Left Handed Guitar

The Left Handed Electric Guitar

We wanted to talk to you about the electric guitar. In fact, we wanted to talk to you about the left handed version of this musical device because it isn’t as popular as most people seem to think. we remember when we first started out learning to play the guitar, we had to get a regular right handed one. This made it twice as difficult, but that’s what we needed. My teacher that was supposed to make me better could only teach me if we used a right handed one. This was a nightmare for me. This is just like trying to force people to write with their wrong hand. It’s just so unnatural and frustrating to do.

The main reason that it is hard to find this type of guitar is that lesson plans, teachers, exercises are all designed for right handed people. They’re they ones that dominate this niche of the market and hence the market bends to their needs. If you’ve been looking for a left handed electric guitar you’ve probably struggled to find them. You may have seen inflated prices if you did manage to locate one. It’s literally a racket for a lot of people.

The reason that this type of guitar is harder to learn on is due to the fact that everything is backwards for all the material. Some songs have pretty complex notes that need to be played and everything is mirrored. If you were to view a right handed guitar in the mirror, that’s what it is like for a lot of teachers that are trying to show you. Everything is exceptionally frustrating for them too, so this is a main reason you’re not going to find the left handed electric guitar anywhere.

The good news is that you can usually pick up custom versions of this if you’re willing to pay. Private guitar shops that will build you one that will fit your needs, but this is pretty costly. You can also refurbish your guitar yourself and turn it into a left handed one. This can be a bit awkward and it isn’t an easy task to achieve.

Is It Difficult To Play The Left Handed Guitar?

Most musical instruments can be played with both hands, but the guitar is another story.  Guitars usually are meant for the right handed person to play and a left handed person may not be able to play it very effectively.

Although guitars can be built for either a right handed person or a left handed person, it is the dominant hand that decides how well the guitar can be played.  As a left handed person, your dominant hand it your left hand.  The dominant hand will pluck or strum the strings of the guitar.  The right hand or secondary hand will hold the strings against the neck of the guitar, initiating the desired chords.  Most of the musical chords is generated by the dominant hand, or in this case the left hand. 

There are some in the musical industry who believe that a left handed person should hold a guitar the same way a right handed person does. 

Constructing a left handed guitar takes a bit of rearranging of the strings, the bridge and the nut.  The thickest string of the guitar needs to be reversed what it normally is for the right handed guitar.  The bridge and the nut have to be turned upside down to fit the strings which will have been constructed in the reverse order. Some people insist that a left handed guitar costs more than a right handed one. 

Chord charts are another challenge for the left handed person.  There are many chord charts primarily printed for the left handed person.

With minimal modification to a guitar, a left handed person can learn to play the guitar as well as someone who is right handed.  Many famous left handed players have adjusted quite well and have been able to produce multi million gold records.  Being a “lefty” should not prove to be a handicap if your desire is to learn to play the left handed guitar.

Playing An Electric Guitar With The Left Hand

Can you become a successful electric guitar player if you are left handed?  Yes you can.  Just look at what Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney accomplished. 

Guitars can be built for anyone who is left handed.  With a left handed person, his dominant hand is the left hand and his right hand is the secondary hand.  The dominant hand strums the guitar strings and the secondary hand holds the strings against the guitar’s neck. 

If you are a left handed person, you may not want to settle for a right handed guitar.  Your left hand is your active hand.  It is this hand that will tell your right hand what to do.  By changing the strings around, you create a guitar that is meant to be played with the left hand.  An electric guitar is a guitar that has been “plugged in” to create an “electric” melodious tone.

If you are unable to afford to have a left handed guitar built, than with practice you could learn to play a right handed guitar like Jimi Hendrix.  He just learned to play the right handed guitar upside down.

There is an advantage to playing a right handed guitar, even an electric one, with your left hand; you will use your left hand to play the notes.  This will build endurance and your left hand will have enough strength to play and do pull-off without using a pick. The neck and top of the guitar will be pointed to the right and the strings will be played from the high to the low.

Let’s face it.  It is a right handed world.  There are many artists and musicians who are left handed and that is the hand that does all the fingering work.  The main advantage in purchasing a right handed guitar is that you can share with others as well as try out theirs.  When upgrading, this can be a big advantage.