Left handed guitar?

Question:hi a couple of question really.
I am thinking about getting a guitar but am left handed.
1. I have seen a classical guitar does that really matter if i want to play normal music or do i get a normal acoustic one?

2. I am not sure if the fingers in my right hand are flexible enough or quick will this get better as i carry on playing?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: hi a couple of question really.
I am thinking about getting a guitar but am left handed.
1. I have seen a classical guitar does that really matter if i want to play normal music or do i get a normal acoustic one?

2. I am not sure if the fingers in my right hand are flexible enough or quick will this get better as i carry on playing?

A lot of left-handed people play guitar right-handed and find that works just fine for them. After all, both hands have equally important things to do in guitar playing, so it usually doesn't matter which hand does what. It makes shopping for guitars a lot easier as music shops will have a nice selection of the right-handed instruments, but maybe only one or two guitars set up for leftys -- and you'll be able to pick up and play other peoples' right-handed guitars if you're at a friend's house or at a jam or whatever and don't have your own guitar handy.

If you do decide to learn to play left-handed, you *can* take a right-handed guitar and switch the strings around, but you'll also have to have a luthier reverse or replace the nut (the little bone or plastic bar at the top of the fingerboard just below the headstock) and the saddle (the little bone or plastic insert in the bridge that the strings pass over). But even then, you'll eventually find that a guitar specifically constructed to be played left-handed will sound better than a righty guitar that's been reversed. So if you stick with it, you'll eventually want to buy a lefty instrument.

1. Classical (ie: nylon string) guitars have a characteristic sound that works really beautifully for classical music, Spanish flamenco music, some fingerstyle jazz playing, and maybe some mellow folksong accompaniment. But if you want to play anything else, like rock, country, blues, bluegrass, whatever, you're going to want the sound of a steel-string guitar. And you CANNOT put steel strings on a guitar that's built for nylon strings -- the guitar is too lightly constructed to withstand the greater string tension of steel strings, and if you put steel strings on it, you will very quickly wind up with a broken guitar. So think carefully about what kind(s) of music you want to play and get the guitar that suits that style of music.

2. In the beginning, both hands will feel awkward and clumsy on the guitar but as you learn and practice, they will get more flexible. Again, if you learn to play right-handed, your less-flexible right hand will just be strumming and picking, while your dominant (and more flexible) left hand will be fretting the chords and notes. Something to think about.......

For straight forward spanish guitar type, just restring the guitar the opposite way around. This will make it Left Handed. I did it with a violin, but had to get a differnt shaped chin rest. Electric guitars may need to be specially purchased, I never progressed far enough to find out. Look at some old footage of Paul McCartney -he's left handed.
Exercises for the fingers can be done with a squeeze ball or gripper with poundage, I used one after I broke all my fingers in an accident. I still type at at least 50 words a minute, so I think it worked.

Just restring it the other way.

They do make left handed guitars. I found one at a pawn shop real cheap. Look around, changing a guitar isn't all that easy. The guitar pick guard will be on top. You don't want that.

2*.

when u develop your skills and lern more tunes u will get better.................if not just buy a pick, there only about $3

They do make left handed guitars, they electric ones and the cut out acoustic have to be made for left hands just restringing one will not work properly. As far as what to get. Find a cheap acoustic, first act makes a good cheap acoustic one that is great to start on. Get good with this, with cords and the like and just practice all the time. You will develop the strength and the flexibility in your fingers over time.

1. you can play anything on any guitar it just is the sound that changes but for regular music (not classical) i would recommend that you get a steel string acoustic.

2.they have a little thing called the Gripmaster that is like $15 and basically you press down on the springs and it helps to strengthen your hand. but anyways yes your hand will get much more flexible as you keep playing

1. I'm left handed - I learned how to play Right-handed, it's just more comfortable for me... and a hell of a lot cheaper than buying one made for lefties, or rigging it by stringing it the opposite way (which, btw, doesn't work for every guitar).

2. YES - it will get better once you start playing! Just keep with it. Set goals to practice a certain amount every week - take a guitar class at your local rec. center or college - buy a book - go to tablature (tab) websites and learn your favourite songs - learn how to read tabs if you can't ;). My point is, practice is the *only* way you'll gain more flexibility and quickness in either hand.

Also - the girly who posted about the pawn shop trick - one of my faves... you get the most obscene deals there! :)

classicals are better for classical type music.

steel string acoustics are better for pop/rock type strumming and singing.

and electrics are just noisy monsters!

I'm a lefty player too & if i wanted a steel stringer i would look for a Washburn D10 s left handed, as they have a solid top and are a proper left handed guitar not a restring.
http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/d-10...

also get a tuner, they are really useful things to have. even a cheap one can do at a pinch it makes playing much nicer to be in tune.

and your fingers will soon toughen up, so don't worry about them, getting some beginner lessons is a good way to start, if you find teaching yourself too hard.