Lefties that play right

Nathan Burns · From: Alberta, Canada

Hi there,

I'm a left handed player that plays a right handed pedal steel guitar. Years ago I asked my first lap steel teacher if I should restring my steel left handed as I did my spanish style upright guitar and he told me it's better I learn right handed. Easier to find and sell steels when I get into pedal steel, he said. Anyways, I think there are pros and cons to this. My right hand has been slow to develop speed and accuracy, but I don't think it hurts to have a strong left foot for your pedal work.

I was just curious if there are any other lefties that play right handed on the forum? Also, does anyone know of any pro's that were lefties playing right? I'd love to listen to their style and see if there are any noticeable differences.

Thanks!
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Mullen G2 through Fender Steel King

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Petingill Southern Belle through Fender 68 Princeton Reverb reissue.

Jeff Harbour · From: Western Ohio, USA

I too am a Right-playing Lefty. I think we have an advantage with bar control and precision, which is a valuable skill.

Dale Foreman · From: Crowley Louisiana, USA

I'm also a lefty that plays steel and guitar right handed. I don't think I could play lefty because I would have to retrain my brain.
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Robert Parent · From: Gillette, WY

Another one here for your list...

Robert

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I'm not a lefty but every lefty that I've come across does play right handed, fwiw.

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
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Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L

Brian Gattis · From: Georgia, USA

The greatest player in the world is lefty. Lloyd Green

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

And so was Curley Chalker. No wonder Curley and Lloyd are so smooth with the bar!
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Dick Hitchcock · From: Wayne, Nebraska

Add another lefty to that list.
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john buffington · From: Owasso OK - USA

Sonny Curtis is also a lefty that plays right hand.

Aaron Johnson · From: Lemoore, CA

And another. I play bass left but steel right.

Larry Carlson · From: My Computer

I am also left handed playing right.
I use whichever hand feels more comfortable to the task at hand.
I'm not ambidextrous. It's just one hand feels better doing a specific task than the other.
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John Brock · From: Xenia, Ohio

Ive been playing with my brother forever and he is a lefty that can play righty or whateveri tis...he sets dowm at my steel and is in heart attack zone.. its crazy..but all the while we have been playing guitar together it has always been like looking in a mirror....god bless all here.
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Pat Moore · From: Virginia USA

I'm also a lefty playing righty. Years of 6 string guitar & now PSG. My dad also told me when I was starting to play right handed, as the guitars were less expensive & more available.
Another lefty playing righty was the late, great Danny Gatton!

Jack Ritter · From: Enid, Oklahoma, USA

I am not a total lefty. Started on a 6 string lap back around 1944 right handed. I write,eat lefty and golf,throw ball rh. Do some things with either one.
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Jack Ritter · From: Enid, Oklahoma, USA

Another lefty here but not totally.
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Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

Another lefty playing right. My grandmother gave my sister an acoustic guitar strung right when we were growing up. I'd sneak it out of the case to play it when she wasn't home - no way I'd get away with restringing it. Got my own guitar which I played right handed several years later and I've never looked back. No rhyme or reason to how I do things I'm pretty much ambi-mediocre! I write left, use tools mostly left, batted left and threw right in baseball, and had a right shot in ice hockey.

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I'm a natural leftie, who, plays rightie. When I taught myself to play 6 string guitar, I played it right handed. I didn't know any better, so, playing the steel just worked hand in hand. Growing up in a right handed world, you have to learn to adapt to things. In some things, it makes you ambi-dexterous, which, can be a big plus sometimes.

Jeff Harbour · From: Western Ohio, USA

We naturally find ways to compensate for our weaker hand. In my 6-string days my world changed when I adopted the three-fingered picking grip form my hero Steve Morse (another Right-playing Lefty). A similar thing happened early on learning steel, when I tried the Franklin-style picking as opposed to Newman. Instant improvement!

The secret to a weaker picking hand is 'containment'. Whatever gives you the most overall control and feel.

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

John, I'm the same as you... lefty at almost everything I do except guitar and steel guitar. I never had much problem living life as a lefty. The most annoying part was trying to use scissors! The handles are shaped for the right hand and they are extremely uncomfortable in the left hand. For that reason I learned to use the right hand for scissors.
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Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Count me in, too... Is there a secret handshake I should know about?

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

I think for good luck, Skip, lefties still have to shake hands with each other right handed - but we do it in front of a mirror Smile

DALE WHITENER · From: TRINITY,NC USA

I'm a lefty that plays everything right handed

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I've been known to go both ways Smile

. I write left handed and my rhythm foot is my left foot (in my way early drumming experience) but play baseball right handed. No wonder I'm so confused alla time.

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

I, too, am a lefty who plays right handed. Smooth bar motion, but I'm not very good at speed picking or termelos.
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Nathan Burns · From: Alberta, Canada

Wow. Very interesting to see so many! Didn't know Lloyd and Curly were lefties, as well.

While given time I think you can workout whatever style or licks you like I can't help but think in an improve situation a lefty might favour certain types of licks to the strength in their bar hand over a righty. Cool stuff.
_________________
Mullen G2 through Fender Steel King

Rayco 6 string curly maple reso

Petingill Southern Belle through Fender 68 Princeton Reverb reissue.

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