Left handed uke help

haolejohn

haolejohn

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One of my students is playing left handed on a right handed makala dolphin uke. I took a new set of strings and restrung it backwards but it won't stay in tune. Actually I can not get it to go into tune. What am I doing wrong? Do i need to swap the saddle around? Any help would be great. I don't want to have to take it into the shop for him but he can't play right handed.
 
If you can flip him to the right side, do it. I'm sure I'll get some flak from lefties but they might agree it would of saved them a life of, "I can't play your guitar and I didn't bring mine". My sister in law who is left handed found it so frustrating she somehow taught her self how to play a right handed guitar, left handed. She literally fingers the chords upside down. It's amazing to watch. She wishes she would have just learned it right handed when she was a kid.

Why your uke won't tune, I have no idea. I keep one strung backwards at my home for lefty friends and it works just fine.
 
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Makala dolphins don't have nut or saddle compensation so, as the string thicknesses vary, it seems likely that one or more of the strings may be binding in the nut slot(s). As it is so thick, the C string would be an obvious candidate.

My own opinion respectfully differs from that of salukulady. I don't see why southpaws shouldn't be able to follow their natural left-handedness. Learning an instrument is enough of a challenge without having to fight nature as well.

On mandolins and fiddles there are bass bar and carving considerations that prevent straight right to left hand conversion of the instrument. On a flat top uke with the usual basic bracing patterns I see no real adjustments that should be needed other than the nut slots. :shaka:
 
Im left handed but decided to learn righty.. Just easier for learning from others and buying gear...

Try to convince him to learn right handed or purchase a left handed ukulele...
 
It's not a bad thing playing a right hand 'ukulele upside down. One of my friends does. It might be harder to pick up at first, but if that's what works for your student, give it a shot. I'm a lefty but I play right handed (it gives me a fretting hand advantedge [evil laughs]). That way he's not going to be pushed aside when there is a right handed instrument around, he can just flip and play.

One of my students always asks me "how do you do it?" and the question back is "what works best for you?" If he can jive and learn from you upside down and backwards, more power to him.
 
He is 8 years old. Is naturally right handed but he always flips instruments around. I have suggested he try flipping but I don't think he has the motor skills yet to do it. Thank you guys for the info and tips. We'll try them again.
 
It's funny how it works differently for different people.

I write, eat, play cricket and play all my instruments right handed, but I'm left handed for archery and playing pool. If I didn't dislike guns so much I'd also shoot rifle left handed (I used to shoot air rifle left handed when I was a kid).

Why the variation? It's weird. :confused:
 
buddhu said:
It's funny how it works differently for different people.

I write, eat, play cricket and play all my instruments right handed, but I'm left handed for archery and playing pool. If I didn't dislike guns so much I'd also shoot rifle left handed (I used to shoot air rifle left handed when I was a kid).

Why the variation? It's weird. :confused:
Click to expand...

its a pain with some things eh? i remember playing paintball and being annoyed that the hopper was always slightly in my way.

anyways i know im butting in here :p. maholo uke's how are they? can i just restring em backwards and it shall work? does the bridge HAVE TO be flipped?
 
generem said:
Im left handed but decided to learn righty.. Just easier for learning from others and buying gear...

Try to convince him to learn right handed or purchase a left handed ukulele...
Click to expand...

I've restrung several Makala's for Lefties and never had that problem.. maybe the strings got mixed up? If all else fails, get a another set of cheap strings (I always have GHS strings lying around) and it should work fine.

FYI - in Hawaii, most of the lefties play their uke's upside down, I know at least 5 lefties and they told me that when they were taught to play, they were not given a choice.
 
I am a lefty player. I do everything left handed-write, golf, bat, etc. So picking up a uke and playing lefty was the only way that felt comfortable. Right now, I play a concert flea that is flipped upside down and strung lefty. I also play a Bushman tenor with a cutaway. The whole uke is set up lefty, even the pickup. But the cutaway is made for a righty so I get weird looks as I play this thing upside down. I just couldn't pass on the price. But I am getting a custom left handed uke made to rectify that. I can't wait for it be finished.
But I am not having any issues playing lefty. And I don't think my ukulele sensei is having any issues teaching a lefty either. It is all a matter of what is most comfortable for the player.
When I read tabs or chords, it is just a mirror image.
 
My six year old plays lefty. I restrung my cheap Hilo upside down for him. It stays in tune, no troubles.

After I teach him something, he always goes and plays it on the right hand uke- just to show off!;)
 
if playing a right handed ukulele left handed do you strum up instead of down and vice versa
 
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