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Post by jayg on Mar 28, 2004 9:40:59 GMT -5
Ive just been given a very nice acoustic guitar for my birthday, the problem is that im left-handed, is it ok for me to just re-string the guitar the other way, would it sound ok? Also, do i need to buy different books to learn or can i use the normal ones?
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Post by Supersonic779 on Mar 28, 2004 10:30:52 GMT -5
you can re-string it the other way, but im not too sure if its good for the guitar. Im no expert, though.
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Post by Columbia on Mar 28, 2004 11:00:34 GMT -5
a lot of people do just string it the other way, nothing wrong with it, it was good enough for hendrix. You wont need any diiferent books...
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Post by iamthewalrus on Mar 28, 2004 16:21:39 GMT -5
Ive been told that putting the strings on the other way screws up the tension for the guitar but Im not sure about that..My friend is left handed but he started on a righthanded guitar and now theres no difference If u start playing right handed there shouold be no prob..
But then again Im more of a keyboard player than a guitarist so dont take my word 100% Cheers
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Post by daysleeper on Mar 28, 2004 22:09:01 GMT -5
like columbia says - Hendrix used a right-handed guitar, strung upside-down all the time...and yeah it hardly hampered his career of course that was an electric though, not sure about acoustics, but i can't see how they would be any different
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Post by iamthewalrus on Mar 28, 2004 22:34:13 GMT -5
tehre's a guy named Doyle Bramhall the 3rd who used to jam with Stevie ray Vaughn.. Anyhow, he plays it upside down but doesn't reverse the strings.. Its the strangest thing i've ever seen. For those curious, he's on the roger waters "In the Flesh" dvd and he's pretty amazing
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TheResurrection
Madferrit Fan
"I am the resurrection and I am the light"
Posts: 75
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Post by TheResurrection on Mar 28, 2004 23:46:17 GMT -5
Electrics are easy to re-string, on acoustics the bridge might not be able to take the stress and the nut will have to be changed to a LH one (take it to a guitar shop and see what they say).
Do you have experience playing left-handed? Because if you don't it won't be too hard to to learn rightie because all of the flexibility would be in your left hand to fret the strings. Also playing right-handed you have basically limitless future upgrades to new guitars.
In closing playing right-handed worked for the Chief and look where he is at today!
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Berny
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 432
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Post by Berny on Mar 29, 2004 11:12:38 GMT -5
The lead singer/bassist from the Doves plays upside down, but not restrung similar to mentioned above. Observe:
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Post by jayg on Mar 29, 2004 11:15:00 GMT -5
Thanks for all the replies!! In the past ive managed to play a couple of songs on a right-handed guitar using my left hand so it might be a pain learning it again. But ive tried playing it right-handed and cant do it! so, im gonna re-string it! Thanks again for all your respnoses! Will let you know how i get on!
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Post by daysleeper on Mar 29, 2004 12:22:30 GMT -5
Electrics are easy to re-string, on acoustics the bridge might not be able to take the stress and the nut will have to be changed to a LH one (take it to a guitar shop and see what they say). Do you have experience playing left-handed? Because if you don't it won't be too hard to to learn rightie because all of the flexibility would be in your left hand to fret the strings. It would be virtually impossible for a leftie to play right handed, and vice versa. Unless they were amberdextrous (spl?) There is a reason people are either lefties or righties - you can't just pick and choose. You will find some people who can do it both ways, but they are few and far between. JayG - you're much better off re-stringing it like you say. i'd agree that you should maybe contact a guitar shop to see what they say however. the doves singer is so strange- i've never seen the bass played that way before! i'd love to see that Doyle bramhall guy play too
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Post by maketradefair on Mar 29, 2004 12:46:54 GMT -5
it would be bloody difficult trying to play a guitar upside down.
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Berny
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 432
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Post by Berny on Mar 29, 2004 14:03:28 GMT -5
I've just tried it, bloody hard, it was difficult just to move the fingers on my right hand. It was also hard to see what fret was which.
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Post by iamthewalrus on Mar 29, 2004 16:08:14 GMT -5
Not true DS I know quite a few people who have done it and aren't ambidexterous.. It just might take little longer to get the hang of it in the beginning
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Post by daysleeper on Mar 29, 2004 16:56:51 GMT -5
Not true DS I know quite a few people who have done it and aren't ambidexterous.. but are they any good? ;D ok, thats really interesting actually - i've never heard of anyone doing that! I've never understood why we play the guitar the way we do. Surely the hand which you are strongest and able with, would be the one that you used on the fretboard? Yet everyone uses their weakest hand on the frets....except the friends of iamthewalrus... ;D
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Post by Columbia on Mar 29, 2004 17:01:41 GMT -5
isnt noel left handed but plays right handed im sure i heard him say that once ...
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Post by iamthewalrus on Mar 29, 2004 20:22:16 GMT -5
well one of them is quite good.. Not the chief I might add but it can be done. A lot of people just play right handed b/c left handed axes are much more expensive
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TheResurrection
Madferrit Fan
"I am the resurrection and I am the light"
Posts: 75
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Post by TheResurrection on Mar 29, 2004 22:04:33 GMT -5
Noel is definitely left-handed but plays right.
It's much easier to play fingerstyle (PIMA) on an acoustic with your better hand near the bridge because of the flexibility and control in those fingers, but just strumming with a pick isn't much different in either hand.
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ev
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 199
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Post by ev on Mar 30, 2004 3:01:43 GMT -5
I'm left handed but play guitar right. I think if you can play it like that then you'll be good. It really does help your fingerpicking skills and you don't have to go through any trouble to adjust your guitar.
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Post by jayg on Mar 30, 2004 4:16:22 GMT -5
Hello all! Thought i would try and play something simple so got the chords for songbird!!
The place where i got the chords from said they were
G Gadd9 G/E
Sorry to be ignorant but what the hell is Gadd9?!!!
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Post by Columbia on Mar 30, 2004 13:09:40 GMT -5
www.jmdl.com/howard/guitarchords/dictionary/Gadd9.txtdifferent ways to play gadd9 i thought songbird was G, EM7 though with the base note moving from G to F# for one stroke in between each chord, (there is a chord for that, but i have forgotten its name) basically G ? EM7 320033 200033 022033 quote this post to see it clearly
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