Easy Way to Use Left Hand on Banjo
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The BigC from DC - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:35:08
I am looking to buy a banjo for the first time but here is my dilemma, I play sports/throw a baseball with my right hand yet write with my left. Does anybody else out there have this same sort of "gift" in their life? …if so Id be much obliged for any advice
Thanks
p.s. I use to play the trumpet and I played the valve keys with my right hand, if that means anything….
OM45GE - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:45:03
This has been discussed a few times here on the BHO. Coincidentally, we were talking about it in another thread about some vintage banjos. You might want to read those posts.
http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=109331
I'm facing it because my 7 year old is lefty and has been "playing" my righty guitars and banjo. However, he flips them over and plays them lefty. I bought him a small bodied Martin guitar in left handed version. Then someone told me that would be hampering him in the future. As they said: "There are lots of left handed violinists but no lefty violins."
I'm sure this will get lots of comments and am looking forward to seeing what people have to say.
"But if there were no music
Then I would not get through" - Shawn Colvin
laceyth9 - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:51:27
I'll throw in my two cents worth. In our family band, I have two sons that are left handed. One plays the bass and the other the mandolin. They both learned from the beginning to play them right-handed. This way, they can play anyone else's instrument and we don't have to make special accommodations so they can play left-handed. When watching others play live or on DVD, the players pretty much all are right-handed so its easy to learn from what others are doing. BTW, having them learn to play right-handed has enabled them to play sports with either hand... so there are advantages to learning the right-hand method.
Tim Lacey (Chief #5)
www.thelaceyfamilybluegrass.com
BigDaddio88 - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:58:22
Learn to play right handed, I switched from playing left handed (limits your banjo playing and buying opportunities) to relearning to play as a righty. I am now out of the left handed instrument ghetto. I can walk into a music store and play anything I want and it is a great feeling after having been on the other side. It felt awkward at first but soon became normal feeling. I just bought a second sweet very old banjo That before I would not have been able to consider. I would be stuck looking in that dusty left handed instrument section with a severely limited selection. And don't forget that friend's banjo that you want to try...can't do it.
Good luck
sjyokel - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:58:59
I'm left-handed, and I've learned to adapt to doing some things the right-handed way, so I guess we're probably coming from the same place.
I've played several stringed instruments for a lot of years, and there's no doubt in my mind that adapting to playing right-handed is the way to go. Both of your hands are doing something, so you won't have a disadvantage as you learn, you'll just find some things easier to do than a right-hander would.
More importantly, the supply of left-handed banjos in the world is much smaller than the supply of right-handed ones. Ergo, you'll usually pay more for one and you'll have less choice.
bob chappell - Posted - 02/29/2008: 13:59:36
This is another thread that comes up often. But I could relate to BigC's situation. I play a left-handed banjo. Have so for over 35 years. It was, to me, what felt natural. I had played guitar before and also had to switch the strings around. Now, I also throw a baseball and write with my right hand. But I throw a football with my left hand. Weird. Some things I can do equally well with both hands like fire a pistol. All that said, if someone asked me if they should play lefthanded or right handed, I would most likely say 'try right handed' first. Your selection of banjos will be much greater. But like for me, I just went with what naturally felt right, or in my case, left!
The BigC from DC - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:00:35
More evidence that the world is aligned against left handed people i c...j/k...sort of
thanks for the help!
sjyokel - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:07:54
The way I see it is the world just forces us to be more versatile, more resourceful, and (IMHO) more fascinating. 
Jaminbanjo - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:17:37
Get a lefty man, you'll be glad you did.
Austin
Wyattjerry - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:33:22
I'm a left handed writer but I do everythig else right handed. For what it's worth.
Chuck Honsinger
Wyattjerry - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:34:56
oh I forgot I catch lefty but bat both ways
Chuck Honsinger
Wyattjerry - Posted - 02/29/2008: 14:36:46
or is that throw lefty ?........ oh now I'm confused ..... I know I play a mean banjo righty though :)
Chuck Honsinger
dneal - Posted - 02/29/2008: 15:15:45
As stated, you'll be learning to use both hands. And it sounds like you've already adapted. I'm in the same situation, write and do most other things with my left, but bat right-handed. I play right handed. There's a lot more banjos to choose from if you play right handed also.
david
Texasbanjo - Posted - 02/29/2008: 15:15:45
I'd go for a right handed banjo. First of all, both hands are doing something - one fretting, sliding, hammering, the other picking, doing rolls, licks, etc., so what makes the difference whether it's right or left handed?
Me, I'm a lefty, and have learned in this right-handed world you'd better be somewhat ambidexterious or you just can't get by (G). I've learned to do many things with my right hand, but I can't write with my right hand (that's a mouthful).
Anyway, try it with a "normal" righthanded banjo. Again, since both hands have to be learning something, it really shouldn't matter which one does what.
Just my thoughts and my experiences.
Let's Pick!
Texas Banjo
1153rsmith - Posted - 02/29/2008: 15:48:15
My instructor is left handed but plays right handed for all of the 7 or 8 instruments he plays. He said being left handed it made getting the left hand finger positions easier, but he had to work harder to get his right hand cooperating properly. He said on balance though, he thought playing right handed was better for him.
Good luck. I wouldn't care which way I played if it were only better...
