HongDa Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 I seem to meet alot of left handed violin makers. Michael just mentioned in another post he is left handed also. So I wonder if I just happen to run into lefties or if there are a high percentage of left handed violin makers. Are you left, right or ambidextrous? I'm left handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Darnton Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Left, and a bit right in many cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nertz Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Also left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANFIO Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Right, but I can do many things with the left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singingmaple Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 I can do most things with either. I was forced to be a righty until I was 11. Then I finally got a teacher who would allow me to use my left hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mauricio Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Left-handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HongDa Posted April 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 5 lefties out of 6 replies so far,....interesting. 70 views of this post but only 5 replies,...so could just mean that mainly lefties are replying. Let's here from some more of you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_E Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I'm left handed, use a knife right-handed, but set a post through the left f-hole left-handed. I know, it sounds awkward, but I was never able to do it through the right f-hole, plus I like to insert a small ruler through the right f-hole to see where post is setting into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Darnton Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I set the post left-handed through the right hole. There are definite advantages of that--you don't cross arms like you do if you're right handed, and you can see what you're doing. I'm teaching someone right now who's right-handed, but he's learning left-handed post setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Green Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Left handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andres Sender Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Right, but I tend to switch if the situation warrants for coarse tasks. I stick with right for refined knife cuts and such though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hackzaw Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Right handed...but use the left hand for detail oriented tasks, and the right for strength and control, if that makes sense? So all this begs the question....was Strad a righty or lefty. There must be some way to tell... we need one of those experts, like on CSI with the signature and penmanship analyzers. It would be interesting to learn which way all the famous names out there batted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Darnton Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 It's apparent on del Gesu scrolls which hand he used, except I don't remember, and since I made that discovery I also found out his father made the ones I was looking at. :-) You can tell by the path the scratches from his poorly-sharpened gouge take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singingmaple Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I would guess Strad as being Ambidextrous. Or at least with a gouge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Curtis Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I'm semi-ambidextrous; write right-handed most of the time, but can write lefty, and do most sports lefty. Violinmaking, I normally start with the tool in my right hand, but I find it handy to be able to switch hands. And with an arching gouge I switch back and forth a lot. I like to use both hands to adjust the post (assuming I have the instrument in a secure cradle). Holding a setter in each hand, and using one through each sound hole, I can very carefully guide the post into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddycreek Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Right handed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HongDa Posted April 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Still looks like left handers outnumber right handers here by over 50% at least. Considering that somewhere around 20% of the population is lefthanded the numbers are quite high here. Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_barlow Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Some of the greatest men in history have been left handed. Einstein, Napoleon, Ned Flanders, to name but a few. A disproportionate number of the cleverest people I know (mainly physicists) are left handed. I am right handed, by the way . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob kogut Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 I build my instruments left handed, and play them right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfjk Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Hi, I hold a golf club, an axe or a spade with my left hand forward, so I suppose I started out naturally left handed. However I was probably tought to use the right hand, so my brain must have changed sides somewhere along the line! Cheers Wolfjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlecollector Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 right handed and proud of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nashville violins Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Left-handed, but not enough to hurt me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 I'm 100% right handed. The only things I do with my left hand are those things that require both hands to do, usually holding things while the right hand does all the critical work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLonesome Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 I'm left-handed. I played guitar right handed and have toyed with the violin left handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.