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Original Post By:
norsetruth
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Date: 2/12/2017 9:50:25 PM |
so, i'm new to ukulele and just bought a diamondhead ukulele from a local shop that is closing down. the problem is, i'm left handed. so, i bought a pack of strings too.
instead of GCEA, which i see is the usual set of strings you'd get, mine were instead labelled BF#DA. i just generally assumed that, since i'm a lefty, i'll switch the order of the strings so that i can play.
i did this & restrung my uke, but then i found a chord set online (for lefties) that showed the strings in the reverse order?
what is right? and does anyone have any good resources for left handed players?
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Posted By:
Dave Means
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Date: 2/13/2017 1:57:33 PM |
There is no such thing as a left-handed or right-handed set of strings... simply reversing the order of the strings that came with your uke would do the trick, although I would assess the nut and bridge slots to make sure the thick strings will fit properly where the thinner strings formerly were, and enlarge the slots very carefully if they won't.
The BF#DA set you bought is simply labeled in the reverse order from the normal convention. Back in the Tin Pan Alley days, ADF#B was the most common tuning for soprano ukes on the mainland, so this string set is likely very old or the manufacturer is living in the past. It should work fine at the slightly lower tension of GCEA, although the gauges of the individual strings may be slightly lighter than a set designed for GCEA.
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Posted By:
norsetruth
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Date: 2/13/2017 6:11:54 PM |
i tried typing back a response earlier, i'm guessing it didn't send? thanks Dave for the response, by the way.
by the looks of it then, i should switch around my strings. i only bought the newer pack because the shop i got my uke from told me that my strings wouldn't be able to be restrung. the new ones are D'Addario, not sure how old they are.
thanks!
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Posted By:
J Boy Shyne
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Date: 2/16/2017 5:06:34 AM
(Updated: 2/16/2017 5:08:52 AM)
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| Based on your question, I assume you're new to all this. That being the case I know several lefties who string up as a righty and play like a righty. So , your left hand will fret and your right hand will strum. As a newbie it's all the same. Like piano, righties and lefties all play the same. My pals who play this way are adamant that it is the way to go. Might I suggest you do the same?
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Posted By:
don peyton
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Date: 2/17/2017 9:19:32 AM |
| If you're comfortable playing right handed, that should be reason enough to try. I can't turn my left wrist over comfortably to hold the neck so I play left handed.I play with the strings in either order on ukulele, guitar, bass and violin.Personally, I find that reversing the strings- making the instrument a mirror image of a right handed one affords an easier, more ergonomic platform for scales, more complex riffs and chords. Though there is sound reasoning behind the order of the strings, no one can tell you what you should do, it's up to you.
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Posted By:
norsetruth
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Date: 2/17/2017 2:03:14 PM |
thanks guys! i understand that it's possible to play righty when i'm left-handed, it just doesn't really feel right when i do it. i'd prefer also to learn the correct way as i'm playing both guitar and uke, since i saw that it can be more of a challenge playing the opposite way as you play more.
i just reversed the order of my strings and now it should all be good!
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Posted By:
J Boy Shyne
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Date: 2/19/2017 5:34:01 AM |
norsetrutth wrote, "[I] prefer to learn the correct way."
Well, my point was there is no correct way. If you next want to learn how to play the piano, will you build a piano for a lefty? I'll leave it to others to to explain why newbies should fret with their left and strum with their right. Uncle Rufus, if you still pop in over here, and if you'd be so kind, please explain your position on this issue.
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Posted By:
J Boy Shyne
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Date: 3/10/2017 4:59:17 PM |
The lefty/righty debate is a non-issue to this fella
https://youtu.be/rutyA12z3Ok
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Posted By:
Uncle Rufus
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Date: 4/6/2017 8:48:42 AM
(Updated: 4/6/2017 8:49:42 AM)
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Hah! I DO still pop in here every now and again... Long time no post!
My position on the lefty thing is militantly unreasonable, according to those of the other persuasion, but for what it's worth: I am a dominant left-hander in all things - cricket, (both batting and bowling), writing (natch), darts or any throwing activity and so on. Rather than seeing it as a celebratory 'chosen one' thing, I just see it as the way it is. When I bought my first uke in 1974, the book I got with it showed conventional stringing, so that's the way I went. As J Boy says, pianists don't get the option; as a cellist I went the conventional way... It's not THAT hard - we learn and develop muscle memory. If you play uke conventionally ('righty'), you find it easier to play others' instruments. certain things don't give you the option - car controls, and so on - why should uke be any different?
I feel that as higher mammals, we can use either of our hands pretty well, with a bit of practice. In fact, tricky chording can be easier for the dominant hand, in my book. Sticking with lefty tuning and playing seems unnecessary and impractical to me.
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