FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Left Handed Guitar Part

Question:
I am a lefty who just bought a right-handed guitar less than a week ago. The reason I decided on playing right-handed is because I used to play the violin and thought that I could transfer some of the fretting skills. After playing for several days, I find it difficult to pick consistently, especially when playing chords. Should I switch to a left-handed guitar or am I looking for results too soon? Is it just a matter of time and practice?

Answer:
None of those points are necessarily true in whole or in part. They are a collection of opinions, some of which are in contradiction, because they come from different people. Things such as I do not necessarily represent me. It represent the person who presented the argument. o The most difficult part of guitar playing is fretting (chord patterns and such), therefore if you are lefty and play righty, you will be using your best hand to do the most difficult part of guitar playing. o Rhythm/speed/endurance/precision are what you need for picking, therefore using your best hand for picking is the choice to make. So, if you are lefty, play a lefty guitar. o Both hands are equally important. It does not make a difference which side you play. So you might as well play righty, since righty guitars are easier to get. o Play righty even if it is harder. At least you'll be able to borrow friends guitar, play guitars in guitar store. You'll have a wider choice, and the lefty guitars tend to have an up-charge. o Pick up a lefty, and see how it feels. Pick up a righty, and see how it feels. Choose the side that is more comfortable. If you don't feel a noticeable difference, choose right side, since righty guitars are easier to find.