I have no idea how to title this or look for it on Google... Or indeed get anyone to read it... I was watching Backstage With The LPO last night, the Sky series on the orchestra rehearsing and I saw/heard one of the horn players saying how she used her right hand to hold the horn and not much else while the left was busy pushing all those stops up and down. (I am hoping I didn't miss a bit where she talks of being left handed...) That got me thinking of how guitarists, violinists, all the string players, use their left hand for the "difficult" bit, shaping the notes, whereas the stronger right hand just strums or bows. Keyboard instruments on the other hand, have the right hand shaping the notes, with the left more of the rhythmic side. Anyone know why?
Keyboard players have had this imposed on them from day one. Note how often you seen them focusing their gaze on what the right hand is doing. But, you could say the same thing about people who grew up driving on one side of the road or the other. I wouldn't be surprised if the only person in the world who hasn't been affected is this guy:
For a start, not all string players use their left hand for the 'difficult bit', only those who choose to play it that way. A lot of left handers will play in reverse (i.e. what is commonly said to be a 'left-handed' position, which will mean their left hand is playing what you consider to their right hand to do i.e. the 'difficult bit' (their non-dominant / weaker hand). However, some left handed players play in the default 'right handed' way. That is they do the finger picking / strumming / bow sliding or whatever with their right hand, and use the left hand to do what you say is the 'difficult bit'. This is where your assumptions start to fall flat. I actually play the guitar like this, but would play violin the opposite way, if I could actually play it! When it comes to keyboards, it's just a matter of convention. Lower clefs are more likely to be playing rhythmic parts, but it's not a given,or that rhythmic parts are any less 'difficult' than 'shaping the notes' (not sure exactly what you mean there, but frilly bits? They aren't necessarily more difficult). If there was a law that said the left hand must play the less difficult bits, it would just be begging to be broken.
I play guitar. Forming chords with my left hand is easy. What would be really difficult for me is controlling my left hand correctly to strum.
Observations from decades of playing guitar 'right handed' but being left handed. 1) Never been able to use a pick well, and just use my fingers. My right hand is definitely weaker, and so compensate through being able to touch the strings as I play them. 2) Developed my own style. There are some things I can do really well, and others not so worked on weaker areas but, never been an all night strummer. That's one area that someone will probably be great at ift hey are using their dominant hand to strum. 3) It's probably true that people would naturally pick up a stinged instrument so that they are using their main hand to strum, pluck notes, or direct the bow,but there are quite a few exceptions.
Yes, that's what I am getting at. You can of course overcome that, I have done jobs where after long periods I became ambidextrous but it faded. It's about innate preference.
Strumming with your "wrong arm" is considerably more difficult than pressing down notes on a fretboard! In my experience.
