitar strigns over and playing upside down but i guess i was meant to play right handed since when i held my guitar upisde down it was hard to use my right hand as my fingering hand

[CanuckTodd]

Interesting thread. I'm a leftie, but play right because that's the first guitar I picked up. I think I might have had an easier time when I started forming chords using my left hand, as my fingers felt pretty nimble. But the tradeoff is I find I'm having a much harder time getting picking timing and precision down with my right, particularly plucking single strings. For what it's worth, that's my excuse anyway!