May have to learn lefthanded due to injury. Need advice.

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DanUK

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I was in a motorcycle accident when I was a kid. I was on a trail, came around a bend and clipped handlebars with an oncoming motorcycle. I didn't think I was injured at first but when I pulled my gloves off I realized I injured the index finger on my left hand. Upon visiting the emergency room the doctor told me that I broke the tip of my finger and that the nail might not grow back. Well, the nail grew back although it looks a little funny. And the range of motion for my finger has changed from the first knuckle to my finger tip. What I mean by that is that I can't curl my index finger under (like when you make a fist) quite as far as my other fingers. (It bends backwards a little farther too). Also there is a slight boney bump on the center left part of the fingerpad. (hope I'm not grossing you guys out :eek:)

It's really not that bad. I don't even think about it really except when it comes to clipping my nails. But it may make a difference if I play a ukulele so I am thinking about learning uke lefthanded. I read an earlier thread about the difficulties lefthanded uke players have (can't demo new models in a store, righty friends can't play it, difficulty with tabs etc.) So here are a few questions I have:

* Does switching strings around have an effect on the intonation?
* Are the grooves in the nut different sizes? Will a small string in a large groove "rattle" around?
* Is the range of motion of the index finger more important for strumming or playing on the frets?
* I've noticed that some guitar players let some of their fingernails grow longer on their strumming hand. Do you ever let the index nail grow longer? I could grow my index fingernail long but it would look gross.

I guess I just need to get a uke and play around with it. I used to play a lefthanded bass guitar but only for a about one year before I lost interest.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Not sure if this makes any difference, but I am thinking about getting either a Flea or a Fluke
 
Last edited:
DanUK said:
* Does switching strings around have an effect on the intonation?
* Are the grooves in the nut different sizes? Will a small string in a large groove "rattle" around?
* Is the range of motion of the index finger more important for strumming or playing on the frets?
* I've noticed that some guitar players let some of their fingernails grow longer on their strumming hand. Do you ever let the index nail grow longer? I could grow my index fingernail long but it would look gross.

I guess I just need to get a uke and play around with it. I used to play a lefthanded bass guitar but only for a about one year before I lost interest.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Not sure if this makes any difference, but I am thinking about getting either a Flea or a Fluke
Click to expand...

You can reverse the strings on your ukulele, (With my naked eye, the grooves look the same size) or you can buy a left-handed ukulele. (there's usually an option that says something like "get it left-handed free of charge")

Have you actually tried playing right handed yet?

When I was going to lessons, my classmate was left-handed, but he didn't reverse the strings, so he had to play everything about-face; it worked out fine, but he practiced a lot more often to get it.

He eventually reversed the strings, and it made it a lot easier, and he said it was pretty simple to re-learn everything.

Good luck!
 
You give the answer yourself, get a cheapie and give it a go either way. Using your less-able fingers to strum would probably work best, but only you know for sure. Besides, if you see some of the mitts on the members here, you wonder why they didn't just choose the alphorn instead, but they still rock :)
A wild guess, but I would say most consumer ukuleles are not that sensitive about left-right. Just go to the store, check out the instruments and get one. Don't get a very expensive one though, because if you lose interest you may have to go ask about switching left and right on the forum for your next instrument again. And ukulele is way cooler anyway, so don't bother ;)

"Excuse me, can this kazoo be hummed lefty style?"
"Hello sir, would you mind showing me how to blabber this southpaw didgeridoo?"
"This violin is to be bowed with the right foot, left hand, or third leg."

Anyway, good luck picking a nice ukulele and let us know how you are progressing!
 
DanUK said:
I was in a motorcycle accident when I was a kid. I was on a trail, came around a bend and clipped handlebars with an oncoming motorcycle. I didn't think I was injured at first but when I pulled my gloves off I realized I injured the index finger on my left hand. Upon visiting the emergency room the doctor told me that I broke the tip of my finger and that the nail might not grow back. Well, the nail grew back although it looks a little funny. And the range of motion for my finger has changed from the first knuckle to my finger tip. What I mean by that is that I can't curl my index finger under (like when you make a fist) quite as far as my other fingers. (It bends backwards a little farther too). Also there is a slight boney bump on the center left part of the fingerpad. (hope I'm not grossing you guys out :eek:)

It's really not that bad. I don't even think about it really except when it comes to clipping my nails. But it may make a difference if I play a ukulele so I am thinking about learning uke lefthanded. I read an earlier thread about the difficulties lefthanded uke players have (can't demo new models in a store, righty friends can't play it, difficulty with tabs etc.) So here are a few questions I have:

* Does switching strings around have an effect on the intonation?
* Are the grooves in the nut different sizes? Will a small string in a large groove "rattle" around?
* Is the range of motion of the index finger more important for strumming or playing on the frets?
* I've noticed that some guitar players let some of their fingernails grow longer on their strumming hand. Do you ever let the index nail grow longer? I could grow my index fingernail long but it would look gross.

