Learn to Play Guitar: Helpful Tips for Left-handers

There are many challenges that we are faced with in life, and if you are left handed you probably have faced many more than the right handed people in the world. If you are wanting to learn to play the guitar, but are feeling discouraged because the majority of guitars and guitarists are right handed, don’t worry. Here are some helpful tips for left-handers.

Being left handed does not mean you will not be as good as a right handed player. Yes, you will have more decisions and challenges when it comes to learning, but there are many, many famous musicians that have played left handed such as Curt Cobain, Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix to name just a few. Just imagine the great music the world would have missed out on if these musicians had given up because they are/were left handed!

Learn to Play Guitar: Helpful Tips for Left-handers. Below here are some outlined tips that can help you begin.

• The very first decision you will have to make is exactly what style of guitar you want to learn on. There are basically two different styles of guitar to choose from. Acoustic or electric. Once you have decided this, you will then be faced with the decision of how you want to learn. For a left handed player there are a couple of different options.

The first is to purchase a left handed guitar. These are specifically designed for lefties.

The next option is to buy a right handed guitar and re-string it to be left handed. This option is OK but can cause a couple of problems to arise, such as volume knobs on the top of the body and not being able to restring it without having to move the keys on the head of the guitar.

The last option is to play the right handed guitar upside down. This is a good option if you are willing to really take the time to do it correctly You will have to reverse all the tabs and chords, but if you are willing to take the time to learn that way, it’s a great option.

• If you are planning on taking actual lessons from an instructor, you may want to search around to see if there are any left handed instructors in your area. Learning to play left handed while watching a right handed player can be very difficult for some people.

• When buying your guitar, whichever style you choose, make sure you buy from someone that has a good reputation. Buying your first guitar online can be really tricky, especially for a left handed player, so you may want to find a music store in your area. That way you can actually sit down and try out the guitar before you buy it.

• Have confidence in yourself. Make sure you don’t get frustrated and give up on yourself easily. Remember you are just beginning and you will be able to play as well as you want to, if you give yourself time to learn. Set time aside each week to practice. Be religious about it. Having discipline will get you to your end goal quicker.

So you see, there are many things to keep in mind when you are learning to play the guitar left handed. Find someone that you can play to so they can see your progress. If you have someone that knows how to play the guitar weather they are left handed or right, you may benefit from playing to them. Having an experienced player listening to you play can help you as they can tell you if the chords are in key and help you with strumming patterns.