When I finally decided to learn the guitar, I was faced with the usual lefty's dilemma... do I learn to play right-handed, thus giving me the full selection of guitars, do I learn to play left-handed, effectively limiting the instruments available to me, or do I bastardize a right-handed axe?
Though it worked for Hendrix, I immediately ruled out modifying a right-handed guitar. You see, most guitars are non-symmetrical, with a notch cut out of the body that allows the fret hand to work farther up the neck of the guitar. I didn't want to sacrifice that range. Besides, most guitars are works of art, and I have a tough time improving on such beautiful craftsmanship.
I ruled out playing left-handed for practical reasons. A friend of mine had a guitar he wasn't using -- a nice Fender Stratacaster -- so I began learning on that. After a few lessons, I asked my guitar teacher about the trade-offs of my approach, and he admitted that he didn't know. Well, after a few years of playing, I now feel qualified to tell you the trade-off for a lefty playing a right-handed guitar...
The trade-off is speed in your pick hand. I've been playing guitar for somewhere around four years now, and my picking is SLOW! This is partially because I'm VERY left-handed, but don't let me fool you... it's also because I don't practice as often as I could. But to quantify it, I pulled out the metronome yesterday and my picking speed is about 225 bpm. Yes, that's my quarter note speed, and yes, that's WITH alternate picking. My skill is roughly on par with the guy who strums his acoustic guitar while sitting around campfires, singing slightly off-key.
If I had it to do over again, I'd probably still be playing a right-handed guitar, but only because my friend allowed me to use his axe for so long. If I'd have needed to purchase before playing, I'd probably go lefty.
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3 comments:
To be honest, I think any benefits or problems are totally subjective and down to personal preference.
For example, as you said, your picking isn't as fast as it could be, but technically you started with far more chord-fingering dexterity.
Also, I've been playing guitar on and off since I was 17, and fast finger picking feels like something my brain was just never wired for. I don't think it would have made much diffence if I'd chosen to play lefty for some reason.
You're right that I started with more chord-fingering dexterity.. and strength. The thing is, I believe that it requires more fine motor coordination for fast picking than for fast fretting.
By the way, I have no regrets about my choice. I decided to start playing in my mid-thirties, and generally speaking, picking up a new skill later in life will lead to a lower plateau of mastery than picking up that same skill at a younger age. I never expected to be the next Eddie Van Halen... I'm content to be the guy who strums the guitar by the fire... but not content enough to stop trying to improve.
People who actually learn the guitar are people who love the guitar.
It's about how you feel when you play it...and that's the same if you're playing a four-chord song or blasting out a complicated solo.
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