It is logical to search for guitar lessons that are suited for left handed players. After all, you do everything else with your left hand. And so many of the guitar’s greatest practitioners have been left handed. From Jimi Hendrix to Tony Iommi, left handed players have occupied some of the biggest guitar spots in music.
But that doesn’t mean that things are always easy for the left hander. While there are certainly left handed guitars on offer, limited runs mean that the range is usually smaller and the guitars are often more expensive. Hendrix even had to restring a right handed stratocaster upside down to find an instrument.
And when it comes to instructional materials, things can initially seem pretty daunting. Those diagrams in books never match up correctly with what you are doing. Scale diagrams feel like they’re the wrong way round. It seems like you will need a mirror just to make any sense of what is really going on... It is possible even for the most left handed person to learn to play the guitar the other way around. You are going to need to use both hands in the end anyway.
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Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t use instructional materials aimed at the right hander. Something like Guthrie Govan’s Creative Guitar series is inspiring and informative no matter what hand you use to play it. It really doesn't have to be just like that. There are left handed guitar lessons out there. Many of the major publishers have put out work specifically aimed at left handed guitarists. You just have to know where to look.
Hal Leonard has been particularly good in that regard. Left handed and right handed are very similar...just inverted. Many books are written just for left handers. The Picture Chord Encyclopedia for Left Handed Guitarists, meanwhile, does away with all those awful moments when you’re tempted to turn other chord books upside down to try and get something close to the correct angle.
To draw inspiration from a few left handed greats, why not get hold of music for work by the likes of Paul McCartney, Hendrix and Kurt Cobain? Or, if more technically demanding metal is your preference, why not go for an Avenged Sevenfold tab book, since guitarist Zacky Vengeance is another famous lefty.
So, if you’re looking for left handed guitar lessons, there’s certainly enough stuff out there to keep you going. All you’ve got to do is practise.
John is a guitar enthusiast that has reviewed the best Easy Guitar Lessons online. If you are interested in that check that link out.
Or read other articles written by me here:
Beginner guitar sheet music
Rock on!