Hi,
I’m wanting to learn one handed (right). I’m trying to decide whether to play a lefty or right flipped upside-down. Things I’ve thought about : Pros of the flipped? A lot more choice when buying guitars, can play when I don’t have my lefty with people.
Cons: I’m learning upside-down. Learning materials won’t match. Left handed pros? Can learn traditionally. Normal to play. Cons? Less guitar choice, more expensive, and would only be able to play mine. A third option is playing regular right, just reaching my hand to the fret board as one might when tapping a guitar. Advice? Thanks
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Choose either left or right handed. Not flipped. That’s asking for a lot of grief. As a righty I can’t really speak to a lefty learning right handed but many do. We also have a thread on who makes lefty basses somewhere here IIRC
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In that case if I went right for the reasons I listed, I’d be reaching for the neck. You think that’s a better option?
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Learning upside down will make many things more difficult.
Josh is left handed and learned to play right. I actually think fretting with your dominant hand may be an advantage. You should try learning to play a standard right handed bass, fretting with your left hand, and see how it goes, IMO.
Remember that the direction that a guitar is “supposed” to be played was just an arbitrary choice at the time. I have often wondered if it is the best choice. I think you could use it to your advantage here and get to fret with your dominant hand. IMO fretting requires more dexterity than plucking/picking.
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Just to be clear, I have very limited motor skills in my left hand. That’s why I say mainly learning one handed. My right hand needs to be the fretting hand. It’s just whether to limit myself to only left hand basses for the reasons I listed, or learn on right handed basses just turned over. Thoughts?
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Ahh, I see, this is what I get for not reading the whole thread. Sorry about that.
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No biggie. So would you suggest going lefty, accepting the limitations of variety, use with others etc, or reach across as you already said you wouldn’t suggest learning a right turned upside down?
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If you need to use your right hand to fret, I see two good options.
Buy a lefty bass and accept the supply issues
Buy a standard bass. Replace its nut and bridge with lefty bass parts. Play it “upside down” but still with the E string at the top. Basically, convert it in to a lefty bass.
Under no circumstances would I recommend just flipping the bass and learning with the G string on top.
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Is changing it a hard/expensive/complicated thing to do? Would it hurt the guitar’s worth?
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My grandson is left handed and (now) plays a left handed guitar - he also plays (started out with) right handed guitars upside down…. I’ve questioned him on numerous occasions about his decision to play both right handed upside down along with left handed guitars so I’ll try to explain what he’s always told me…
Oh, I know,…. This is about Bass and not guitar but since I play both, the technical aspects are pretty much the same……
First, when he started learning to play guitar, all he could afford was an inexpensive right handed guitar - hell, there’s plenty of those around anyway…. (Budget)
Second, he was dead set on playing with a band so nothing was gonna stop him…. (Determination)
One thing that Will (my grandson) mentioned several times is that although he does enjoy playing his left handed guitars, he really does love playing right handed guitars upside down for several reasons….
First off, MUTING…. He feels as if muting was so much easier to cut out the heavier strings that vibrate more that were now on the bottom of the fretboard while he was shredding the upper strings that were at the top of the fretboard.
Second, when he get a chance to jam with other players no matter where he’s at, he can jump in and use either a right hand or left handed guitar…
Third, (and in Will’s words)…… “It’s just totally kick-ass cool to be able to play either way Pops…. It’s like ‘ambidextrous-maximus’!”
My grandson Will is an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Specialist in the US Army…. I would have to assume that being somewhat “ambidextrous-maximus”, along with a healthy dose of determination is a great recipe no matter if you’re diffusing bombs or playing guitar/bass….
My take away and personal opinion……. Do what works for you…. Most People (myself included) have never dealt with your situation…. Only YOU can make the decision that YOU believe is the best for you…… All I do know is that……. “In War, and Music,……. There ARE NO gahdamn rules!!!”…. You do what you believe is the best for YOU……. Oh, and try not to get hurt doing whatever the hell you decide to do…. 
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Well what kind of limitation and/ or participation the left hand would be?
I know the heart wants what it wants as far as instruments goes and the lack of some thing usually enhances the others. Your available input methods could determine the type of bass and the style of bass including the orientation that could optimize your experience playing the bass.
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My right hand is just as strong as anyone. My left can’t fully open, not hold a pick and strumming/picking movement is not stable. My arm does move but not without thought. Help any?
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As a lifetime lefty of 57 years, I have to weigh in. I learned to play right handed, and I think it’s because of all that “air guitar” I played since my youth. It just seemed natural. As an adult I made decisions to learn things right handed because…it’s a right hander’s world. In particular, the 10-key pad while working at the grocery store. Nowadays working on a 104-key keyboard for most of my adult life, I can tell you I am as proficient with it as any right hander.
On the bass, the funny thing is… while I truly am left handed, I never got challenged plucking with my right hand (except at the very beginning); when I struggle, its with my left on the fret-board. I never figured that one out. However, studies I have read suggest that handedness is by degrees, the very left handed or right handed or somewhat ambidextrous.
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If your left is unusable then you are limited to tapping only with your right hand there’s no reason to strap up the bass and you can just get the mini short scale bass that you can play on your lap like the steel guitar with something like the Cali 4.
Not being about to use one side of your dexterity is very tough on a 2 point contact string instrument. I admire your determination for sure.
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Thanks! I’ve seen people play it quite well, so I know it’s possible! Just planning the best way to go about it before I start.
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@JBass523 can you talk more about what your left hand can do? For instance, can you pluck with one finger on your left hand? Can you fret with one finger on your left hand?
Also @JoshFossgreen and @Gio have been bass teachers for many years. They may have some special insight into how best to make this work for you.
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Hey!
Fret not really. I’d have the ability to pluck with my middle finger perhaps but I don’t have very good coordination, meaning plucking would take conscious focused effort, probably throwing off any fretting I’m doing. Something to work on perhaps. I can’t move my fingers independently, wrist is stuck pretty much in the straight position, can’t open my hand all the way, just some or have very good grip between fingers… That help a little?
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I was just googling and found this guy who lost his arm and developed his own style of playing (tapping really). He seems to be fairly well known
maybe a better route?
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Bill Clements for sure. Main reason I’m even trying. That’s the kind of approach I’ll be taking but of course, with my right hand.
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I’m not sure what the budget is, or what the available resources are… but because you’re going to be trying something so unorthodox, I can’t give a strong recommendation one way or the other.
My instinct - if you’re planning on learning the fingerboard and want to use traditional bass technique for the fret-board side tapping (like Bill Clements) I’d definitely get a left handed bass.
You’ll be able to follow along with all the instructional material (though flipped for lefties) and the approach and concept will be the same.
Upside down playing would be a very small, limited world of resources.
Having said that…
If you can, try both.
There may be something in the flipping of the strings that will make tapping easier for you?
I know people have done incredible things with the flipped guitar, and maybe that would be more comfortable for you.
You won’t know unless you have something to try on.
I think it would be a better idea to buy an instrument based on what feels most logical, learnable, and comfortable. Left handed basses make things more difficult for finding instruments, but playing comfortably and learning the instrument should still be paramount.
One last thought -
There may be some limited things with the left hand that you can do to add to the taps (plucking open strings every once in a while to make low note drones, while tapping with the right hand, etc).
Without being in the same room it’s hard to know what to recommend, so take all this with a grain of salt since I don’t know what you can or cannot do.
Best of luck!
I’d love to see a progress video every so often! Wishing you all the best!
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