Which lefty played righty guitar?

Subject: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 09 May 07 - 08:29 PM

In another thread I asserted that Joni Mitchell played guitar left-handed but played a guitar strung for right-handed play (so she held the guitar upside down to play it). It seems I was wrong, but I'm still convinced that some prominent guitarist from the late 60s or early 70s did this. Anyone know who I'm really thinking of?

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Nancy King
Date: 09 May 07 - 08:36 PM

Are you thinking perhaps of Libba Cotten?

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Midchuck
Date: 09 May 07 - 09:23 PM

I believe Bill Staines does thus.

Peter

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: mrmoe
Date: 09 May 07 - 09:26 PM

yes, Bill does......

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Bugsy
Date: 09 May 07 - 09:49 PM

I'm left handed and play right handed guitar the right way round.

Does Dan Seals play right handed guitar upside down?

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Bugsy
Date: 09 May 07 - 10:02 PM

Just checked Dan Seals photo gallery and he does play upside down guitar.

CHeers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: fumblefingers
Date: 09 May 07 - 10:16 PM

Lefty Frizzell

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: cshurtz
Date: 09 May 07 - 10:23 PM

I too am left-handed and play all right handed instruments. When I got my first guitar as a teenager I didn't know any better so I just learned right handed. I'm glad for that now because it would be such a pain to be limited to left handed instrument selections

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 09 May 07 - 11:03 PM

I consider myself to be left handed. But I play all instruments right handed; guitar, banjo, dulcimer.

I write and eat left handed. I throw a ball left handed.

I bat right handed. That just feels totally correct for me.

When I try to bat or write or eat right handed, I cannot. And it feels totally wrong.

Go figure.

Art

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 09 May 07 - 11:51 PM

John Dady of the Dady Brothers - the pride of Rochester, NY.
He also plays mandolin, bouzouki the same way.

It's a bitch if you're watching him and trying to learn the chords for a song.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 May 07 - 11:54 PM

But the question is, with which hand do you shake the dew off of your lily?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 10 May 07 - 12:08 AM

G'day cshurtz and Art,

I reckon that the standard guitar, at least when played as a chordal instrument ... all the complex positional work of forming chords done by the left hand - while the 'rhythmic' work of the "strum" is done by the right hand ... is a left-handed instrument! As higher levels of expertise are attained, you might argue that the right hand's role becomes the more complex - but, at the learning stage it's probably easier for a lefty to play standard guitar than a right-hander.

An old friend, who used to teache both 'classical' and 'folk' style guitar always did his best to dissuade left-handers who felt they had to play "a left-handed guitar" ... and found that those who insisted on finding (and paying more money for) a left-handed model usually performed worse than those who learned on the standard arrangement.

Personally, I think the guitar, and its ancestors such as the lute (as well as its distant cousin, the banjo) all were created by the sort of creative, artistic, types who are often "right brain dominant" ... and, thus more likely to be left-handed (or ambidextrous). For them the important work of melody and chording was naturally done by the left hand ... and the imposition of order (rhythm) was relegated to the right hand.

Regards,

Bob (one of four brothers ... two of them left-handed ... but all handle musical instruments [and cameras] in their standard - "righty" configurations.)

(Errr... G'day Spaw ... sinister ... not dexter)

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 10 May 07 - 12:32 AM

Thanks, all.

I don't think it's Libba Cotten I have in mind, as I never saw Libba Cotten perform, and I think this is someone I actually saw in person.

I don't think it's Bill Staines I have in mind, because I don't think I knew who he was in the late 60s or early 70s.

I don't think it's Dan Seals, or Lefty Frizzell, and I'm sure it's not John Dady - I regret to say I've never heard of John Dady.

Well, maybe it was all in my imagination, or maybe it was Bill Staines and I've just got the wrong decade.

Art, do you know that batting righty and throwing lefty is by far the rarest of the four possibilities? Rickey Henderson did that, but he's about the only long career non-pitcher to do it in a long time.

At the risk of going way off-topic, I'll record here that I throw overhand righty but underhand lefty - so, in baseball I'd be a right-handed pitcher, but in ten-pin bowling I'd be a lefty.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Mark H.
Date: 10 May 07 - 03:23 AM

Robert Fripp.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: alanabit
Date: 10 May 07 - 03:38 AM

Of folk guitarist, two good ones, who play a normal guitar upside down are Steve Ashley and Gypsy Dave Boots. Gypsy Dave, in particular, is an exceptional guitarist.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: dj bass
Date: 10 May 07 - 05:01 AM

Libba Cotten and Jimi Hedrix both played right handed guitars left handed. This may be the only time both are mentioned in the same sentence.

