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I got a guitar the end of June and I got myself a lefthanded one since I am left handed and it is easier for me to play.
I got a chord chart and learned the C F G A E D EM AM A7 chords. I got some guitar tabs off the net and practiced some songs and even tried to write songs since I know major chords in the popular keys. However, I am getting bored. Can anyone tell me how to PlAY GUITAR using the strings with the chords. Any good websites? I am planning on getting lessons the beginning of August and I am planning on having a few musicians show me the ropes a bit, but can anyone tell me the gist of how to combine the strings with chords as well as the lead guitar stuff. I notice on tv the guitarists re playing the lower frets instead of just the first 3 that are normally used for chords. How does that work?
Any good websites out there?

A girl after my own heart I am a lefty also. Playing, I believe like you are refering to, broken chord leads, or cowboy style is something that (IMO) just takes time and practice. I have been playing for 20+ years and have never had a guitar lesson. If you get them take full advantage of them but at the same time, experiment. Finding TAB sheets is really helpful because alot of times they will show this style of playing. Two good songs that helped me become proficiant at this style of playing were "Wildwood Flower" and Tenessee Flat Top Box". Anyway, those are my thoughts the matter and I wish I could be of more help to you. If you are able to, go to the mp3 forum and look for my link to my demo for "Where Did Country Go". It will take you to the download site where 2 of my songs are at and they are just me and my guitar but they are good examples of the type of playing I believe you are refering to.

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ric4music
"Have Guitar, Will Travel"

How wonderful that you're learning the guitar...it's one of the most beautiful sounding instruments, in my opinion...and great for songwriters.

I am going to offer a slightly different point of view here...I've played guitar and piano since I was 9...And my 15 year old son, who is a lefty, is also a violinist and guitarist.

When I first learned the guitar and piano, I distinctly remember thinking that I would never be able to develop any strength or coordinaiton in my left hand ( I am right handed). I remember feeling very awkward and wondering if my non- dominant hand would EVER feel as coordinated as my right hand!!

Interestingly, my left hand DID develop the strength and coordination...after LOTS of hard work and tenacity. In fact, I can safely say that both of my hands operate at the same level...My son, who is a lefty, also went through having to develop strength and exterity in his right hand...

When I hear my son play the guitar ( not a lefty instrument) I forget that he's a lefty, because both of his hands are now as strong as each other

The guitar ( and piano) require strength and coordination in BOTH hands. Don't be afraid to work on your non dominant hand! I am SO surprised that my left hand ever got any stronger!!!

I understand that artists like Paul McCartney have lefty instruments, and there's really nothing wrong with that...It's all a matter of preference and comfort!

Keep or sweep...have fun with the guitar!

Emily

P.S. Here's one of my favorite web sites for guitar instruction: http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/instruction.html

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http://emilysanders.net

[This message has been edited by Emily Sanders (edited 07-25-2006).]

Emily,

I'm sorry but I could not disagree more with your comments. If your son went against his bodies natural tendancies that's fine,but there is nothing wrong with playing a guitar left handed. Jimmy Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, etc...

Hand strength has nothing to do with it. It has to do with how the artist feels comfortable. I have tried to play both way's and felt more comfortable left handed.

Now if someone has abendextrious qualities then either way is possible, but if someone (like myself) is left side dominant then playing right handed doesn't seem to intelligent to me.

Every guitar manufacturer today has finally gotten it through there heads that there are those of us who refuse to conform to the right handed ways. I can purchase a brand new Martin, Taylor, Gibson, etc. already in left handed models. Twenty years ago I couldn't walk into a music store anywhere and play a left handed model guitar but now almost every one I go to has a lefty or two hanging on the wall.

My whole point is this. I say sweep the whole though of trying to change your bodies natural tendancy to play left handed.You play your way and us lefties will play our way and nobody will be able to tell the difference.

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ric4music
"Have Guitar, Will Travel"

[This message has been edited by ric4music (edited 07-26-2006).]

[This message has been edited by ric4music (edited 07-26-2006).]

Hi, Ric,

You make an excellent point. Going against the body's natural tendencies is a bad idea for many people. I think that being ambedextrious must run in my family - since I have had a similar experience as my son with guitar..

