Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Question About String Instruments and Left Handed Players
Do left handed players use special string instruments?
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (2 votes) 
Avatar
JohnG
Greater Chicagoland
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 9:50 pm
Member Since: April 16, 2021
Forum Posts: 1591
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

My wife, who is left handed, asked if left handed players use re-strung/re-bridged instruments with reversed stance (left hand bowing) and I thought maybe the dominant left hand might actually work better at fingering notes.

What Say YOU???

The old curmudgeon!

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 10:23 pm
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1692
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Both hands have complex tasks to perform. I'm not sure that either left-handed or right-handed people have any great advantage.

Avatar
JohnG
Greater Chicagoland
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 10:47 pm
Member Since: April 16, 2021
Forum Posts: 1591
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

AndrewH said
Both hands have complex tasks to perform. I'm not sure that either left-handed or right-handed people have any great advantage.

  

But do some left hand players use reversed bridge/strings and bow with left hand?

The old curmudgeon!

Avatar
ABitRusty
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 10:56 pm
Member Since: February 10, 2019
Forum Posts: 3915
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

JohnG said

AndrewH said

Both hands have complex tasks to perform. I'm not sure that either left-handed or right-handed people have any great advantage.

  

But do some left hand players use reversed bridge/strings and bow with left hand?

  

maybe?  is this what you were asking?

 

https://fiddlershop.com/produc.....lin-outfit

Avatar
JohnG
Greater Chicagoland
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 11:05 pm
Member Since: April 16, 2021
Forum Posts: 1591
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@ABitRusty - Thanks, from that link:

The Fiddlerman Left Handed Concert Violin was designed from the ground up for violinists overcoming injuries, lack of mobility or dexterity in their left hand, and those who need to play the violin in opposite hands. It is not intended for violinists who are left hand dominant, as the violin is traditionally played on the left shoulder regardless of which hand is dominant.

The old curmudgeon!

Avatar
Mouse
April 27, 2021 - 11:13 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 5307
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online

I believe Fiddlershop sells a left handed violin.

I think the nut has to be swapped, too. Aren’t the grooves in the nut grooved to match the string thickness, also? I never paid that much attention to compare the grooves at the nut, but to get the string to sit snugly, I would think the nut is grooved for a specific string. If so,  just stringing from E to G in reverse to hold the violin in right hand for a left handed player, would not allow the strings to sit properly in the nut grooves. 

I don’t think you just reverse the strings because of the nut and if the bridge is reversed, the flat side of the bridge will face the wrong way, too, wouldn’t it?

I may have misunderstood the whole conversation. 🥴

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

Avatar
JohnG
Greater Chicagoland
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 11:29 pm
Member Since: April 16, 2021
Forum Posts: 1591
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@Mouse - This is from the Fiddlershop description, "The Fiddlerman Left Handed Concert Violin was designed from the ground up". So, yes there is one with all the proper changes such as you mentioned and no, it is not designed for left hand dominant people, but for special cases like for people with a left hand prosthesis.

The old curmudgeon!

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 11:40 pm
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1692
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

"Left-handed" violins need to be built entirely reversed. The positions of the soundpost and bass bar are switched, and the bridge is mirrored.

Note that the E string side of the bridge is lower than the G side, so it's not just the thickness of the strings at issue.

Avatar
Irv
Members

Regulars
April 27, 2021 - 11:40 pm
Member Since: December 23, 2017
Forum Posts: 1650
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@JohnG and others.  I am left handed and play on a right handed string instrument.  No issues at all.  

A true left handed string instrument is constructed as a mirror image of normal.  The bass bar is where the sound post “should be,” the placement of the pegs on the peg head is swapped (which is a good method of determining a left handed instrument in auction pictures), and so on.  

Converting a guitar is easier for a left handed person, but again I see no reason to do so if a person has similar functional utility of both limbs.

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

Avatar
Mark
Members

Regulars
April 28, 2021 - 3:18 am
Member Since: September 30, 2014
Forum Posts: 2149
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online
10sp_Permalink sp_Print
5

Be cause of a hand injury I play a right handed fiddle left handed, there are and have been folks who have done that in the past and now both classical players/ conductors and fiddlers who are very very good.

Mark

 

Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.

Albert Sammons

Avatar
JohnG
Greater Chicagoland
Members

Regulars
April 28, 2021 - 11:18 am
Member Since: April 16, 2021
Forum Posts: 1591
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
11sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

Mark said
Be cause of a hand injury I play a right handed fiddle left handed, there are and have been folks who have done that in the past and now both classical players/ conductors and fiddlers who are very very good.

Mark

That's inspiring and a testament to your dedication! I'm impressed. 

The old curmudgeon!

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 1, 2021 - 1:39 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
12sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

As Andrew said, we sell instruments that are made to be left handed with everything, including the inside of the violin, reversed. Bass bar should always be under the heavy string and soundpost under the highest string.
Actually, besides the bridge and fingerboard angle, the positioning of the pegs is quite important to keep your fingering hand clear of the pegs a bit more.
Many people don't consider that and think they could just switch strings and leave everything the way it is.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online: Mark, Mouse
Guest(s) 77
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today Michael Browder, EBurrell
Upcoming Sofia Leo, TKDennis, FiddleDetroit, CookiesViolin, JPferrman, Designer 88, LyleA, Stephen, Dorque, Trisha, Elaisa, Gordon Shumway, dougga, Russionleo, JohnG
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 7759
ABitRusty: 3915
Mad_Wed: 2849
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
Oliver: 2439
Gordon Shumway: 2425
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2149
damfino: 2113
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31662
Moderators: 0
Admins: 7
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 81
Topics: 10589
Posts: 134217
Newest Members:
SoCal335, Jan Howard, edwardcheng, Oscar Stern, bryanhanson, bittruster, fiddlecastro, jackdaniel, romanmills08, creativestringsinfo
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16429, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3744, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 5306