Hello there, I’m completely new to guitar and just started on the module 1 lessons. I was beginning to learn to practice the D chord when i realized that the strings were opposite then how Justin was showing them on the video. That’s when i realized the guitar i was using was meant for right handed individuals but i was using it as a left handed guitar. My dominant hand is my right hand but it just feels way more natural and comfortable to strum with my left hand and have my right hand on the frets. So my question is should i try to learn right handed instead? I’ve heard that its better to use your dominant hand for strumming but i find it more comfortable to use my left hand for strumming and having my right hand on the frets. I’m thinking about going to a guitar shop to get it converted to a left handed guitar this weekend but i thought i would ask to see if i should try to learn right handed instead. Thanks for anyone who replies to this i appreciate the help.
Hey Zach,
Welcome to Justin Guitar mate. You’re in for a great ride here; brilliant tuition, and a warm, supportive community.
Re your pending decision. From memory, I believe there are few here who have had a similar experience; so hopefully they’ll catch your post and provide some input and personal experience.
If it was me, I’d definitely use my dominant hand for strumming. Plus, much more guitar choice for ‘righties’.
You’ll have it sorted soon, I’m sure.
All the best.
Cheers Shane
Just to confuse you more there are some players who play a right handed guitar left handed without even a change to the strings…
But everything about playing guitar feels a little unnatural at first, so I would say spend a week or two having a go typically right handed if it is still odd by then give a lefty a shot
Yeah I’ve just got here and i can already tell its a great community to be a part of! Thanks for the welcoming response. I have also heard of there’s less left hand guitars in stock at most places so becoming a right handed player would definitely give me a more variety of choices. Ill definitely give right hand strumming a shot before converting my guitar. Thanks again for the response and input!
That’s insane that some people can play the guitar that way. It seems like it would a confusing experience to do so. Ill definitely give right handed a chance for a week or two like you’ve suggested it seems like a good idea! Thanks again for the response and input!
A lot depends on what degree of ambidextrous ability you have, if you can easily swap between which hand can do what then I would say yes do which you feel most comfortable with; if not I would persevere with playing right handed mostly because if you don’t use your dominant hand for strumming you’re going to find it could hold you up the further along you get.
Strumming intricate rhythms and selectively getting the right strings when you’re strumming involves a high level of dexterity, also picking for solo parts where intricate picking and sometimes high speed picking that dexterity has to be really good.
So it’s up to you to decide, if you go down the wrong route it could mean that you might never reach your true potential.
Hello,
Generally, it’s preferred to strum with the dominant hand because keeping a steady rhythm is more important. An inconsistent rhythm is way more noticeable than an occasional wrong note/chord.
I’d suggest you to strum with your dominant hand, or at least try it with both hands. Also, are you playing a brand new guitar? If so, I’d rather swap it for a left-handed one at the store you bought it if it is possible. If not, this will require a new nut and saddle which may not be very cost-effective if it’s a cheaper instrument. If you’re playing an electric guitar, the cutaways and the controls are likely to stay where they are.
Also, there are some older conversations on the topic of right vs left-handed learners that you may find interesting:
I mostly use my right hand for everything, Its hard to use my left hand for writing and such. So i understand why its important to use my right hand for strumming. Specially with what your saying about needing a high level of dexterity later on. I am nervous about choosing the wrong way to go because i know it can affect my full level of protentional. Ill definitely give right hand a shot i just find it weird that its way more comfortable left handed, while with right handed i can barley hold it but i understand its supposed to be unnatural at the start! Although i appreciate the response and input, thanks again!
Hello, I forgot to mention in my post that i have an acoustic guitar. Its not brand new its been my moms for quite a long time now given by another family member. She hasn’t fully used it so i thought i would give guitar lessons a try with it! I understand the saddle, nut, and strings would have to be changed if i went through with it. I’ve tried both hands and it feels better with my left hand strumming but i understand its important to try to use my dominant hand so I’m going to give it a try before I change it to a left guitar if i do. I also really appreciate the extra posts you’ve replied with ill definitely give a look at them. Thanks again for the response and input!