I was just trying to share a personal story about the body's ability to learn. It was because of my son's comfort and amazing ease with his guitar playing - with both his left and right hands -that I shared his story. That's all...I was not trying to say that my way is the only way...One of the great things about this board...is that many people with differing views can state them.
Every individual is so different, and I coudln't agree more that lefties deserve the same comfort and choices in instruments as "righties" !!!

I'm glad you took the time to post your opinions
Your knowledge and expertise will certainly help other lefties

Emily

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http://emilysanders.net

[This message has been edited by Emily Sanders (edited 07-26-2006).]

[This message has been edited by Emily Sanders (edited 07-26-2006).]

Hi there! I'm a lefty too. But I like to put my good hand on the fingerboard. Makes more sense to me. Steve Morse is also a lefty, and plays this way. Good hand on fingerboard.

We get to tell all those righties that they're playing wrong. I know this as a fact, because I'm in my right mind.

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Tom Tracy
http://www.soundclick.com/tomtracy

To each his/her own. My good hand controls the pick and tempo while my other good hand holds the chords and notes. It all takes practice, practice and above all practice. Playing any instrument is utilizing muscle memory.

Here's a question; how many right handed people do you know that would decide to play a left handed guitar in order to put their "good hand " on the finger board? Sorry Tom but that jug won't hold water.

I could have conformed and played right handed because the first guitar I ever got (my daddy gave it to me) was a right handed guitar. I tried to play it that way and put it down for over a year and didn't touch it because it didn't feel right. Then I strung it left handed and I have been playing ever since (going on 24 years)

Again, to each their own.

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ric4music
"Have Guitar, Will Travel"

Well,
I am left handed, probably because I broke my right arm when I was about 7 years old. When I bought a guitar I decided I would learn to play right handed. Whatever feels comfortable to you is right. I once saw someone picking a guitar left handed. It sure looked strange. Do they have books for the left handed player?

Ray,

Your case is different only in that you were born in your left brain (right handed)so your natural tendancies would make you more comfortable righty style.

The books aren't any different other than they would look backwards or upside down to a right handed player. I've found that looking at a chord chart set for right handed players is easier for me to read, only because that's all I've ever found.

I've gotten my fair hare of weird looks. I've had several people say they didn't notice until I happen to mention it orwhen I'm playing in a group.

Something my 11 year old son pointed out is that when I give him his lessons he thinks it's easier because it's like looking in a mirror for him.

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ric4music
"Have Guitar, Will Travel"

I write with my right hand,play right handed guitar but I shoot left when playing hockey and bat left in baseball and prefer to pick berries with my left hand.What does that make me? I don't think that is true ambedextrious as they do all thing well with both hands,I guess I am just confused LOL.

Everett

[This message has been edited by ECA333 (edited 07-27-2006).]

Everett,

You sound like my middle son. He's a righty but he bats left handed and even eats with his left hand but everything else is right handed.

ET AL (that mean "And all others")

SeptemberGirl9 is probably still waitng for more answers (other than mine) to what her original question was and that is how to play the guitar, instead of people telling her how not to play it. So, here is a suggestion, go back to what she originally asked, we will drop the debate on which way a person should play their guitar and try to help her along the way to a wonderful future of playing guitar.

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ric4music
"Have Guitar, Will Travel"

Well ric4music,
You think I have a brain. Damn, I think I'm going to hire you. At last someone thinks I have a brain! Gheezs, don't tell Mike Dunbar. He will have a poll. Folks, I was born in my left brain! You heard it here first. I'M A WALKING THE DOG,.......

If you want to get proficent on the Guitar you have to practice, practice, practice!

I agree with Ray, do what feels comfortable, try just strumming both ways.

As far as the "good hand" on the fingerboard theory, that's not how a lot of guitar teachers look at it. They say the "good hand" is the hand of attack and therefore should play the rhythm.

Do a search on Libba Cotten or Elizabeth Cotten. She was a southpaw who played left handed with the guitar strung for a righty. She wrote the song "Freight Train" and wrote the picking part that Chet Atkins covered.

Some play left on a right guitar, some play left on a left guitar. Some left handers play right handed. No right handers (that I know of) play left handed.

If it feels right it should be left alone.

Mike

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You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

Ric4music is right...I guess we got off topic a bit....

Here's a site for beginning guitar instruction...hope it helps!

Emily


http://guitar.about.com/library/blguitarlessonarchive.htm

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http://emilysanders.net

Hiya,

Interesting discussion, but you're right, there isn't much here to actually help her play!