Although most people are more dextrous with their right hand (OK, OK!) the right side of the brain controls the left hand and vice versa. The right brain mainly deals with spatial information and the left brain with sequential information such as language. I've thought for some time this might explain why the left hand is used for harmony work, eg chord shapes on guitar, piano etc, and the right hand picks out the sequential melody. It doesn't explain instruments like fiddle, however, or chromatic banjo styles.

Undergraduate psychology degrees don't go into psychology of music, so I never got to pursue this. Left/right handedness is a huge subject and this is not even a dabble in it.

dj

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: guitar
Date: 10 May 07 - 05:13 AM

I am left handed, there are certain things that I do which i do is left handed and other things I do which is right handed, I play guitar left handed, the reason is because I can't do finger picking right handed and yet i can do it left handed, and I can play a few chords right handed and upside down.

tom

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Grab
Date: 10 May 07 - 07:40 AM

DJB, Hendrix restrung his righty guitar though so that it had a "normal" string layout for a lefty - so low E on the thumb side and high E on the finger side, as normal. So playing-wise, that's no different from playing a lefty guitar, except for the body shape (and the slanted bridge pickup, which may have contributed to Hendrix's tone). That's different from Libba Cotten's method of using a righty guitar strung as a righty, and just turning it over, giv you low E on the finger side and high E on the thumb side.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 07 - 08:01 AM

Dr. Ross.
Mark Ellington.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: dj bass
Date: 10 May 07 - 08:30 AM

Grab - I never knew that about Hendrix! I never got close enough to see the strings, but I just found a photo on tinterweb thingy and you're right. I have a fabulous picture of Libba on my wall that clearly shows them upside down. Damn, that means Libba and Jimi don't get in the same sentence after all!

dj

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Midchuck
Date: 10 May 07 - 08:43 AM

I am strongly left handed, but I play a guitar (and other fretted instruments, when I fool with them) conventionally, right-handed. I think learning right handed is actually easier for a lefty (and I assume the reverse would be true), since the difficult part at first is forming chords with the fretting hand, while you just strum with the "main" hand.

Interesting offshoot of this is that I have switched to firing a handgun (larger than a .22, anyway) right handed. So many years holding barre chords have shortened the tendon between my left thumb and first finger so that recoil irritates it.

Peter

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 10 May 07 - 10:41 AM

+ Jim Rooney

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: synbyn
Date: 10 May 07 - 10:51 AM

Tom of Tom & Barbara Brown does, I think- with an interesting picking style in open tuning. Makes copping his riffs tricky!

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: mandotim
Date: 10 May 07 - 11:02 AM

Barryhunt, mudcatter of this parish, plays right handed instruments upside down. Quite a sight when he's playing his twin-neck guitar and bouzouki!
Tim

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 10 May 07 - 02:16 PM

Grab/Graham is absolutely right about the difference between Libba Cotten's "upside down and backwards" method of lefty guitar playing vs Jimi Hendrix's "complete mirror image" approach. Technically, Jimi did NOT play a right-handed guitar left-handed; he restrung a regular righty Strat to convert it into a "lefty" guitar, with only the pickguard and cutaway on the wrong side.

The bridge would be at the wrong angle, too, but I think he would have been able to make adequate adjustments on the Fender electric.

Libba's method was an especially radical departure from "normal" because she was a fingerpicker, and a notably great one ~ after all, she created "Freight Train," an absolute touchstone for folk-style picking.

Think about it ~ her right hand technique was every bit as opposite from the usual as was her chord-forming left hand; she picked the alternating bass with her index finger while playing the melody/treble notes with her thumb!

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,justin Whitman
Date: 12 May 07 - 01:55 PM

Dyole Bramhall II. He played with Stevie Ray Vaughan in his teenage years and was known for his singing as an emotional tenor.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 May 07 - 03:39 AM

Paul McCartney has been filmed playing a right handed guitar (big accoustic jobby with the fingerguard - maybe an Eko?) upsidedown, but whether it was restrung or not, I can't tell. His Rickenbacker Bass bought in 1964 was the first left handed bass they made.

LTS

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: breezy
Date: 13 May 07 - 04:58 AM

yep Tom brown does and he also conceals his action by placing a music stand in front, so, the next time you see him, attach a piece of string to the base of the stand and slowly pull the stand away!!

And what a great voice too and such a nice man

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Doc.tom
Date: 13 May 07 - 05:02 AM

Yes, synbyn, Tom Brown does play a R-hand fretted instruments upside down! Interestingly, the chord patterns are exactly the same - you just come at them from the other side of the fingerboard. In any case, I always liked the logic of having the treble string at the top and the bass string at the bottom.

