The Steel Guitar Forum

Just curious, any other left-handers on here? The only thing I do right-handed is play music

I'm left handed but, like you, play music right handed. I am a true geardog, and I found out early on that choices in left handed instruments are thin.

Toby, along with you and Keith, I am left handed but play musical instruments right handed.
Blake

Dittos here. I pick right and shoot right. Eveything else is left, except my politics which falls somewhere in between.

Ha.. Ha..

I just started playing fiddle when I was a little kid, and having my left-hand on the neck felt good.. So I've played everything right-handed since then..

I do shoot off the right shoulder as well.

Every wonder why some lefties just have to play left-handed, and others like us are okay with the strongest hand articulating notes?

I'm left handed but play right handed.I'm thinking Lloyd Green is left handed.Seems I read Curly Chalker was also.Could be wrong though............bb

As far as 6 string is concerned, it always seemed like I had an advantage being a lefty and playing a right-handed guitar, because the left hand does the fingering.

I'm currently learning steel left handed on a left-handed steel - to the consternation of my incredibly patient instructor, Mr. Twang. I've always played guitar left-handed, and couldn't fathom changing. But here's where the story gets interesting. I'm right-handed in eating, swinging a bat, catching and throwing, etc. The things I do as a lefty are play guitar, shoot pool, and shoot a rifle. But there's more! I play guitar upside-down and backwards. I have a good size collection of left-handed electrics that have all been strung as righties. When I was a kid, there were always guitars around the house, and no one corrected me when I picked it up left-handed. By the way, I drop the low E to D and that enables me to bar virtually any chord.

I'm left handed. But when I started playing 5 strng banjo back in 1963 it didn't matter which way I held it, I couldn't play it either way. The best decision I think I ever made was learning right handed.

I'm naturally left handed, but, I do a lot of things right handed, since I'm in a right handed world. I personally, think it's better that way, because then you have to become ambi-dexterous. I can shoot a hand gun equally well with both hands, but, I'm more comfortable shooting a rifle right handed. I play both the 6 string guitar and the steel guitar right handed. I wouldn't have it any other way.Just remember "Lefties are always in the Right".

I'm a lefty (in my "right mind") also, but I play guitar and steel right handed. I don't think I can hit my mouth with a spoon using my right hand. I always liked to think that having the left hand as my fretting hand that there was some kind of an advantage. However after my last gig I'm not so sure.

I'm another lefty that plays righty.

You wouldn't restring a piano to play backwards for a leftie --why do it for a steel?

-GV

I am left handed but play steel right handed.
I do play(???) guitar left handed. I just started that way. It seemed natural for me to play steel right handed.
I always felt that being lefty on steel was an advantage because most people that are left handed are left footed also. This helps with the pedals. We use the left hand to wind the tuners. The left knee gets a lot of work on the Emmons set-up. Bar control is easier and I can play open strings and sign autographs at the same time. Ha

after being married to a lefty for 35yrs. drives me crazy.dam tolit paper is always upside down. paper towels in kitchen is upside down, every thing is backwards

Yes, I am a misfit too, however I actually play all of my instruments lefty (and most of my instruments are lefty). Luckily I build instruments, and would just make myself whatever I wanted, unless I happened across something I liked. The most interesting piece I have is a 60's era Fender pedal steel, which I converted to a lefty. Before you all start giving me #$%&! for routing & converting such an instrument, I should note that it has huge sentimental value to me. I got it when an Uncle of mine passed away, and he would've wanted me to do it as long as it was being played. Plus it will NEVER be for sale. Interestingly, all I did was move the pickup to the nut end, and reverse the fingerboard. Pedals, levers, & string orientation are untouched. The string spacing is not so drastic end-to-end comparitively to other instruments, and I got used to it fairly quickly. BTW, I also have a strange ability to bat & golf better as a righty.

Jason

I am left handed but play all instruments as a righty.
Hook

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www.HookMoore.com

funny, i always thought you had to use BOTH hands to play steel (or any) guitar.

Paul Papaneck, All I can say is, bizzarre. I ain't never heard of anything like that. Who's side ar you on anyway??

Well, I remember the FIRST time I saw a LEFT HANDED steel guitar and a feller playing it. It was in Lubbock Tx. in 1973, and his name was L.K.Chance.

Bob Stufflebeam had built the guitar (Custom) for him. It was hard to watch.

Now I have been working quite a few jobs in the Ft. Wth. area with another lefty, that plays lefty. "Cecil Tippit". He just got a new custom made left handed steel guitar. He does a darn good job!

Of course the greatest LEFTY will always be "PETE ZUMWALT"!! If you've never heard of him, ask Gary Carpenter, or Steve Lamb about him! That was years ago, and I haven't heard about him in years...and years.

Great thread.

I'm a lefty and play righty guitar and steel. On guitar I had a similar take as a previous poster, and felt there were real advantages to having my strong hand on the fretboard --especially when it came to copping steel licks! Early on, especially, being a lefty is an advantage, I think.

The downside was trying to play bluegrass and other rigorously strict up-and-down stuff, and though lessons helped I never felt my right hand caught up to the left. I compensated for it by using my middle finger a lot on the upstrokes, which suited the style of the guys I loved like Albert Lee
and almost certainly helped when I went to steel.

But on steel I would think whatever advantage there might be to playing lefty would have to be weighed heavily against the difficulty of finding instruments.

Orville, as much as I both enjoy & admire your wisdom, I'm gonna have to disagree with the whole 'two hands' thing. Can you say TONY MELENDEZ??!!

This is where I would have inserted a picture, however my limitations on the dumbputer are now apparent. I guess you'll just have to 'google' him...and he's a righty, sorry folks!

Roy Nichols was left handed but played right handed. It was a trip to see Gene Price sit in on some ones guitar and play right for a while, then flip the guitar over and play left. I've never seen anyone play left handed steel.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

I play lefthanded and have only one regret..
I cant find a lefty volume pedal.

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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

Most left-handed people are amidextrous to some extent. I write, throw & bowl lefty, but bat, golf, play guitar and steel righty. I think it makes us well rounded people

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Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years

I'm a lefty. So is Lloyd Green. So was Curly Chalker.
Learn it right handed.
Easiest way to go.

JW