My daughter wants to play guitar...

[htismaqe]

I have 3 guitars she could use but they're all standard, right-hand configurations and she's left-handed.

My wife thinks I should teach her to play right-handed. Since she's never played before, it won't be like she'd have to unlearn anything.

However, I'm concerned that I could be potentially limiting her later on because she might not ever fully develop the dexterity she might have otherwise developed if I had just gotten her a left-handed guitar to start with.

[Rambozo]

Originally Posted by htismaqe
I have 3 guitars she could use but they're all standard, right-hand configurations and she's left-handed.

My wife thinks I should teach her to play right-handed. Since she's never played before, it won't be like she'd have to unlearn anything.

However, I'm concerned that I could be potentially limiting her later on because she might not ever fully develop the dexterity she might have otherwise developed if I had just gotten her a left-handed guitar to start with.

Congrats man! My 10 year old daughter started playing drums this year. My mom, my brother, my father in law and myself all played drums. It feels good to pass it on. Enjoy it bro!

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Rambozo

Congrats man! My 10 year old daughter started playing drums this year. My mom, my brother, my father in law and myself all played drums. It feels good to pass it on. Enjoy it bro!

you have a daughter? 2, right bob?

[Rambozo]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

you have a daughter? 2, right bob?

One daughter and one son.

[memyselfI]

I'd start teaching her the more standardized way which is right handed. As a lefty she should be able to pick up the switch back rather easily if she just can't figure it out right handed. As it is now you are dealing with a clean slate so go the more common less expensive route.

She could end up being a bit of both as my younger son is. He writes left handed, eats right handed, kicks right footed and plays drums, djembe, congas and bongos. My other son self taught bass, guitar, keyboards. Both of my sons got the musician bug and we love it. Except when they want to try to make that their life's work...Bubble busting is hard.

If she truly loves the instrument and/or has a gift for it then she'll pick it up rather easily. It's like magic to watch.

[redfan]

Lefty, learned to play righty, which is the way any music teacher should do it. I hated it at first, but having the dom hand for the frets was an advantage for stamina. If it was my lefty kid, I'd teach 'em the standard right-handed way. I'd only switch if the kid couldn't grasp the technique, but that shouldn't be an issue for a beginner.

[Dayze]

if you go the strung backwards route, just make sure you adjust the bridge accordingly.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Look at this way, Dude: If your daughter has any real talent and decides to pursue this for a living in some fashion, whether it's as a songwriter or sideman or a band or whatever, it makes more sense for her to walk into a room and play right handed.

If she's asked to sit in somewhere or sit in on a session or contribute to a song or whatever, she'll always need to have her left-handed instrument on her at all times. IMO, that's a major detriment.

And as I said earlier, guitar is easy. It's just shapes. I doubt she's out to be the next Yngwie Malmsteen. And make her take piano lessons as well. If you can play piano, you can virtually understand and play almost any instrument because it's laid out so simply that the music theory is natural.

Both of my girls take piano lessons. My youngest (the one who wants to play guitar) has struggled with it a bit but she's picking it up fast.

My oldest, I just sit and listen in wonder. She learns faster than I ever did. She jets through whole lesson books. She's the same with the clarinet. And with the clarinet, she skipped an entire year of instruction when she skipped a grade.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Rambozo

Congrats man! My 10 year old daughter started playing drums this year. My mom, my brother, my father in law and myself all played drums. It feels good to pass it on. Enjoy it bro!

My oldest wants to play drums. It's the reason why she started piano lessons. The school band program requires that anyone playing percussion has at least 2 years of piano...

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Dayze

if you go the strung backwards route, just make sure you adjust the bridge accordingly.

Un-possible.

The nut would have to be altered or more likely completely replaced.

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by Rambozo

Congrats man! My 10 year old daughter started playing drums this year. My mom, my brother, my father in law and myself all played drums. It feels good to pass it on. Enjoy it bro!

My dad is a retired band teacher and I played trombone for him from 6th grade through high school but put it down and haven’t picked up a musical instrument since so he’s excited that I’ve bought an upright bass and have been learning how to play. When he and mom get back from Texas this spring he wants to get together and jam.

[Gadzooks]

I'm another lefty that plays a righty (I thought I was the only one).
I've always felt that the dexterity in my left hand has compensated for a weak right picking hand.
I've always had to work on my picking way more than anything related to my left, (i.e chord formations, scales, bending, etc...).
I would suggest she play a right handed guitar, but make sure she doesn't slack on her picking by using too many hammer ons and pull offs with her left.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Gadzooks

I'm another lefty that plays a righty (I thought I was the only one).
I've always felt that the dexterity in my left hand has compensated for a weak right picking hand.
I've always had to work on my picking way more than anything related to my left, (i.e chord formations, scales, bending, etc...).
I would suggest she play a right handed guitar, but make sure she doesn't slack on her picking by using too many hammer ons and pull offs with her left.

Every guitarist from the 80's disagrees with you.

[uninvited]

The other advantage to her learning on a righty is that 95% of the lessons and tutorials available on the internet are taught righty.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Un-possible.

The nut would have to be altered or more likely completely replaced.

shit, that's what I meant.

[Gadzooks]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Every guitarist from the 80's disagrees with you.

Totally true. That’s how I got away with it for so long.