I guess I just need to get a uke and play around with it. I used to play a lefthanded bass guitar but only for a about one year before I lost interest.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Not sure if this makes any difference, but I am thinking about getting either a Flea or a Fluke
Click to expand...

Hey welcome to the forum. I'm left handed and play right handed so I'm sure you won't have a problem physically. Technically everything I've seen suggests that you can just flip the strings and get on with it.

A lot of people grow their finger nails on the hand they strum with, it does help as you can pluck the strings with more ease and the tone can be brighter if you do it like that. Personally I hate long nails and don't want to grow mine so I don't, it doesn't affect me too badly so I wouldn't worry about that either.
 
I vote for first trying to play right-handed. If you chord with "proper" form (thumb behind the neck instead of curling over the top*), you're actually not bending your index finger that much.

If that doesn't work, try playing the uke left-handed without flipping the strings. Hey, it works for Dick Dale.

I'd make restringing it a last resort, just because it makes it impossible to just pick up any ol' uke and start playing.

JJ


* Definitely a case of "do as I say, not as I do". My hand position is awful. :eek:
 
This thread has led me to an interesting discovery...

If you've been playing for awhile, it's sometimes easy to forget what it's like to be a beginner. Things like just strumming a simple strum can often seem "obvious", and that can get in the way with teaching people who are new to the instrument.

Well, I'm here to tell you that there's a sure-fire cure: Flip your uke over and play it the "other" way (left-handed if you're a righty).

I just did it. It's humbling, I tell ya! :(

JJ
 
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when you first pick up the uke, ill suggest tryig out the E , B and F# chords, (or any bar chords) those are the only one i can see being a problem with your index finger. Also, you have to think what type of playing you would like to do. if its just strumming then turning lefty wouldnt be a problem, but if you want to finger pick then having that weaker index finger MIGHT be a problem. keyword "might"
 
DanUK said:
I was in a motorcycle accident when I was a kid. I was on a trail, came around a bend and clipped handlebars with an oncoming motorcycle. I didn't think I was injured at first but when I pulled my gloves off I realized I injured the index finger on my left hand. Upon visiting the emergency room the doctor told me that I broke the tip of my finger and that the nail might not grow back. Well, the nail grew back although it looks a little funny. And the range of motion for my finger has changed from the first knuckle to my finger tip. What I mean by that is that I can't curl my index finger under (like when you make a fist) quite as far as my other fingers. (It bends backwards a little farther too). Also there is a slight boney bump on the center left part of the fingerpad. (hope I'm not grossing you guys out :eek:)

It's really not that bad. I don't even think about it really except when it comes to clipping my nails. But it may make a difference if I play a ukulele so I am thinking about learning uke lefthanded. I read an earlier thread about the difficulties lefthanded uke players have (can't demo new models in a store, righty friends can't play it, difficulty with tabs etc.) So here are a few questions I have:

* Does switching strings around have an effect on the intonation?
* Are the grooves in the nut different sizes? Will a small string in a large groove "rattle" around?
* Is the range of motion of the index finger more important for strumming or playing on the frets?
* I've noticed that some guitar players let some of their fingernails grow longer on their strumming hand. Do you ever let the index nail grow longer? I could grow my index fingernail long but it would look gross.

I guess I just need to get a uke and play around with it. I used to play a lefthanded bass guitar but only for a about one year before I lost interest.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Not sure if this makes any difference, but I am thinking about getting either a Flea or a Fluke
Click to expand...
Sorry to read about you new challenge. Have been playing/learning Uke for 5 years Right
Handed. Index finger on Legt Fretting Hand doesn't work well, then amputated left Ring Finger in May. Had strings reversed to Left Handed and Nut reversed at strong suggestion from Luthier and now learning to ply Left Handed. Fretting working out well, big challenge strumming with Left hand .
Good learning curve,biggest to keep time and strum all strings equally .Stay with it , it will come . Ihavebeen at it for 5 months and can now manage several different strum patterns.
 
super kudos for not letting an injury like that stop you from pursing something you want. Like the cheapie idea. Find out what works best for you and the upgrade if you want when the answer is found.
 
OLD thread from 2009.
 
It's also the only post he had. (Musta changed his mind...)
 
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