Have you searched the Web for "learn guitar" and "left-handed?" I have a couple of "teach yourself guitar" books (for righties) that were only about $6 a piece. If you head to a music store you can browse through a few of these and ask the guys at the store if they can show you a lefty book. Most of the learn-guitar books will show you what the notes are on the fretboard one by one, and how to read them on the staff (often they'll have both TAB and staff notation). This has helped me a lot--I have a long way to go, too, but I'm finally figuring out what the notes are and why the chords make those chords.

You'll most likely be getting a book like that when your lessons start up. If you have your instructor already, you could give 'em a call and ask which book to get. Then you can get a headstart.

Good luck!

Linda



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Linda Adams
http://www.alyssastory.com

Here's TAB and staff for Elisabeth Cotten's "Freight Train" it uses basic chord positions with fingerpicking. It's not terribly hard, but may be daunting for a beginner...worth the work, though, it gives you the basics of fingerpicking.

http://sologuitarist.net/elizabethcotten.html

All the Best,
Mike

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You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

You have to walk before you run. You have to want to LEARN to play the guitar before you have a chance of learning to PLAY. And it's not a short-term proposition.

If you're bored after one month, without hearing you, I'd say you need to get serious about learning the basics. Can you play the songs you practiced as well as you'd like, for example?

Playing a musical instrument is at its root developing muscle memory. Which is why it doesn't really matter which hand does what or even whether the strings are in the standard order or reversed (like Hendrix, a lefty who just flipped a right handed guitar upside down -- I personally know three good players who do that). And muscle memory only comes with repetition.

Take your list of chords. Could you, say, play them at 120 beats a minute, one beat per chord? Can you do it with your eyes shut? Can you do even a simple down, down-up, down-up, down rhythm flawlessly through the chord changes for a whole song?

If you really want to play guitar, don't even think about lead or barre chords other than F (those up-the-neck chords) for a good year. Practice the basics -- changing chords and strumming or fingerpicking. Over and over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over.
It's worth it.

Get a teacher you like, tell her specifically what kind of music you want to be able to play and be patient enough to take the steps to get there.

Thanks so much for all the feedback and advice. I am sorry I have not been able to respond for a few days. I know that I am so excited about learning this cool instrument that I get ahead of myself and want to just play well. But I know it takes lots of practice and many years to master an instrument. Well I'm in it for the long haul. Playing guitar is something that is not only for enjoyment but is a great tool for my songwriting, so it is something I am very serious about and will commit to buckling down and practicing every chance I get. And I do need to master the basics still. Right now I am working on chord changes so they are clearer and faster. I have bookmarked the solo guitarist.net site and the guitar. about. com site and will study those sites you guys gave me and Ric-I will check out your mp3 of your songs to hear the guitar playing in them. Thanks so much for all your help!

Macca is right-handed. He just plays guitar left-handed! Just shows, there ain't no rules either way!

http://www.gootar.com/guitar/index.html
The above is a very good guitar site and the goodest bit about it is you can tell it you are a lefty and it will come up as a lefty too.
Great for finding out what name, if any , any chord you shape up is.
Well worth putting on anybodie's favourites list I am sure.
Even keyboard players sometimes need to know what they are playing by way of chords, and I haven't seen a similar one for them.
Graham

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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/grahamhenderson_music.htm

Graham,

Once again, you pull the rabbit out of the hat.

This is a terrific site. Good work.

Mike

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You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

It's called self preservation Mike.
I don't play well, but know a little theory.
I collab with several composers who don't have a clue what chords they are playing.
Well didn't have a clue.
Come time for me to write a bed track, it was a nightmare.
They'd send me where their fingers were on either guitar or keyboard and i would nut it out.
Then I gave them this link and life it a lot easier.
Glad you found it a good one Mike.
Graham

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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/grahamhenderson_music.htm

I'm left handed, but right armed, & playing righthanded feels more natural, but enough about me. As far as learning to play, toher than learning the chords, the best advice I got was to make sure I was able to play a steady rhythm before worrrying about getting too fancy. My lead guitarist has dozens of horror stories about quitarists who can't keep the same rhythm from the beginning through to the end of the song.

