When embarking on your guitar-playing journey, one of the initial, crucial decisions to make is determining whether you’re a left-handed or right-handed player. This decision influences your guitar purchase, learning approach, and overall playing experience.

How to Determine Your Dominant Playing Hand?

Several factors can guide you in identifying your dominant hand:

1. Daily Activities: Which hand do you use for tasks like writing, eating, or throwing a ball? It often correlates with your dominant guitar-playing hand.
2. Comfort & Dexterity: When you air-play a guitar or hold one, which orientation feels the most natural and comfortable? Where do you feel more finger dexterity?
3. Sound Preference: Sometimes, it’s about where you prefer the sound to emanate. Left-handed guitars produce sound towards your right ear and vice versa.

The Nuances of Left vs. Right-Handed Playing:

While the fundamental techniques remain the same, the orientation and approach differ:

1. Guitar Setup: Left-handed guitars have the bass strings at the bottom, whereas right-handed ones have them on top.
2. Chord Structures & Patterns: For left-handed players, chord structures are mirrored. This can sometimes be a challenge when learning from predominantly right-handed resources.
3. Availability of Instruments: Unfortunately, left-handed guitars are less available and may sometimes be pricier.

Final Thoughts:

Whether you’re a lefty or a righty, the journey of guitar-playing is exhilarating. It’s essential to choose what feels most natural to you, ensuring comfort and efficiency in learning. For more detailed insights and tutorials tailored to both left and right-handed players, explore our library or dive into our specialised Beginner’s Guitar Course.