Before beginning to play, make sure you have enough space around you, for both your guitar and your arms.  It’s best to sit down rather than stand, especially when you’re first learning, so grab yourself a suitable seat such as a stool or armless chair.

On left handed acoustic guitars, everything that’s on a right handed guitar is basically reversed, so the thickest string will still be at the top and the thinnest at the bottom, but you will play chords and notes with the neck in your right hand, and strum or pluck the strings using your left hand.  Left handed electric guitars have the controls reversed also.

Place your guitar comfortably on your left thigh, with your thigh in the curve of the guitar body, so that it’s near to your body and feels in the best position.  Use your right hand for the chords and notes, using your fingers to press each string to the fret.  Use your left hand for strumming.  If you prefer to use a guitar pick for this, hold it between your left thumb and index finger.  Try to practise moving just your wrist for this action, not your whole arm.

Most instructions for playing guitar are written for right handed players, but this can easily be overcome by replacing right with left and vice versa.  With chord and scale charts, it’s not so simple for left handers.  You could spend a lot of time rewriting them for left handed playing.  However, most left handed guitarists find they get used to reading right handed charts and switching them over in their heads, with a little practice.  You will need to move your hands in a mirror image of the chart, but once you’ve learned to do this it should become second nature.

Beginners or kids who are new to playing guitar, may find it helpful to take a few lessons with a professional teacher until they master the basics.  Or you can teach yourself guitar using books or videos.  You will need to learn to play chords, starting with the three basic chords; G, C major and D major.  It’s best to practice songs that use just these chords, then begin to learn more chords and progress onto playing more difficult songs.

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Around 10% of the population are left handed and have to live in a world where most tools and equipment are designed for righthanders.  Guitars are no different and are traditionally made to be played right handed.  However, it makes sense to use your dominant hand for plucking and strumming and to use your other hand for changing chords.  This is why famous guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney and Kurt Cobain are known for turning their guitars around and restringing them for left handed playing.

The good news is that guitar manufacturers have recognized that there are many lefthanders out there that want to learn to play without having to reverse a regular guitar. Leading brands such as Tanglewood, Fender and Ibanez now make purpose built left handed guitars.

Whatever style of music you want to play, there are electric, acoustic, electroacoustic, bass and classical guitars built especially for lefties.  However, it can be hard to find them for sale anywhere.  That is where LeftHandedGuitar.org.uk hopes to help.  We aim to be a comprehensive resource for all types of left handed guitars, for beginners to experts, adults and children.  Whether you are just starting out and taking lessons, or have been playing for years, we hope to offer something for you here.

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At times, it can be really frustrating for left handed people living in a world where most things are built for righthanders.  Mostly, we learn to adapt and make do when using everyday tools such as scissors.  Loads of lefties play the guitar and have made do by reversing their right handed instrument and restringing it.  Even famous guitarists have been known to do this!

However, there is no need to go to the hassle of doing this, as there are actually quite a few left handed guitars for sale, made by well-known guitar manufacturing companies.  They might be quite hard to find, but they do exist, and this is the purpose of LeftHandedGuitar.org.uk.  Our site is specifically about guitars designed for lefthanders. 

We want to show a wide selection of left handed guitars all on the one site.  We want to include all types of guitars, including acoustic, electric, bass and so on.  So, whatever you like to play, you should hopefully find a left handed version here.  We will also offer buyers guides and reviews of selected guitars.

We hope LeftHandedGuitar.org.uk will help left handed guitarists find the instrument that’s right for them so they no longer have to play an upside-down right handed guitar!