Tom B

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 May 07 - 06:55 AM

Chris Sherburn of Last Night's Fun is another left-handed guitarist who plays a conventional (right-handed) guitar. Usually, of course, he plays Anglo-concertina.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: guitar
Date: 13 May 07 - 07:07 AM

a jobby is thing that comes out your arse (shit)

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,doc.tom
Date: 13 May 07 - 07:40 AM

Thanks for the compliment breezy - but I'll cry foul on the stand! ONLY when we're doing a scripted show.

TomB

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: erosconpollo
Date: 13 May 07 - 10:53 AM

I've read that both Paul McCartney and John Lennon got used to switching instruments frequently and learned to play each other's guitars and basses upside down.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 16 May 07 - 08:38 AM

I've heard that Sir Paul is righty who plays lefty. Anyone know if that's true?
- Phil

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Vinland
Date: 16 May 07 - 05:26 PM

I'm pretty sure McCartney recorded both Yesterday and Blackbird using an upside down right -hand strung guitar (as Libba Cotten), though he played bass left handed .

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 17 May 07 - 05:20 PM

I think the ambidextrous one.

There are guitar players who can play standing on their heads.

I know of no Lefties who play Righty guitars. Unless they are bi-conceptuals.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Muttley
Date: 17 May 07 - 09:58 PM

OK I have NO idea of the guy's name - all I know is that he's an Aboriginal chap and lives (used to live in Darwin - Northern Territory, Australia) - Bugsy may know of him - or one of the other Ozcatters.

This bloke was featured in the media about 15 years ago +/- a year or two.

He is a left-handed guitarist who both strums and fingerpicks his tunes who plays his (usually acoustic) guitar - no cutaway - left handed but strung 'upside down' as per a right-handed player.

The REAL kicker is that this bloke is not only self-taught; but he is also totally blind.

Story goes, he found the guitar at the rubbish tip (don't ask - I have NO idea what a blind guy was doing rummaging around in a rubbish tip - all I know is that the story is true) and it was already strung. He tuned it and began teaching himself to play.
From the couple of tunes I recall him playing on the documentary - he was bloody good.

I remember thinking - I've been playing on and off for about 15 years now and I play a right-handed guitar, strung for right-handed playing as a right-habder. I've had the benefit of teaching - and yet this guy plays upside down, left-handed with NO tuition and blind - and he still makes every muso I know sound like their trying to play a rhinoceros!"

Guitar - maybe LTS thought he was playing a 'Jobbie Wheeker"!!!

Question for 'Spaw - sorry to appear ignorant but I've never heard the expression "shake the dew off of your lily" before - could you enlighten me?

Muttley

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: GUEST,Maxx England
Date: 18 May 07 - 07:42 AM

I just stuck my head in here, I'm normally on Big Road Blues. As you're not, from my first impressions (forgive if erroneous), a heavily blues focussed site, I feel it only fair to mention one of the great blues names, Albert King.

Take a look at shots of him with his Flying V. Incidentally, if you know someone wants a Les Paul sound without the LP price, get a V. Same scale, pickups, placement etc, just don't expect to be comfortable sitting down with it.

And hello to John McKenzie, the Leap Frog is all gone now.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: mrmoe
Date: 18 May 07 - 08:56 AM

.....ad to the list - Larry Kiely, formerly of Eden's Children.....

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 18 May 07 - 02:13 PM

Muttley ~

it's HARDLY a "real kicker" that a blind person would learn a musical instrument. Do I really need to provide a list of names?

Sorry; don't mean to be sarcastic, but it's true. Perhaps your amazement stems from the fact that this blind man not only learned to play, but taught himself in such an idiosynchratic manner.

When you stop to think about it, it might be more natural for a blind than a sighted person to play in an unconventional manner (e.g., lefty-as-righty) because he hasn't been preconditioned to the standard method by seeing others play. He's going by touch and sound and nothing else.

Maxx England ~

Originally, Mudcat was primarily focussed on the blues and secondarily on a broader range American folk music. There are still members here who share your interests, but the membership and the range of discussion has become more international and more diverse.

Another more blues-centric forum/site that might interest you is:

http://tweedsblues.net/

Tweed is a sometime Mudcatter and there are several other characters who make semi-regular appearances both here and over there.

Mudcat's change and growth in membership dates back to when Xerox Corporation gave up custody of the Digital Tradition, formerly housed by its Palo Alto Researach Center ("XeroxPARC"). The "DT" is a huge collection of folksong lyrics, probably the world's most complete, and Mudcat stepped up to take over responsibility for it. Lots of people ~ many with interests in other areas of folk music than the blues ~ followed.

Subject: RE: Which lefty played righty guitar?
From: Muttley
Date: 18 May 07 - 10:41 PM

You might not be impressed Maxx - but I sure as hell was.

Yes I know of the countless blind people who play - but to be blind, find a guitar and then learn it upside down and back-to-front and do it alone is STILL bloody impressive!

Mutt