Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
- Thread starter Chistopher
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beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
I tend to use both hands.
I tend to use both hands.
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
I'm not seeing how the picking hand is doing more work than the fretting hand. Note dynamics come more from fretting than attack and palm-muting. While pick attack influences the initial note volume, and simple muting influences the note duration, and controls pinch harmonics, it still takes less motor control to pick, pinch, and mute than to hold a chord, lift one or two (or even three) fingers simultaneously and replace them for certain chords, move in both linear and lateral patterns, or apply vibrato. While synchronicity is key in being able to pick every note as it's fretted, hammer-ons and pulloffs require more motor control than striking the string with a plectrum, even when sweep-picking, tremolo picking, string-skipping, or alternate picking.
Full-hand hybrid picking comes closest to Classical fingerstyle, but you're still taking one finger out of the equation since it takes two to hold the pick, unless you're playing banjo or pedal steel and using fingerpicks. Even then, you really can't alternate-pick with those because they're designed to have a one-way attack - one down, four up.
I'm not seeing how the picking hand is doing more work than the fretting hand. Note dynamics come more from fretting than attack and palm-muting. While pick attack influences the initial note volume, and simple muting influences the note duration, and controls pinch harmonics, it still takes less motor control to pick, pinch, and mute than to hold a chord, lift one or two (or even three) fingers simultaneously and replace them for certain chords, move in both linear and lateral patterns, or apply vibrato. While synchronicity is key in being able to pick every note as it's fretted, hammer-ons and pulloffs require more motor control than striking the string with a plectrum, even when sweep-picking, tremolo picking, string-skipping, or alternate picking.
Full-hand hybrid picking comes closest to Classical fingerstyle, but you're still taking one finger out of the equation since it takes two to hold the pick, unless you're playing banjo or pedal steel and using fingerpicks. Even then, you really can't alternate-pick with those because they're designed to have a one-way attack - one down, four up.
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
I can assure you it's the opposite for many people.
Which hand requires more motor-skills is completely dependent on the player and his/her music.
I can assure you it's the opposite for many people.
Which hand requires more motor-skills is completely dependent on the player and his/her music.
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
Well obviously Segovia would fall into the Classical playing I've referenced previously. Being a pickup forum, I'm not expecting any conversation to focus on Andres Segovia so intently.
On the other hand, I'm not overly familiar with Jeff Beck's fingerstyle technique, so I'm not sure if he, or Mark Knopfler for that matter, use all 5 fingers of their picking hand. From what little I've seen, they use mostly the thumb and pinky, with the index on occasion.
I think Lindsay Buckingham might actually use 3 or 4 when he used to play solos that showcased his technical abilities.
However, which of those are lefty-gone-righty?
Well obviously Segovia would fall into the Classical playing I've referenced previously. Being a pickup forum, I'm not expecting any conversation to focus on Andres Segovia so intently.
On the other hand, I'm not overly familiar with Jeff Beck's fingerstyle technique, so I'm not sure if he, or Mark Knopfler for that matter, use all 5 fingers of their picking hand. From what little I've seen, they use mostly the thumb and pinky, with the index on occasion.
I think Lindsay Buckingham might actually use 3 or 4 when he used to play solos that showcased his technical abilities.
However, which of those are lefty-gone-righty?
BriGuy1968
New member
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
While we're talking about the whole left or right thing...
Why are pedals/boards set up so the signal goes right to left? Were the first pedalboards done in Hebrew?
While we're talking about the whole left or right thing...
Why are pedals/boards set up so the signal goes right to left? Were the first pedalboards done in Hebrew?
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
^ lol apparently
It still requires more dexterity to pick, even if in general you employ fewer digits. Picking requires super fine coordination similar to writing. In order to pick with your weak hand, you basically have to become somewhat dominant in that hand for that task. While fretting does not require this. Is everyone who plays right handed as a righty ambidextrous? No.
^ lol apparently
It still requires more dexterity to pick, even if in general you employ fewer digits. Picking requires super fine coordination similar to writing. In order to pick with your weak hand, you basically have to become somewhat dominant in that hand for that task. While fretting does not require this. Is everyone who plays right handed as a righty ambidextrous? No.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
I'd swear I've seen Beck occasionally use all 5 fingers of his picking hand. I could be wrong.
I suppose that I consider each hand to have equally difficult, if different, requirements of manual dexterity, depending upon the genre one plays, of course.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
I'd swear I've seen Beck occasionally use all 5 fingers of his picking hand. I could be wrong.
I suppose that I consider each hand to have equally difficult, if different, requirements of manual dexterity, depending upon the genre one plays, of course.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
It's so that your guitar cable doesn't have to cross over you when you play. I use to wonder the same thing until I met a lefty who played sitting down with his pedals right in front of him. He always had trouble moving his foot around the chord with his extensive system of pedals.
He ended up just putting his tuner on the left, off of the board, and having a long chord back to the right side.
It's so that your guitar cable doesn't have to cross over you when you play. I use to wonder the same thing until I met a lefty who played sitting down with his pedals right in front of him. He always had trouble moving his foot around the chord with his extensive system of pedals.
He ended up just putting his tuner on the left, off of the board, and having a long chord back to the right side.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
Yep, Joe Pass would play bass with his thumb, comp with his pointer thru pinky, and switch to mostly pointer and middle for lines, but would sometimes arpeggio with the rest.
Yep, Joe Pass would play bass with his thumb, comp with his pointer thru pinky, and switch to mostly pointer and middle for lines, but would sometimes arpeggio with the rest.
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beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
If you play slide, your 'picking' hand is arguably doing more work.
If you play slide, your 'picking' hand is arguably doing more work.
Re: Why are left and right handed guitars seemingly backwards?
Also, muting/dampening isn't an on/off thing,,,,,the degree of nuance one has with the pressure and the exact position (relevant to the saddle) is what determines the annunciation of the notes.
I've always believed the picking-hand's intricacies (pressure and position of dampening combined with the details of how you touch the pick to the string, the position, angle, force, ect..) are more relevant to a player's tone than anything the fret-hand can do.
In other words, the fret-hand controls what the notes are, but the picking/dampening-hand controls how the notes speak.,,,,IMHO
Obviously there's some overlap, we need both working together to really be a good guitarist.
There's no doubt that the fret-hand can do many things to screw-up the tone,,,like over-pressure fretting that make chords out-of-tune for example.
Also, muting/dampening isn't an on/off thing,,,,,the degree of nuance one has with the pressure and the exact position (relevant to the saddle) is what determines the annunciation of the notes.
I've always believed the picking-hand's intricacies (pressure and position of dampening combined with the details of how you touch the pick to the string, the position, angle, force, ect..) are more relevant to a player's tone than anything the fret-hand can do.
In other words, the fret-hand controls what the notes are, but the picking/dampening-hand controls how the notes speak.,,,,IMHO
Obviously there's some overlap, we need both working together to really be a good guitarist.
There's no doubt that the fret-hand can do many things to screw-up the tone,,,like over-pressure fretting that make chords out-of-tune for example.
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