Let's hear it for the Lefties!
Posted by andy gallant on 9 April 2008 - 12:12pm.
As a left-hander (though I play my guitar-based musings as a right-hander), I was always impressed and felt more than a little sense of pride when I learned of the many stellar musicians who are/were similarly afficted/talented. We all know about Hendrix and McCartney, of course, but I was surprised to hear that Ringo, Phil Collins, both Everly Brothers and Robert Plant also lean to the left. (How can you tell a left-handed drummer, I wonder?). Any other lefties out there in the music world we should know about?
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Elizabeth Cotton
Was left handed and amazingly she taught herself to play guitar as a child without any lessons and without restringing the guitar so she always played it upside down.
My guitar teacher used to tell me that when he was frustrated with a pupil who couldn't pick something up he would turn his guitar around and try and play it and then he would quickly realise how difficult an instrument it is to play for a beginner.
Practising sinistrists
You're not alone, Andy. Mark Knopfler and Noel Gallagher are both left handers who play right-handed. Albert King was a 'upside down and back to front' guitarist, and Elliott Easton of the Cars plays a regular left handed Les Paul.
PS left handed drummers have their snare/hi hat on the right and play the bass drum pedal with the left foot, I believe.
LH drummers
They may use their right hand for the hihat and left for the snare, so either the hihat will be on the left of the drumkit as you look at the stage, or they'll have a standard setup and hit the hihat with their left hand, i.e. not crossing over their body with their hihat arm, which right-handed drummers do.
Test on Friday.
didn't we talk
.. about the "bend sinister" in the Fall post yesterday! :)
Sinister Singing Star
The lead singer / guitarist of The Beat, whose name escapes me, played it left-handed - as did Ziggy Stardust! (if the lyrics of that track are to be believed). If that's the case for the latterly, then does that mean Bowie does indeed favour the southpaw method?
I'm sinister myself
but play right-handed. I don't understand why it's considered to be right-handed to have your left hand doing all the fretting stuff - puzzled.
Finger Picked
If you're doing some intricate picking your non-fret hand can be just as involved though, sometimes more so...
Left
Damon Albarn - think he's a lefty who plays a righty. I never think that really counts though.
Gruff Rhys - plays left (though he uses an upside-down right)
I think one of The Cure plays left too.
And a Kasier Chief.
And me!
Southpaws
Me too. As left-handed as you like.
Gary Moore is another lefty who plays right.
Kurt Cobain
Joe Perry
Otis Rush
Bobby Womack
Sting - and Stewart Copeland apparently
Paganini
Leonardo Da Vinci
Greg Allman
David Byrne
Tony Iommi
Annie Lennox
Ian Paice (Deep Purple drummer. He'll know how to set your kit up for you)
Oh, and so will Roger Taylor (Queen)
And, wait for it, everyone who sings in Manhattan Transfer.
And how...
...does Leonardo set up his kit?
Well he doesn't anymore.
Well he doesn't anymore. He's dead