In response to the posts by Curtis and Matt to the effect that it is only right handed people who recommend lefties to bow with the the right hand and finger with the left hand (like nearly everyone else), a careful reading of the posts on this thread will reveal that Bigdada and Danny DiSantis are in fact left handed, and still recommend bowing with the right hand. As do I - I am also left handed, and prefer to bow (violin) with my right hand. In fact I would feel utterly stranded trying to finger with my right hand and bow with the left. As mentioned earlier, ditto the left handed Yehudi Menuhin (maybe playing a left handed violin was just too easy for him, and he wanted to give his competitors a chance). I notice that the standard violin/cello is described as "right handed" even though we all use both hands to play it. I share the suspicion of Curtis and Matt that perhaps the original inventors of the instrument had right handed players in mind, simply because they are in the majority, from which it follows that the orientation of the violin would have been arranged for the perceived convenience of right handed players. However early music for the viol family consisted of music to accompany voices or to take a voice part; did the inventors of an instrument originally used to draw minims from heavy gut strings in first position foresee the Double stopping in Bach`s Chaconne and concerto cadenzas in general or Bruch`s 3 Octave 22lets, or vibrato, or Schoenburg atonality, or anything about what is required of the modern string player? I think us lefties have been well served by the original unpredictability of the development of string playing, and have ended up, quite by accident, with a rather good deal. As to the question, "why don`t righties play lefty instruments" I would suggest the following;
(i) The fact is that the standard violin or cello is perceived as a right handed instrument, whether or not that perception is fair. There is patently in the face of that perception a greater incentive for a "lefty" to try a "lefty" instrument than for a "righty" to try a "lefty instrument". I believe if instruments were orientated as they are now, and lefties made up 95% of the population, the same instruments which we now call right handed would be called left handed, and the minority instruments which we currently call left handed would be called right handed, and would be marketed to and cherished by the "oppressed" right-handed minority who would be typing away on their poiuytrewq keyboards trying to persuade righties on this thread to play what we ourselves think of as a left handed instrument.

My son has lost partial use of his left hand, but wants to keep playing his cello. He can bow with the left hand, but doesn`t have the strength to push the strings. Does anyone have suggestions on who to contact about switching the strings for him to play left handed?

If you read the comments on this thread, it would seem it`s not as simple as changing strings round to convert a cello from left to right handed; the whole set up including the positioning of the bridge, soundpost, and even the feel of the fingerboard, may also be different. It may be that you have to consider selling your cello and putting the money towards a left handed cello- I have just checked the violinslover website and they do do them. I suppose two steps you could take before going down that line would be to make sure you have a clear prognosis on the hand injury, and perhaps to run the same question by your nearest luthier (they are the experts on such matters)

If you read the comments on this thread, it would seem it`s not as simple as changing strings round to convert a cello from left to right handed; the whole set up including the positioning of the bridge, soundpost, and even the feel of the fingerboard, may also be different. It may be that you have to consider selling your cello and putting the money towards a left handed cello- I have just checked the violinslover website and they do do them. I suppose two steps you could take before going down that line would be to make sure you have a clear prognosis on the hand injury, and perhaps to run the same question by your nearest luthier (they are the experts on such matters)

I think there is no much to discuss by this moment. The only important thing is to close your eyes and imagine the violin, how do you feel it? Left handed? ok. Study as a left handed. Why people don`t understand that? what is that of the "correct" way? who says what is correct?
write me

you`ll hav a big advantage in my opinion, as im right handed and my left hand simply doesnt work fast enough for me wen im playing. so if you are left handed, i would have thought it would be easier to have your more `technical` hand perfoming the more complicated task

This may and may not be true. However while you make the notes with the left hand, you make the music with the right. It`s not just enough to make the note. It`s the color and quality of the music that people hear. This is done with the bow hand.
Danny

I currently play the violin. The moment I picked it up I knew that it would be almost impossible for me to learn the "correct" way. Whilst some lefties can adapt to the right handers way of playing, I find it almost as possible as a right hander would playing so that their right hand was on the finger board and their left hand bowing. Its most unfortunate... now Im stuck of course because I cant find a lefty violin anywhere and I know that switching the strings isnt sufficient enough to convert the instrument

You could find a local Luther who will find or build you a left handed violin. It may not be cheap but if it`s you love then this is what you have to do. Having said all this about not being able to just switch the strings I have just thought about one way this could be done. You could get an electric violin and just switch the strings. I have no knowledge as to why this would not work, but have not tried it myself. I may try it myself one day.
Danny

