Left Handed Instruments ...

This is a rather interesting thread!

I don't play piano, but from the few pathetic attempts I've made to play one in the past, there's nothing in the way the keyboard is arranged that feels "wrong" to me as a left-hander.

With a guitar of course, this is a completely different kettle of fish. If a right-hander picks up one for the first time, it's entirely natural for them to hold the neck in the left hand and finger the frets with the same hand. But isn't that a bit odd? after all, the dexterous bit is in holding down the strings and moving up & down the frets, the right hand initially used just for strumming.

A strange paradox.

As a guitarist, I've ofetn thought of this and concluded that you have a conscious hand and a subconscious hand.
If you try to walk or drive while thinking or concentrating on what you are doing, you'll fall over - or crash. You have to put these things into the automatic mode.
If you had to think about what your neck hand is doing on a guitar you'd never be able to play it, so it has to go onto the subconscious hand while you consciously drive it from the pick.
I agree it's odd, but that's what I think is happening.
I've been asked in the past how I played a certain run, and I have had to admit that I have no idea, and when I try to "unpick" it, I can't! The minute to try to watch what you are doing, it falls apart.
I'm no keyboard player, but when I do muck around, it's my right hand that I tend to watch. (I'm right handed).

One interesting option with two [electronic] keyboards would be to reverse the direction of the keys on one of them so both hands 'see' the same direction of high notes [i.e. higher notes on the thumb side or vice versa].

James H.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:

So I take it that left handed pianists are at a disadvantage.

Only to whatever the extent their left hand is more dexterous than their right ... because it's a right-handed world, a lot of left-handed people have more dexterity in their right hand than right-handers have in their left.

Also, until one starts learning how to play the piano, no one, right-handed or left, has the kind of dexterity needed to play, so everyone starts on a somewhat even field. At least the basic mechanical functions of the two hands are the same on a piano, as opposed to, for instance, a guitar.

quote:

I have Black Market so I'll give it a listen with all this in mind (I saw him play here a couple of years ago, and he is still awesome).

Even better, check out the link I posted earlier containing actual video of Zawinul playing the inverted keyboard. Smoking performance, by the way: Weather Report live video - Black Market

All best,
Fred

quote:

Originally posted by James Hamilton:

One interesting option with two [electronic] keyboards would be to reverse the direction of the keys on one of them so both hands 'see' the same direction of high notes [i.e. higher notes on the thumb side or vice versa].

James, check out the Weather Report video link I posted above ... Zawinul has exactly that: two ARP 2600 keyboards stacked, the lower one is inverted as you'll be able to see and hear. He doesn't play unison lines (which would visually diverge) on the two keyboards, but I'll bet he could if he wanted to!

All best,
Fred

quote:

Originally posted by fred simon:
Only to whatever the extent their left hand is more dexterous than their right ... because it's a right-handed world, a lot of left-handed people have more dexterity in their right hand than right-handers have in their left.

This isn't correct. Left-handedness is not just a simple matter of just using the other hand, it means the right side of the brain is dominant (the nerves cross over in the spinal cortex) and is not the natural state of affairs.

Each side of the brain holds different functions and typically left-handers have a greater awareness of objects moving in space, because this is a function of the right side of the brain, hence for example the disproportionately higher number of champion left-handed racket players.

This state of affairs causes various internal psychological conflicts, and left-handed people show greater traits of neurotic behaviour, sensitivity and creativity.

For this reason, although we live in a so-called right-handed world, this isn't why left-handers are more dextrous with their right hand than right-handers with their left.

It's a brain thing!

Thanks Fred for the video link to Weather Report .. very interesting.

Here is someone who built a left-hand piano ...


<A HREF="http://www.lefthandedpiano.co.uk/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.lefthandedpiano.co.uk/</A>

James H.

quote:

Originally posted by tonym:

For this reason, although we live in a so-called right-handed world, this isn't why left-handers are more dextrous with their right hand than right-handers with their left.

It's a brain thing!

I realize it's a brain thing, but it's also a muscle memory thing, which, of course, is tied to the brain. My point was that a left-handed pianist's non-dominant hand would have developed more dexterity through repetitive practice (building muscle memory) than a right-handed pianist's non-dominant hand because of the more demanding nature of most music written for the right hand as opposed to the left.

This can be observed in the link James posted above regarding the left-handed pianist Christopher Seed, who can play a conventional piano and a mirror-image piano. When he plays a conventional piano, his non-dominant hand is called upon to play material intended for dominant hands, and his performance is evidence that his non-dominant (right) hand is more dexterous than the non-dominant (left) hand of your average right-handed pianist.

All best,
Fred

quote:

Originally posted by James Hamilton:
Thanks Fred for the video link to Weather Report .. very interesting.

Here is someone who built a left-hand piano ...


<A HREF="http://www.lefthandedpiano.co.uk/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.lefthandedpiano.co.uk/</A>

And thanks right back for that link, James. I suppose it was only a matter of time. Very interesting.

Did you also notice his product The Keyboard Mirror, which allows one to invert the keyboard of a MIDI synth? Very intriguing, concerns about double MIDI delay aside. I'm more interested in the new melodic and harmonic qualities this would yield, much like Zawinul's inspiration in composing Black Market.

All best,
Fred