Do you play any sports with a “handedness”? Like baseball, tennis or golf? Do you swing like a righty or lefty?
I am very lefty. I play guitar and would golf or baseball righty, but tennis lefty.
I chose to play guitar righty even though it did not feel more natural to me. I did for several reasons of my own, more guitars available, additional cognitive challenge and so on. I am happy I did, but it would have been (and still would be) easier had I stayed lefty. I strongly feel I am learning slower because of it. It took a few years for me to naturally “catch” an air guitar in a right handed position, as an example of some of the difficulty.
Ha! Maybe that could be your test. Have someone throw you the air guitar and see how you “hold” it!
Best of luck, but if you are righty and have a righty guitar already, I would probably roll that way.
I’m left handed and decided to learn right handed for the same reasons others have given. I know I’ll never be able to strum really fast with accuracy, but I don’t tend to favor fast songs. Maybe it is taking longer to learn - maybe not. I’m very happy with my fretting skills and ability to move up and down the fret board using my dominant hand, so that’s a plus. Recently I was in a guitar shop and tried to play a left handed guitar. That felt impossible! I guess my brain is undergoing some rewiring.
Wow–this topic comes up a lot . If thats what is comfortable ie natural then do it. Learning guitar is hard enough without trying to rewire your brain. I was in exactly the same position not long ago and tried to play righthanded for a week and it felt like cr-p . There are plenty of left handed guitars out there ( if you don`t mind mail order) -----Just my opinion folks and I am far from expert.
Hey Zach, I realize you’re at the very beginning of your guitar journey, but this is worth considering: is there a guitar store near you? You might head over there and play both right-handed and left-handed guitars. Give yourself time…maybe go through 10 minutes of your practice routine on each. You might want to return a day later and do it again. Just a thought!
As for “converting” your guitar: “converting” a right-handed guitar to left is not as simple as re-stringing it - at least for an acoustic. So if you do decide to do this, you should consult with a good guitar tech or luthier, again at your local store. 
You’ll need to change the nut on any guitar and probably mess with the saddle at least a bit too - these are often angled for intonation and fixing that could be a giant pain
An electric would likely need pickups adjusting too
My youngest brother plays left-handed on a right-handed guitar, including right-hand stringing, so everything is upside down. He’s naturally right-handed, but chose to play left-handed because of Paul McCartney. He was quite young, only had a right-handed guitar, so that was that.
There are famous guitarists who play that way, such as Albert King and Jimi Hendrix. It’s difficult to learn that way, but it can be done.
Edit: I think Jimi played right-handed guitars that were re-strung for left-handed.
Sorry for the late response, I don’t play a lot sports but I’ve played golf before and i mostly used my right hand for it. I’ve tried the air guitar trick before and i naturally hold it left handed so there’s that. I’m glad to hear your happy with your decision by playing right handed, if you generally feel like you are happier learning that way then that’s good! no matter if your learning slower or not. Hopefully i can find which way i prefer. Thanks for the response and input!
I’m glad to hear from someone who has made the decision that I’m personally dealing with. I know its generally preferred to use your dominant hand for various reasons but through your experiences when you say “I know ill never be able to strum really fast with accuracy.” Is that entirely true? Do you truly believe even with enough practice you could never fully learn to control it? Well anyways thanks for the response and input!
Yeah I’ve seen quite a few posts from people with my same issue. I’m definitely still gonna try right handed for a week or two because of others have suggested it and see how it feels. Although i do agree with the fact that it would be harder to rewire your brain to get used to something your already uncomfortable with. We’ll see what happens though, thanks for the response and input!
Hello, I have a guitar store not to far away my location. That’s a really great idea i may definitely considering doing that. It could certainly help me make my decision. I know its more than just swapping the strings around now. I understand you have to replace the nut and saddle so i will definitely be asking a professional to do it if i convert it. Thanks for the response and input!
Yeah for sure I’m definitely going to ask a professional to do it if i do. Thanks again!