Hello...I just purchased a ukulele and discovered I can't play it right handed (I am right handed). My middle finger was mangled in a football game in HS, so when I place that finger on a string, it touches the string next to it. All my fingers on my right hand are normal, so holding down strings are not a problem. So now I need to purchase a left handed ukuele. Can someone give me some guidance about playing as a lefty, including where I can get cord sheets and songs for playing left handed. I am a rank beginner with no musical talent, so I will be learning from scratch. Thank you in advance for helping me get started. Trip
Left handed ukulele beginner
- Thread starter Trip
- Start date
You won't need special chord sheets or songs. Your uke will need to be restrung for left-handed playing, though. Sometimes this requires a bit of attention to the slots in the nut, as the strings are not all the same width.
I had a friend named Trip years ago....what part of the country are you from?
itsme
Well-known member
Nuts are often loose (held on only by the string tension) or barely tacked on and can be tapped out and turned around. I've never done it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Worse case scenario...may need to alter nut slots or get a nut for a left hander. Not sure what brand you have, but Kala would just send you a left handed nut for it and you'd just need to switch strings.
turtledrum
Well-known member
Mel Bay has a book out on ukulele chords for left-handed players. It's available via Amazon.
billten
Well-known member
Just flip the strings and see if there is any problems, most likely you will be fine. Don't bother with any lefty specific chord charts, it doesn;t take much time and you will be flipping them over in your head without trouble.
Dearman
Well-known member
I'm a lefty playing right. Fretting was easier being lefty so I found apreggios useful to get my right up to speed. Should be the same in reverse for you. You will also find it easier to follow someone since they will mirror you.
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k0k0peli
Well-known member
I assume you have no experience playing stringed instruments, so you have no habits about which hand frets and which strums or plucks. You could try playing your 'uke as-is; just train your right hand to fret and chord. But if that's not comfortable, then restring it backwards and have fun.
I knew a right-handed guitarist whose left hand was damaged (worse than yours, I think). His solution: tune open, raise the action, and play bottleneck. Resophonic (dobro) 'ukes exist, electric too. You could become King of the Blues 'Uke!
I knew a right-handed guitarist whose left hand was damaged (worse than yours, I think). His solution: tune open, raise the action, and play bottleneck. Resophonic (dobro) 'ukes exist, electric too. You could become King of the Blues 'Uke!
Pirate Jim
Well-known member
Of the 15 ukes I've converted to lefty for myself, only two of them have needed any adjustment of the nut slots. Swap the strings and get strumming - you'll be fine! If you're in the US, check out Jerry's Lefty Guitars. He's a right hander swapped to left handed due to injury as well and he stocks some very pretty instruments - got a gorgeous Eastman mandolin from him a little while ago.
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