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Left Handed Violins
Though still relatively rare, left handed violins are becoming more common and gaining popularity. Violinists for centuries have been using violins that are held with the left hand and bowed with the right. Great violinists and fiddlers on all levels, both right and left handed, have been doing it this way without much discussion. A left handed person playing the violin may feel advantageous having a fingering hand with more dominance, power, and dexterity while a right handed person playing the violin benefits from dominating the bowing hand and arm. Both hands require control and neither can act without the other.
Why do left handed violins exist?
One reason for a left handed violin is when an individual is missing or having deficiencies with one or more fingers on their left hand. While it is possible to bow without the use of all fingers, it is not so with the fingering hand. Most practically, the fingering hand needs use of all four fingers and the thumb to counterbalance the weight and pressure. Another reason for a left handed… READ MORE>>>
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Pierre!
What a great article. It answered some of my lingering questions.
🙂
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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Great to hear. 🙂 Thanks
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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Fiddlerman,
Well written,
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Thanks Mark. 🙂
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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Very interesting read 🙂
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World's Okayest Fiddler
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As a lefty, this is very close to my heart!
Orchestral strings is so 'righty' biased it makes my blood boil! This is heartbreaking for lefty's. I found similar with guitars, walk into any guitar shop and if you are lucky there will be one low-end lefty guitar among 100 top notch righty's. Go to a violin shop and they look at you like you're an alien! Some stores I have visited admit they have never even SEEN a lefty violin. (I had never held a violin until 18months ago, I am 57)
I do understand the commercial point of view, there is probably less than one in a hundred leftys who want to learn violin, so as a business, making lefty violins en masse would close your business pretty quickly.
Yes, they are around, and luckilly I found a decent student violin by Gewa (the 'Ideale') which I am currently trying to eke tone from! Lolol
As a mature learner, and having played lefty guitars for 40yrs, starting violin righty would never work for me, but I would say that for a youngster or someone coming to violin without experience on other string instruments, starting righty would be the sensible thing to do. It pains me to say it, but its a no-brainer.
What really breaks my heart is that I cannot walk into a store and try different makes and models, I cannot pick up a lovely old fiddle just to experience that tone, I cannot make comparisons, I cannot test or pick and choose shoulder rests or chin rests (try finding a choice of lefty chin rests!!!!!!) and I promise I'm not bitter and twisted. Honest.....
However, a huge huge monster thumbs up for even mentioning lefty's.... I think this is a first in my 'all things fiddle' web searches.... Mebbe I have found a home here!
And the wind takes your hesitation, and the sun burns your fear, and the rain on your face, make the tears disappear..
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leftyuk said
...........However, a huge huge monster thumbs up for even mentioning lefty's.... I think this is a first in my 'all things fiddle' web searches.... Mebbe I have found a home here!
Thanks leftyuk, I think you found your home here too. 🙂
We will gladly do everything we can do to find you an instrument if you ever need help. We do have plenty of first hand experience with special orders made from our partner workshops in China. Any other country for now doesn't compare concerning quality vs price.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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