Randy
Fender FB-59
Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?
oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 02/29/2008: 17:19:55
I recommend starting as a right hander and if it doesn't seem to be working. then go left. I was trained to do most things right handed from an early age and think it has saved me a lot of trouble in the long run, but I've run across people who were so completely left handed that they couldn't even hold on to an instrument right handed.
There may not be any left hand fiddles but there are lefty fiddlers and there are re-built fiddles with the bass bar and sound post reversed.
Rocket Science Banjo, Chapters 1 - 4.1 REVISED is ready now
oldwoodchuckb@yahoo.com
You can watch the videos for some Rocket Science Banjo subjects starting here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdRuf4X0X7g
Loo P. - Posted - 02/29/2008: 18:43:11
I'm one of those people that can't do anything well right-handed. So much in fact that I've never even attempted to play right handed. The downside to playing left-handed is you can't walk into a music store and try different instruments. The upside is you can't walk into a music store and try different instruments. This keeps the old B.A.S. under control......
stelling man - Posted - 02/29/2008: 19:49:45
I'm a lefty playing right handed, no problem at all..
STELLING MAN
CaroleS - Posted - 03/01/2008: 14:00:23
My neice writes with her left hand and does everything else right handed. Also, a friend does most things left handed apart from playing sport and then he's right handed.
Did you know that only 1% of the population is truly ambidextrous? Here's another fact: the British artist, Landseer, could draw two different pictures simultaneously with his left and right hands.
Carole
www.thelefthandedsite.com
Edited by - CaroleS on 03/01/2008 14:01:23
banjohead22 - Posted - 03/01/2008: 21:29:23
since your just startin out- learn it right handed on a right handed banjer -you'll be glad you did later on.
but then again I am right handed so what do I know
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recording King R-85
Rich B. - Posted - 03/01/2008: 22:15:58
It depends on your degree of left-handedness. I'm VERY left handed and am glad I custom ordered a lefty Cedar Mountain. I also know that Sullivan Banjos come lefty with no upcharge.
good luck,
Rich B.
leftybanjojack - Posted - 03/02/2008: 08:24:26
A true lefty will only want to do things his left handed mind tells him how to do it. I play a left handed banjo very well. Right handed to me was never in my mind.
Bob Miller - Posted - 03/02/2008: 09:26:10
I agree. I'm very left-handed. Righty was not an option for me..
quote:
Originally posted by Rich B.It depends on your degree of left-handedness. I'm VERY left handed and am glad I custom ordered a lefty Cedar Mountain. I also know that Sullivan Banjos come lefty with no upcharge.
good luck,
Rich B.
Bob Miller
bnjoplr - Posted - 03/02/2008: 09:58:40
I would definitely try to learn playing right-handed. There are a lot of techniques that favor the dexterity of the left hand, and you'll have an advantage over the rest of us when you start to learn them. :-)
All instruments require dexterity in both hands. You just need to make the commitment to learn and practice that way.
Bobbi
Windy Strings
Gotoh Tuning Machines, Banjo Instructional Materials, and Accessories
Bluegrass and Clawhammer banjo taught in Northern Virginia
www.windystrings.com
deuceswilde - Posted - 03/02/2008: 10:03:48
I'm left handed and I use both hands to play. I'm intrested in how you play with just one? I also play "right handed." I don't see an advantage to playing upside-down. Seriously in "right hand" playing all the hard work is done with the left hand. Us lefties have an advantage.
-Joel
The greater the emergency, or the greater the stakes, the greater the nerve required.
-S. W. Erdnase 21:13
David Schenkman - Posted - 03/02/2008: 10:16:40
I'll echo the comments of those who suggest you learn right handed. I have sold many right handed banjos to lefties, and they all learned with no problems. Incidentally, I am very left handed and play banjo (and fiddle) right handed.
David Schenkman
Turtle Hill Banjo Co.
Bryantown, MD
200 banjos in stock!
www.turtlehillbanjo.com
Bart Veerman - Posted - 03/02/2008: 10:47:17
Rich B. - thanks for pointing out there are degrees of lefthandedness.
BigC - seeing as you throw a baseball righthanded chances are a righthanded banjo might indeed work for you. But, why guess? Try playing a banjo, any banjo, both right and lefthanded - your fingers will tell you within seconds which way is the proper way for you to go.
Bart Veerman, Bridge Maker
the new Archies are here!
free tabs: http://haruteq.com
Big Dan - Posted - 04/13/2008: 01:17:36
Hot topic to be sure, but I just can't sit back listen to people say that playing lefty limits your musical potential. I've played lefty bass for over 20 years and it hasn't made a scrap of difference in terms of technique. I'm now transferring my skills to 5-string banjo. It's whatever feels natural, and therefore, right for YOU.
Parents: you are not holding a kid back by letting him or her pursue playing left handed. You are, however, holding them back if you turn them away from something that feels right for them. By all means, see if they'll make the switch. As many people have rightly pointed out, choice is very limited and it will help in certain regards. But I've never met someone who quit because they got disillusioned about the choice of lefty instruments out there.
Playing left handed will not impact on a person's musical development. For those who think otherwise, may I offer a couple of words in defence: Jimi, Hendrix.
Gibson- get off your tush and make a lefty. Deering seem to manage it.
Source: https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/109515
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