I`m left-handed I play cello with right. It works out just fine, you may find it a little harder and it may take longer to bow with the right, but it`s so worth it because the cello is an awesome instrument. I have been playing it for 6 yrs! (You may also find you do better at fingering and such if your left-hander)

I use both hands for everything. I was born as a righty, eventually breaking my right wrist in second grade gave me the ability to write with my left hand. I have played cello for a little over a year now, always playing right-handed. Personally, I think playing left-handed would be easier for me because of vibrato. Whenever I am listening to the music I`m studying, my right hand is the hand that `shakes` to the music. It is easier for me to work the fingerboard with my left hand but when I get bored and `switch-up,` vibrato is much easier for me. Try every different style and position of playing, and eventually you`ll find what`s comfortable. Playing cello is not that comfortable to begin with; it was very akward for me early on. I have even tried bowing styles differently to help wrist pain in my right arm, such as German style bass bowing. Just remember the advantages that you have with your left hand compared to all right-handed cellists, and play whatever way YOU find easiest.
Good luck.
~Keiji

First let me say I am grossly untalented. As a teen ager I tried guitar right handed -I am left handed or in the ambidexterous range- left for this, right for that.
Anyway, the guitar. My experience playing it "wrong" handed, was that I had to look at both hands. The right wasn`t smart enough to work playing the strings comfortably, and you had to look at the fretting hand to learn to fret. I never got over this hump. I was told the same things you see in the threads above. It should be easier because the left hand has more to learn and will learn easier. Maybe- but the advice always came from people who never tried to do it wrong handed.
My son is learning cello. I pick it up and find my left hand has a natural feel for bowing- feelings are more easily expressed in the dominant hand and the feeling or expression is in the bowing.
My advice: There is probably more variability in us left handers than there is in the more hard wired right handers- most of whom can do next to nothing left handed. One rule will probably not fit all of us. Before you get committed to one way or the other, try the bow in left or right hand and settle on the one that feels most natural. It will be easier to learn, and God knows it is hard enough, to learn these things. As for looking funny in an orchestra- it may be hard when you don`t want to be conspicuous, but if you get good at it people will be impressed by how you sound and will accept how you look. you will sound better faster doing it the way that feels best to you. Go with what feels natural and don`t let anyone tell you which one that is, or talk you out of it.
I recall the appearance of left handed guitarists in the 60`s- Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix to name two. Jimi played a right handed guitar upside down- It worked for him. Now it is easy to get left handed guitars. In fact I can find left handed string intruments of almost any type- except cellos- fairly easily on the web. the only lefty cello`s I`ve found are the ones at the site mentioned above. There seems to be only one maker. It looks like they sell the same left handed cello for $1300 on e-Bay they sell for $2300 direct at the store.
If you get a left handed cello, it looks like you won`t have to share it with anyone right handed- they`ll never even give it a try. Too weird.
Stay weird out there. There is joy in weirdness, once you accept it.

Ok, I feel a need to address some things said in the previous post.....

First off, as far as people "looking weird" in orchestra, well, that doesn`t make a difference. What makes a difference is that you`ll be backwards to everyone else in the whole world. If you`ve ever played in an orchestra in close-quarter settings, and your stand partner gets his/her bow going the wrong direction it can be a real problem (this for cello players more than violin/viola players).

Second "I pick it up and find my left hand has a natural feel for bowing- feelings are more easily expressed in the dominant hand and the feeling or expression is in the bowing." This is a comment expressed by someone who has very little experience with stringed instruments (no offense!). See, your bow controls your sound, and you can be very expressive with it, but your (for lack of a better term considering the subject) fingering-hand does just as much expression. If you have ever watch Jacqueline Du Pre play then you will under stand what I am talking about. Expression comes from within, and you will be expressive regardless of whether you are using your dominant hand for the bow or not. Actually, I really wish that I could use my dominant hand for fingering because I am much more cordinated with that hand. Well, something to think about.




Titus

Wow, I am also a left handed person and I would think it would be an advantage for a left handed person to play right because of the strings! I did find a site where they have left handed cellos. They are very expensive. Being a left handed person I can do certain things with both hands so it really doesn`t matter to me. :-)

I`m sure left handed cellos are much more expensive then right handed ones. I`m also sure you probably won`t find very many with much quality at any price. I was thinking about taking an electric cello and just switching the strings to see if I like playing "natural". The electric cello just has pickups to send a signal to the amp. It is not constructed for magnifying sound, just sending it to an amp, so I think switching the strings would be just fine. If I like it better, then I would see if Luis and Clark would make me a left handed carbon fiber cello. It`s just a thought, but probably won`t happen for a few years, not until most of my kids are out of college. I have five boys so finances are stretching at this time.

Danny