I took lessons when I was 21 for six months & learned a lot(with lots of practice)but right when we were getting to the really difficult part, I dislocated my shoulder...Three months later, I was out of the sling & back to the lessons, and just getting to the tricky stuff again when I had another dissagreement with the ground & was back in the sling....This pattern was repeated for the next 4 years with 6 more dislocations & 2 surgeries.

Thirty years later, I still haven't gotten around to the tricky parts,,,I feel like I reached a level of competent mediocrity when I was 21, but I have at least perfected my mediocrity since then, & besides, someone has to play rhythm while the jammers jam.

Midnite



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Satchel was right...Something is gaining on me....
www.jackcouldntmakeit.com

I don't think it really matters. When I began learning guitar (Classical) both hand positions and movements felt wierd to me. I have a finger deformity on my little finger (left hand- I am right handed). I wish my guitar teacher had suggested I play left handed. 15 years later I tried restringing my guitar and learning to play it that way, but the problem wasn't my hands being unable to handle the switch. It was my head. I had already learned the chords and so forth and had trouble reversing the chords and notes. So I gave up and just worked around my difficulty and accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be the world's best guitar player.

I too am left handed but I play a right handed guitar upside down like Libba cotton. I have a 30 year old tab of her "freight train" somewhere that I used when I was learning to play. the only reason I don't play a left handed guitar is that when I started ,the only guitar in the house belonged to my right handed brother so I borrowed it and taught myself to chord upside down. Anyway to September Girl, I have taught right handed people to play and the best success I've had to overcome boredom is for you to put the formal instruction methods away for a while and learn to play a song that you really know well and can sing along with. maybe something simple with 2 or 3 chords. Believe me it will inspire you to learn more.

It was slightly work damaged left hand stopping me making barre chords that got me looking for alternatives and coming across sheet music of some Skip James songs and noting he used an extended B7 shape up and down the neck and as i can do a B7, I tried it and while I still play bad, I can play that shape anywhere on the neck and it works for me.
Graham

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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/grahamhenderson_music.htm

Do we have other Lefty's around here? I am left handed and simply tried to play right handed... perhaps that's why I could never get the hang of guitar...

Brian

Hey Brian

Thanks for resurecting this ole post it's got some great stories and information. I too am a lefty in that I write left handed. However I throw a baseball with my right and I opne doors mostly with my right. When I first started playing I too turned the guitar upside down to play left handed. It worked pretty good as far as ryhthm went but my holding of the chords with my right hand was tough. I eventually decided I would try to learn to play right handed. It didn't feel natural at first I wasn't sure it was right for me I was tempted several times to just restring my acoustic or buy a left handed guitar. I am so glad I didn't because I really feel more comfortable now playing right handed. I've even tried to go back to playing left handed and it feels so alien I just can't do it. Not knocking those who have learned and done well left handed but it wasn't for me. I also enjoy the fact that most anywhere I go I can play the guitars they have. Not all stores carry left handers.
Derek

I recently contacted a luthier at a major guitar co. who asked not to be named for some info for my left handed blog. My question was: Can switching the strings around harm a guitar? Here is his answer:"We don't recommend anyone to switch strings, since bracing, bridges and tone bar are set up for right handed players. It is better to play it upside down. Otherwise it could be harmful to the structure of the guitar." Let me add that if you do this especially with an expensive acoustic and something breaks they probably wouldn't honor any kind of warranty that it might have. I'm not sure about solid body electrics but I do know that the bridge, saddle and nut would have to be adjusted. Ben

I believe you can buy left-handed guitars. I think Martin makes them and maybe others. Ask in A Music Store.

Left handed guitars are not as expensive as you might think. The internet is full of them.

I just bought a Strat for my daughter for Xmas. Whilst looking on the net there were dozens of sites offering LH guitars all makes and models MOSTLY same price as RH. Our ex guitarist has a LH turned upside down so he can play RH.

I play right-handed because I do favor the right hand, but have some facility with my left, as well. In baseball I was a switch hitter when I felt I could take advantage of it. I can do many other things with both hands like writing with both simultaneously. However, I have a left handed younger brother who plays in the right handed way. I know he struggled for years with it because his right hand was not very coordinated with rhythym and motion. However, he kept at it and got better. For many years now he has been a full-time guitar teacher. I did not encourage him one way or the other. I think he chose the right handed method because of the guitar he had and the chord books. I think he would have learned faster had he bought a left handed guitar and learned that way, since he struggled so much with it.

