[Jaws]

This video will inspire you. Left-handed adult violinist after 3 years.

Find a teacher who is willing to teach you left-handed, and I hope you enjoy playing music! As long as you don't have the goal of playing in an orchestra, you should be OK.

I can't see why playing in an orchestra would be a problem, it wasn't to a pro string chamber orchestra that I heard some years ago, who had a violinist who played the other way round.

 

[nevetsnidur]

I am left-handed but it never was even brought up that I might play left handed. My father was my first teacher, and he was a violinist in the NY Philharmonic. But it never occurred to him either. I don't think it has hampered me, but I don't know for sure. None of my teachers ever even mentioned it. I remember reading old method books which said to switch the strings around, and play left-handed,but I have never seen it done. There is a picture of Charlie Chaplin playing a violin left handed. He and Heifetz seemed to know each other, and Heifetz tried the violin that way, and couldn't play it at all. It least that is what I remember reading. I guess anyone, even Heifetz, would have to relearn how to play if they suddenly switched from right hand to left hand playing.

 

[ramonamurphyms]

Lefty Violin

I have an eight year old daughter who picks up my violin often and plays left handed. I've tried to get her to play right handed, but it's so unnatural for her that she just puts it down. And then a few hours later she's playing again and doesn't even realize she's playing left handed.

I had thought, before doing a google search and seeing this post, that lefties had to play right handed. But I see that is not the case. She is so obviously left-handed in playing the violin that it seems I either chose to let her play left handed or she probably won't be interested in it.

Now the search for a teacher who's willing to teach a leftie!

Hi there- I am glad you are letting nature take it's course. My music teacher fought my need for a lefty violin for 2 months and set me back in the very beginning stages. I am still a beginner only 3 months in but now feel I can dance as I play with the lefty violin. It tuely makes a difference for us. Great job mom!!!

PS. This is my first response to the forum, not sure I did it correctly, under your message and all...
Hugs,
Moni

 

[Elmoren]

This thread has been very helpful, thank you! I'm concerned though, if an electric violin can be "flipped" to left-handed orientation, as there are in effect no options for left handers in this area. The soundpost in acoustic makes a slight difference in that case, but I was wondering if there is something similar in the piezo-pickup of most electric violins. Thank you.

 

[D'Addario]

It sounds like your bridge is cut correctly! The bridge should dip lower as the string pitch gets higher.

 

[Enthalpy]

About the asymmetry of the violin:

• The bass bar and the sound post can swap their positions. It's necessary if swapping the strings, which I believe is needed if bowing with left arm.
• Moving the bass bar needs to open the soundbox. Nothing tragic, luthiers do it routinely. But it costs some time.
• The G string has a bigger angle with the D string. That's vital.
• The bridge can just be rotated front/back. Zero cost.
• BUT the fingerboard is asymmetric fo the G string angle! Replacing it is a significant operation.
• The nut too must be replaced.
• So a violinist wanting swapped strings can't try an instrument himself, and has difficulties selling his instrument.

Useful testimony, that left-handed beginners prefer bowing left... Violinists wonder why so few among them are left-handed, since the violin needs agile left fingers and should favour them. Maybe the handedness matters more to the arm (at the bow) than to the fingers (at the fingerboard).

A hint: many (I've read 30%) seasoned violinists prefer their left fingers for delicate tasks. Learning this abnormal instrument made them partly left-handed. Which would explain why learning the violin must be started as a child, while the brain has more plasticity.

 

[Becca]

As to how it would be managed by an orchestra - simple - you get 12 or 14 left-handed violinists, put them all in the second violin section and split the violins with firsts on the left and seconds on the right. Presto, you have the ideal antiphonal layout with with all the violins projecting forward towards the audience

 

[Enthalpy]

I tried how fast I can trill the same key on by bassoon, and I'm still faster with my left fingers.

I'm right-handed, without any coercion, doubt nor hesitation, and couldn't throw a ball nor play tennis with the left arm.

But I played the violin between 6 and 17. Four decades and five symmetric instruments later, my left fingers are still faster and more agile.

This reinforces the idea that the violin reorganizes the brains and that it happens only at children.