Posted on 03/30/2025 5:29:28 PM PDT by kawhill
This is an interesting question, so I did a deep dive into the neuroscience of left-handedness and musicality, and here is what I found.
(Excerpt) Read more at psychologytoday.com ...
I’m left handed (been all my life) and I regret that in my younger years I believed people who told me I should learn guitar ‘right handed’ and that it would give me and ‘advantage.’ I now believe I would have been better at strumming with my left and selecting chords with my right.
I’m definitely right-handed for writing and throwing, but I could always do dexterity stuff better with my left.
I don’t know of any left-handed violinists. Beautiful in some humanoid’s hands.
In other words, the vast majority of musicians are right handed.
No problem here.
J Browning designed the M14 where as the operating rod is to make contact with the extracted shell and kick the brass out to the 2 o’clock position.
Fishing for the entire 20th century was a left handed sport…right handed people would cast right, change hand and crank right. We lefties never changed hands.
Not until in the 21st century did manufactures make reels where as the crank handle could mounted left or right so right handed people did not have to change hands.
As a right handed musician who plays 5 or so different instruments I say this article is BS.
I saw that, about Ringo, but while I value him as part of my nostalgia, he never exactly ‘knocked my socks off’ with any startling musical skills. But that’s just me.
What about me. I write and dine with my left hand. I play sports such as golf and bat with my right, and as a youth, I played the accordion with my right. So, where do I fit in? Maybe I should just shoot myself but then I would not know which hand to use.
Tell me of a left-handed violinist you know?
I am left handed and have absolutely no musical ability. I cannot sing, no talent for instruments and it was always a great struggle for Music teachers to teach me enough to get me through their class.
OK, now how would the “science” explain the ability for a Right handed guitarist to play a Left handed upside down strung 5 string acoustic guitar in bluegrass guitar competition.
That is the high E string to low E string positions reversed on a Right Handed setup guitar. High E closest up side to the player, then B, G, D, A, Low E in order to farthest away.
And also, one other detail. Does not play with a flat pick but rapidly picks note runs with first two finger of right hand, and/or including a thumb in some of the runs. Lightning fast, and utterly clean notes throughout. Don’t have a name— but this guy is known all over. Has a regular day job. Most audiences jaws stay dropped and they delay applause— from what they saw and heard.
Players know about Hendrix how/what he played. This is way beyond that. Been at least 12 years since last heard him in NC.
“I don’t know of any left-handed violinists.”
Charlie Chaplin played both violin and cello left-handed.
I knew a lot of left handed musicians, including a cellist who played in a major orchestra and a famous conductor too.
I’m left handed myself and I agree
It was a lame attempt at humor as in a lefty shooter being more consistently accurate than a righty, etc.
My hat is off to you. If I had to learn left handed, being right handed, I’m afraid I would have just been good at tapping my foot while others played. :-)
It has been a wonderful blessing for life. Through both good and bad. These old crooked fingers either hurt or don’t have enough strength to play very often anymore. But when they do, I’m back to pickin and grinnin!
I am right handed but I am sure I could learn doing things left handed as well. I am just too lazy.
Many, though not all, computer programmers and engineering or architecture CAD users are left handed. Mechanics and woodworkers, machinists, and (who used to be) millwrights and carpenters are right handed.
We lefties were overrepresented in IT, that’s for sure.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.