crucial info from left handers needed

[The Rodg]

Hi guys. This will be my first post to the "guitar" section so take it easy on me

I have a four year old who wants to learn guitar. She is left handed. I am right handed. I am almost positive that I should start her on a left handed guitar but am not sure. Here's the same question in 4 different variations.

Did you start on a right/left handed instrument?

In retrospect; would you rather have started on a right/left handed instrument?

Is it easy to switch once started one way?

Are there pros and conns to starting either way?

Thanks in advance. I want to make sure I give her all the advantages and tools she needs to stay interested and grow musically. You guys have the knowledge from experience that I need.

 

[slukather]

If l was in your position l would start her with right handed, and leave it that way, there's no doubt that there are disadvantages to being a left handed guitar player (gear wise). If you do start her playing lefted handed, it would be harder to switch to right handed later.

But have you ever tried to play left handed now??? it's back to beginners school. hehe

I hope this helps.

Scott.

 

[Eddie Van Halen]

start her off right handed, it will be easier for you both in the long run

 

[kbaim]

Steve Morse (eb endorser and fantastic, unreal player) is left handed. But plays a regular guitar.

He said it just made sense to him to do all the difficult fretboard stuff with his dominant hand anayway.

And what others said about finding gear is so true. If she takes to it, it's much easier to go treasure hunting where there's treasure. Left handed stuff is just too hard to find.

4 years old, though? Maybe a ukelele to start.

 

[The Rodg]

There are mini-scale right handed guitars available. Just like ya'll have said.......I can't find a left handed model. Keep that info coming guys, so far its 3 for right and none for left................

 

[SteveB]

Rodg,

Why don't you take her to someplace that has a small scale guitar and let her hold it both ways. (Sure, it'll be upside down in one of the orientations..but that will mean nothing to her..) Then ask her which way feels more comfortable.

I would lean toward imposing a right-handed guitar on her for the reasons that everyone mentions. Daisy Rock makes some nice short scale guitars that are just for girls, and they won't break the bank either. I've been eyeballing them for my 3-year old daughter. I think they have a short scale bass coming, too.

I apologize for mentioning non-EBMM instruments, but they don't have a competing product so I don't think it's entirely blasphemous.

 

[The Rodg]

I took her to GC and let her try out a Fender mini squier. When she first picked it up she held it left handed. Beleieve it or not she looked around and realized on her own that she was opposite from the guy next to her and turned it over right handed. That is what spwaned my curiousity on the subject.

 

[ernie1966]

I'm inclined to agree with my distinguished colleagues and say start her off right handed. She won't know the difference, in fact she'll probably want to copy you, the selction of left haned guitars is limited, and it will make it easier for you to help her out since you play right handed.

 

[The Rodg]

Does EB make small scale guitars for kids?

 

[John C]

I'm a lefty who plays right-handed. Way back when I was 7 or 8, I had a plastic toy guitar that I tried both ways. It came strung for a right-handed player, but after a while someone (my dad, I guess - he wasn't a player so there must have been an instruction book with the guitar that explained how to do it) had reversed the strings so it was set up for a lefty. I never got serious about it and stashed the plastic guitar in the basement. When I was around 14 or so I got bitten by the guitar bug again, tried that old toy guitar both ways again, and then picked up an inexpensive right-handed accoustic guitar (hardly more than a wooden toy) at a discount store, and have stayed that way ever since. However, I really didn't get serious about guitar until I was 17 and conned - er, um, "convinced" my parents into getting me a Fender electric and a little amp for Christmas.

Like the Steve Morse story, I always felt better to have my dominant hand on the fingerboard; it always felt natural to me. Plus, I don't have to go out and track down a left-handed guitar. However, for me the downside is my picking hand - I've never really been able to finger-pick, and it took a a while for my flatpicking to catch up with my fretting capabilities - hitting the strings late while learning alternate picking, etc.

My long-winded point being, at your daugher's age, let her be the guide. It seems like she is gravitating to playing right-handed, so let her try it out that way. However, for a first guitar it might be wise to start her on an accoustic that would feel the same if she wanted to try it flipped and strung for a lefty.

 

[J-Nick]

So I'll be the first lefty (who actually plays lefty guitars) to add my 2 cents...

I think that the most important is that she chooses the side that she is the most naturally comfortable with. Otherwise she might find that the initial learning curve is to steap and she might be tempted to abandon.

It is true that there is a very limited selection of lefty instruments (especially quality ones) out there but it is still possible to find very nice lefty guitars. After all, EBMM offers two models in left handed version (axis ss and sil spec)

Believe me that I would love to be able to just walk in a store and have hundreds of guitars to try like you right handers but I think that, in my case anyway, learning right handed would have been an extra difficulty that might have discourage me when I first started.

Switching once you have started learning one way is going to be close to impossible and a big lost of time...


I hope this helps

 

[The Rodg]

I see what you guys mean about hard to find lefty axes. I have been checking several companies and no one makes a left small scale. I appreciate everyone's responses. This has been real helpfull. Going to take my daughter back to GC and let her try out the small scale/right handed guitars and see which one she favors.

 

[kbaim]

Another idea...though a little outside the box here.

Have her try out a mandolin. They're little, with really small frets. Tuned different than guitar (like a violin). And sound pretty cool.

Disclaimer. I got one about 2 years ago but only played it about a dozen times. I gotta put some new strings on it and play it again. Especially after hearing Chris Thile and Mike Mashall's INTO THE CAULDREN cd.

KEITH

 

[chris ashton]

I'd totally agree with J-Nick on this issue, let your daughter decide which way she is most comfortable with, if I'd had to learn on a right handed instrument I think I'd have gven up long ago. The only real advantage from my point of view with a right handed instrument is the cost but there are so many "budget" leftys available now. Hope this helps.

regards

Chris