So I want to learn the Guitar..

[Lordieth]

But i'm mostly left handed. I'm partially Ambidextrous though. I can write (slowly), draw (amazingly), and paint (madly) with my right hand. I have a normal accoustic guitar. Should I learn to play right handed? Or get a left-handed instrument? I'm a new learner so I haven't developed any learned habits yet.

[Kubra]

Play your right handed instrument upside down.
It's not hard.

[North Wiedna]

My friend is Lefty, and he got a right handed guitar to replace his broken left-handed one because he's shit poor and the guitar was good quality for $5. He says he'd rather play a left handed guitar, though, so it seems like you might want a lefty.

[Lordieth]

Bleh, i'll look into it. I'd much rather learn piano though. Was just luck that I got hold of a good guitar.

[North Wiedna]

Bleh, i'll look into it. I'd much rather learn piano though. Was just luck that I got hold of a good guitar.

I actually would learn how to play the keyboard/piano, it's much easier to play as a solo instrument and there are thousands of douchebags with guitars out there, and, while a lot of people know how to play the piano, only a handful have any discernible skill.

Then again, what type of music do you mostly listen to?

[Cannot think of a name]

My brother and I are left handed and he teaches guitar (among other things). He plays the traditional way and his argument is that his left hand is much more active that way and therefore actually favors the left handed. Every time I pick up the guitar (I don't play a lick) I pick it up backwards. I suspect I would have a better time with it flipped because of that, but I'm not the expert of the two of us. But my advice, as someone who doesn't play a lick of guitar who has a brother whose profession is to instruct people on guitar who disagrees with me, is to pick up the guitar and whichever feels natural you, bang, there you are.

[Make up your own mind]

Play your right handed instrument upside down.
It's not hard.

That's what Hendrix did. Then again he could pretty much do anything he wanted with a guitar.

[Greater Stolichnaya]

But i'm mostly left handed. I'm partially Ambidextrous though. I can write (slowly), draw (amazingly), and paint (madly) with my right hand. I have a normal accoustic guitar. Should I learn to play right handed? Or get a left-handed instrument? I'm a new learner so I haven't developed any learned habits yet.

Actually, you might want to try learning it right handed. Most of the fretwork uses your left hand, and strumming is done with your right.

But hey, Jimi Hendrix was a lefty. So was Paul McCartney.

[Idaho Conservatives]

Play your right handed instrument upside down.
It's not hard.

That's what Hendrix did. Then again he could pretty much do anything he wanted with a guitar.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

Play right handed, not upside down, just 'wrong handed'. Playing upside down is awkward as fuck and you'll always sound like shit because you'll never be able to intonate the damn thing. Left handed guitars cost a fuckton more than righties and sometimes are a pain to find. Just play right handed.

[Lordieth]

North Wiedna; just like me, my musical tastes are very eclectic. I listen to a fair bit of rock though.

I'll try to get hold of a keyboard, I think it would suit me best. I'll try playing the guitar I have right-handed, I somehow doubt i'm the next Hendrix

[Rambhutan]

I am left handed and play the guitar - if I was starting again I would play left handed rather than right handed. It initially seems that the hand on the fret board requires more dexterity but that is only at the start, if you want to do more than strum the other hand needs more fine motor skills. That said I don't think it makes a massive difference either way if you put in the practice.

[Ebsylvania]

try learning righthanded. if it doesnt work switch the strings around. if u play backwards u will confuse urself. jimi didnt play backwards he switches the strings around. and if playing left handed is awkward then play keyboard. as an all around musician i can say playing keyboards will help u learn guitar later on. thats what i did. started playing keyboards at 5 then guitar and drums at 14. i just turned 30 and i still kickass at playing. so no matter which u choose just dont give up

[Kubra]

Play your right handed instrument upside down.
It's not hard.

That's what Hendrix did. Then again he could pretty much do anything he wanted with a guitar.

Everyone does it, it's not hard.
Really beats having to order all your guitars, anyways.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

That's what Hendrix did. Then again he could pretty much do anything he wanted with a guitar.

Everyone does it, it's not hard.
Really beats having to order all your guitars, anyways.

It's not a good plan, it fucks your intonation up because sharper notes need slightly shorter string lengths to tune properly and remain intonated across the fretboard. Playing upside down works if you're only playing on the lowest 5 positions, but if you're playing in the 20th position you might be out by several semitones.

[Rambhutan]

It's not a good plan, it fucks your intonation up because sharper notes need slightly shorter string lengths to tune properly and remain intonated across the fretboard. Playing upside down works if you're only playing on the lowest 5 positions, but if you're playing in the 20th position you might be out by several semitones.

Depends on the guitar - most electric guitars will have adjustable bridges to correct this. You would need a new nut probably, so the strings don't buzz, and there are problems with asymetrical heads like a stratocaster/telecaster. There are also likely to be problems with the volume and tone controls and the pick up selection switch being in an awkward place, the cutaways on some designs might make playing in higher positions diificult. Acoustic guitars would probably be more of a problem in terms of the bridge.

[Georgism]

Don't bother, it still won't get you laid.

[Vortiaganica]

Don't bother, it still won't get you laid.

If you want to get laid, then play the triangle.

-----

It depends. It would be far easier to learn right-handed, especially since then you won't have to buy a new guitar. If you want to stick to it, then think about investing in a left-handed guitar fairly early on.

A lot of the time, someone will take up an instrument and find they hate it.

A friend of mine who was ambidextrous played the double bass. He was left-hand dominant as well, but you don't get left-handed basses all that often. Plus, in orchestras, being left-handed is a pain in the ass for everyone. Obviously, playing the guitar means you won't have a lot of those problems.

So count yourself lucky, and remember that if you want to be a musician, at least practicing that flexibility in your right hand will let you take up an instrument later on that's more rigid if you want, or else you can stick to the guitar.

[The Mascarene Group]

Excuse this left-fieldedness, but get a ukulele instead.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

It's not a good plan, it fucks your intonation up because sharper notes need slightly shorter string lengths to tune properly and remain intonated across the fretboard. Playing upside down works if you're only playing on the lowest 5 positions, but if you're playing in the 20th position you might be out by several semitones.

Depends on the guitar - most electric guitars will have adjustable bridges to correct this. You would need a new nut probably, so the strings don't buzz, and there are problems with asymetrical heads like a stratocaster/telecaster. There are also likely to be problems with the volume and tone controls and the pick up selection switch being in an awkward place, the cutaways on some designs might make playing in higher positions diificult. Acoustic guitars would probably be more of a problem in terms of the bridge.

I understand you can adjust intonation... I've been playing longer than much of NS has been breathing. Bridges usually aren't mounted perfectly straight, they're usually slanted slightly, the bass side peg is further from the nut than the treble side peg. Even if you flip the TOM bar around and adjust the saddles to their extremes it won't have proper intonation across the entire fretboard.
Your experience may vary with a strat style bridge, but eww, strat bridge.

Everything else you said is true.

[New Hayesalia]

Don't do it, man... do bass... I wish I did...

[Soviet Haaregrad]

Don't do it, man... do bass... I wish I did...

Do both, duh.

[Make up your own mind]

The piano is a great instrument, especially if you actually learn some music theory.