I played guitar and lute left-handed (mostly classical) for many years. A few years ago, at the age of 49, I was trying to help my daughter to learn the violin (she is right-handed), and became interested myself. So I bought an instrument, got the strings and bridge swopped round, and have happily played away ever since.

As regards setting up an instrument for left-handed playing, undoubtedly it would be best to get the internal strutting reversed, but I have found (since getting a new set of strings) that the sound is pretty good even though it is a right-handed violin with just the strings and bridge reversed. The E string sounded very screechy before, but this must have been a problem with the string.

I had lessons for a year or so, and my teacher said that being left-handed would not be a significant problem as regards playing in an orchestra: many amateur orchestras are so desperate for vioinists they won`t worry about left-handedness.

So I echo the views of Andrew, the left-handed guitar teacher: if you feel more comfortable playing left-handed, go for it!

My previous `ancient` violin teacher was a leftie. And I think that he`s cool. It really doesn`t matter which hand is yr dominant hand...Caz If u make MUSIC, hey! Yr the man!

I hae emailed with Ryan Thomson and I have his book, he is terrific. I still need to find a teacher, if anyone has any ideas in the Boston/Cambridge area.

Question: I`m a clarinetist and studied clarinet performance and music education in college. However, In 2002, the worst thing to happen to a musician happened to me - I was in a serious car accident and my left hand was badly damaged, in fact, they almost amputated. I am now unable to ever play clarinet again because they removed the finger joints in my index and middle fingers. Music is such a huge part of my life still and I want to continue playing thinking that I could hold a bow fairly well with my left hand and do all the fingerings with my right. If anyone has any advise let me know. I don`t want to lose my music forever. I don`t check this site often but respond to emails. Thanks Love in SAI!!!!

I emailed you but it bounced back to me.
Go to www.captainfiddle.com, Ryan Thomson fiddles left handed due to a disability, he couild give you advice and encouragement

Roger Coull of the Coull quartet is left handed, but plays right handed .

im in a proffesional orchestra and left handed just practice

Einstein was left-handed...and played the violin....but -- did he play the violin left-handed ??? Hey, diddle diddle, maybe one of you cats with a fiddle can hip me to the details...ya dig?

Hello,

Thank you all for this interesting threat.
I am a left-handed guitarist (folk, blues, jazz, traditional...)and I am sure that it was the right choice to start lefty.
I am sure would never have the same touch, rhythm, feeling, etc with the other hand....

If you are lefty, start lefty.
The major problems are:
The incredible frustration when you go in a shop... all these beautiful instrument you cannot try...
You will usually have to buy an instrument "on paper" when you want a professional instrument, because the stock that instrument shops have are usually really cheap Asian instrument. You do not have the pleasure to test different instrument before to buy...

I never learned with a "classical" teacher because no one did accept me left-handed...

Xav

Two photos presently on the internet show Einstein holding his violin in his left hand and the bow in his right, which indicates-- he played the violin RIGHT-handed !!!

Einstein played right-handed. Many lefties are not completely left-dominant, however about 10% of lefties are and a smaller minority still are truely ambidextrous. Most lefties use both hands but give preference to finer motor skill tasks to their left hand.

In helping a child decide which instrument to use, the parent and teacher should observer the child`s preference in other areas of their life. Which hand do they use and for what kind of action? Also, in all best practicies, a violin should be presented to the child and they should be allowed to place the instrument on their shoulder and take the bow, naturally; without any prompting or direction from the adult. A true lefty will instinctively grab the bow with the left hand and mount the instrument as a lefty would. This can be shown with guitars as well. Do not be surprised if a left-handed child instinctively places the violin on the left shoulder, it is more than likely that this will be the case, but for the minority of lefties, they will place the bow in the left-hand and mount the instrument on their right shoulder. These students should start on a left-handed instrument. It is very important to discover childern`s natural talents and abilities rather than impose an arbitraty "ideal."

Ever tried playing right handed? I have a dominant left hand but found it much easier to have my left hand fingering the notes. The bowing will be trickier but you`ll get it in time(the right hand is only weak because you use it less)Plus you wont have to spend money altering or buying a special instrument.

Sean, you can do anyting if you wish, but we tend to excel at what comes naturally. In your case, it does not appear that you truely are left dominant, or that you are ambidextrous, or that you might have spent a great deal more energy learning to play right handed than you would had you learnt the other way round.
Also, something you should think about---bowing is the engine to playing. It is where nuance comes into play. Fingering can be learned through rote---in fact you could probably teach your toes to do it--it certainly has been shown that other primates can learn to do rudimentary fingering on a guitar.(Just an observation, nothing more.)

I`ve been trying to learn on a right handed
machine for twelve months, I simply cannot
control the bow properly. I`ve tried playing
with opposite stringing, left handed, and it is
much easier as an action, but of course the setting
is all wrong and I half-expected a nasty cracking
sound. Now I know they are available I`m going
to get a left-handed job.

You may want to try learning a right handed violin, strung right handed, but bowed lefty. It`s pretty common and you`re going to want to learn to upbow and downbow on the one beat, anyway. The only hardware conversion that you`ll need is to get a lefty chinrest made.