> I don`t despise either, absolutely not.

I am sorry, Elizabeth! I didn`t mean to insinuate that you didn`t like folk music.

I simply meant to say that there are other avenues into music, aside from classical, for aspiring violinists.

Some people may not prefer some genres, but not realize that others are available that they would enjoy.

However, at the 10 years and younger ages (child prodigies, aside,) students may find it more difficult to locate and explore those avenues.

Jason

Lefty violin is to: Righty violin as
American car is to: European car

For one thing, having a lefty violin in a righty orchestra is like driving a car in the U.S.A. compared to Europe. In the U.S.A. people drive on the left side, In Europe, people drive on the right side. It`s also the same with the roads, because the flow of traffic is opposite in each country. If I was in Europe with an American car, I would be at a disadvantage because the roads are made for European cars, even though I would be more use to the American car.

The only other thing is that there was never any need for a lefty violin because it doesn`t matter if your right or left handed. In an orchestra having all righty violins is better. Ex: never accidentally ramming the other persons bow, having the bows go in the same direction evenly, and left&right handed people play just the same as each other.

-The even better players practice more.

that is complete "well it doesnt affect me so who cares" nonsense.

firstly, being in an orchestra is not the be-all-end-all of violin/fiddle playing.

secondly, if having a wheelchair amongst the other musicians would cause problems, then would the orchestra choose not to have musicians who are wheelchair bound?

i am sure the equality/rights authority of the relevant country would have something to say about that.

But wheelchairs don`t cause problems in an orchestra.

but if they did,
would anyone get away with not choosing wheelchair bound players deliberately?

We just had a Gliga leftie arrive. MOST interesting. It`s a true leftie with even the bass bar and soundpost switched round.

I couldn`t resist trying it ....

Managed twinkle Twinkle little start VERY badly. Not badly enough though to convince me that if I were learning from scratch it would be significantly more difficult that a rightie for me.

i feel totally disorientated now, even typing at a keyboard feels odd. It`s as if someone has turned me upside down. But then of course i am a player already.


Liz

That sounds familiar.

The idiocy of insisting that everyone has to play the violin righthanded is borne out by the example of saying everyone has to play sports righthanded. Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Sandy Koufax, Reggie Jackson, Steve Young, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe & Andy Pettite would be adequate, but certainly not superstars if they plied their trade right handed. When you have to adjust to the opposite way, it will always feel awkward - and you will be at a disadvantage if you try to go to the highest level. Competing for a spot in the NY Phil as a lefty playing righthanded is like trying to hit against Pedro Martinez from the opposite batter`s box or trying to stop a Gretzky shot with your glove and stick reversed - not going to happen!

My son is 17 and ready to start violin. He is left-handed. I am a right-handed person who plays guitar. I have always been perplexed, the arguments for and against learning to play as normal right handed instrument seem evenly matched. And I always ask myself "Mike, if you had been asked to learn on a leftie guitar in the beginning, would you have had more trouble or be jus the same?". But of course who can say.

I am thinking who should at least try at first playing rightie, and if it feels natural to him he can avoid all the problems (bowing same direction, avialability of instrument, ability to pick up a friends instrument and play, etc). And if he can`t, say after 6 weeks, then switch to leftie.

how would he ever know

who knows how difficult anything ever is relative to doing it left/right handed, without doing it both ways

just in the same way that someone who doesnt have 20/20 vision can walk around happily knowing they can see.

then one day they get corrective surgery and then they can see further and clearer and with less effort.

it`s all relative

I am a mom to a 4-year old who wants to start playing the violin. she is left-handed and I firmly believe that she should play a left-handed violin. Someone referred to cheaper Chinese beginners violins. Does anyone know where I could find them?

i bought one on EBay from Salliegooden

or else go to nashville violins or gliga violins websites i mentioned in earlier posts on this thread

Does anyone know of a teacher in the Boston/Cambridge area who would be willing to teach me lefty? (no polemics please on why you think this isn`t a good idea)

Speaking as a dealer, I could not in all good conscience sell a leftie to anyone other than an adult. I just don`t think it is right to make the choice for the child at the age of four that he will never ever be able to play in a good orchestra and will always have difficulty getting teachers. And whether we like it or not, that is still the reality of the violin playing world.

liz

Here`s a good guy to speak with authority about the subject.

Ryan Thomson was a right handed violinist who played right handed for 20 years until he established a soft tissue injury that affected his bowing arm. After a short leave from the instrument, he retaught himself to play left handed. In doing so, he ran into the same prejudices we other lefties see and he met and got to know many fellow professional lefties in the process. His book tells their stories as well.

By the way, even he admits that it has taken much more work to learn with his off-hand than his dominant one and if he had to from the beginning he may not have made it.

Email him your questions, he`s a really nice guy.

http://home.tiac.net/~cfiddle/lefthandedbook.html