Ultimately, I find left-handed people very sinister!

"Ultimately, I find left-handed people very sinister!"
Jack, was that a left-handed comment?

Indeed!

Jack, I think only lefties (like me) will understand the joke.

I am a lefty. It is the politicians, powerful businessmen and extremist religious fanatics that I find sinister. More danger from them than any amount of left handed guitarists.

Apparently, not all of them either!

HA! Looks like my (meant-to-be-humourous) comments about "right-handers playing wrong" stirred up some controversy.

In reality, I play the way I do simply because right handed instruments are much easier to find. It wasn't because one way was easier or more comfortable than the other. To me it was simply a matter of availability.
The interesting thing I've found over the years is that the mandolin and greek bouzouki are tuned like the bottom 4 strings of the guitar but in reverse - low to high GDAE. So the quickest way to play chords is to think mirror image of guitar chords. You gotta be in your right-mind to play like that on the fly.

The only instrument I play reversed is the Chinese Guzcheng.The string farthest away is highest pitch, versus the traditional setup. I did it this way simply because that's how Andreas Vollenweider has his set up. Try to find some lessons on the Guzcheng anyway - I don't think anyone notices the backwards setup.

The best way to learn...
is to just keep playing.

It may take a while, but you will develop your ear. And play along with your favorite records; try to figure out the notes on those favorite songs of yours. And then worry about the theory behind it all. It will make more sense when you can hear it.

And remember, music is all patterns; all math (but in a good way). If it makes sense on the fretboard, visually, then it will also make sense sonically.

Here are a whole bunch of places a Lefty can check out to learn how to play guitar:

Left-Handed Guitar Player Resources

Maybe you lefties can explain something I've always been curious about. Given that both hands have to do something when playing the guitar, why even make two different orientations for a guitar? I mean, we don't have left and right handed pianos - or do we?

Actually, for a right handed beginner, why use a right-handed guitar instead of a left, since it would seem easier to form chords with the right hand and the left hand would only have to strum?

What am I missing? It almost seems like whatever you learned with would be what to go with. Must be something more to it than that....

Just always been curious about this.....

Scott

Scott - you touched on my original point. I think a lefty would be better off with a right-handed guitar.

Although rhythm experts think that strumming is more important than fingering chords - so we have both sides of the coin. Either hand does something equally important. I pretty much just stuck with what was more readily available.

When I worked at Ensoniq, I wanted to create a reverse keyboard. The engineers added a reverse pitchtable (highest key is lowest note) which was pretty cool, but they didn't switch the physical order of the keys. I wanted to push it one more notch, but I guess that's just me.

Being a rocker at heart, it's my nature to be annoying.

Scott, you kind of answered you own question. You asked why make two different orientations for the guitar? In the next sentence you said "it would seem easier to form chords with the right hand and the left hand would only have to strum". I am as left handed as they get. First, it is easier to hold the guitar left handed. Second I have better coordination in my left arm and hand so it is easier to position my arm and hand to strum or pick out single notes. I happen to have more strength in my right arm and hand so it serves well to make complicated chords that are unmuffled. It is easier to make barre chords with the right hand too. Plus I can shoot a bird or a peace sign to the audience with my right hand whichever is appropriate. Ben

As I mentioned, my brother plays right-handed even though he is a lefty. I think his progress would have developed quite a bit faster if he had his left hand for strumming and picking because he was so clumsy using the right hand for that. I don't think the chords would not have challenged his coordination nearly as much as strumming and picking.

I'm a righty...but I shoot pool left-handed. And I can only snap with my left hand. Go figure.

Thanks guys....

Seems like all possible combinations (e.g. righty with a lefty guitar) might be useful, depending on the individual.....

Scott

We have the same thing come up in golf...there wasn't very good left-handed clubs so a lot of leftys played right-handed. Now there a lot of left-handed Canadian players. Seems that they learn the swing from growing up shooting left-handed hocky shots.

I am, and play right-handed and could not play anything left-handed.

Right brain-left hand, left brain right-hand...does this mean anything? How is Jeff Healy's brain wired?

tom

I'm right handed but I pick berries with my left hand,in hockey I shoot the puck left handed ,I bat left handed in baseball,I box right handed,play pool right handed,aim a rifle with my right eye,play guitar right handed.What does that make me,mixed up.lol