Handed-ness

karfan · Post by **karfan** » 04 Oct 2008, 15:25

The majority are right handed no doubt. I have seen quite a few mridangam players who are left-handed. Are there any violin players who are left handed? Kanjira players?

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 04 Oct 2008, 23:53

I think there is some technical issue that acts against southpaws wishing to take up the violin...am not sure what it is though. As for the Kanjira, don't remember seeing one (perhaps Nagarajan?) but there shouldn't be a problem. Will let the experts give their final word though

Suji Ram · Post by **Suji Ram** » 05 Oct 2008, 01:13

I remember seeing a video (from coolkarni?) of a hindustani artist playing violin left-handed. or maybe it was just an illusion...

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 05 Oct 2008, 02:55

Harisankar was a left-handed mrudangist initially and then switched to a right-handed kanjira player... actually he was supposed to have been ambidextrous, being able to play both kanjira and mrudangam with the hands reversed.

V. Nagarajan was initially a right-handed mrudangist, and then switched to becoming a left-handed kanjira vidwan after an accident in one of his hands.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 05 Oct 2008, 03:19

For the violin, I think it's important to be able to use the stronger arm for bowing, so left handed people might find it difficult since they're using the right arm for bowing (assuming they're keeping the violin in the same position). If they're keeping the violin on their right side, then the order of the strings must be reversed. But can they be? I have wondered about this some times as well.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 05 Oct 2008, 03:56

Interesting subject really!

Unlike a sports like tennis or a ping pong I think it is not a great issue physically . I had this doubt when I started learning Violin like why do we have to do all this fingering with our left hand when we are right hand user. With progression I forget the issue and now sometimes I wonder what a control I have implied over my left hand coz on my first day play with fingers I had a feeling that I may never go beyond the sarali varisai. In violin, bowing is comparatively easier than the fingering. So it does not matter at all whether you are right or left hand user but you are forced to become a left hand user in violin. But if you start using using your right hand for fingering just you may have to adjust the strings and the teacher would have a great deal of confusion teaching you but only initially. I dont see any other hitch in this. it has become a standard that is all.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 05 Oct 2008, 07:25

For the right handed violinists, has your left hand dexterity generally improved after picking up the violin (in things other than the violin)? This is something I have wondered about as well. Certainly while my fingering abilities have improved while playing the violin, I'm not sure my motor "agility" has improved in other tasks.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 05 Oct 2008, 07:42

Not at all. The left hand remains clumsy as usual in other aspects.

karfan · Post by **karfan** » 05 Oct 2008, 21:31

anythingleft-handed.co.uk lists some of the famous left-handed violinist like Casals, Gould, Robert Schumann, Paganini. But it is not clear whether they were lefties who played violin or they played the violin using the left hand for bowing. violinslover.com the well known violin sellers have a good collection of left handed violins for sale which implies that there are a good number of left-hand violin players. There is a good discussion on teaching left-handed people at violinist.com.

Unlike a flute, saxophone or even a mrudangam, violin is not a symmetric instrument. Hence, handed-ness has an importance here. I guess it would be difficult to find a teacher to teach a left-handed child here hence we convert everyone to right handed for convenience!!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 05 Oct 2008, 21:49

I seem to remember that Hendrix was and played left-handed, but did not change the order of the strings, as most left-handed guitarists would. Thus his playing necessarily sounded different as all chords would be 'the wrong way around'

(I should say seem to remember reading. At the age when I should have been attending to him I did not like his music at all! That came much later. Maybe I had to get more used to improvisation first, and you all know how I did that!)

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 05 Oct 2008, 21:51

violin is definitely symmetric. just that how you arrange the string is what it matters. As from the instrument point of view it does not matter whether you play left hand or right hand.

karfan · Post by **karfan** » 05 Oct 2008, 22:00

@ganesh, it definitely looks so, then what are the left handed violins being sold? Just a change of the order of the strings? Would not the bridge also have to be changed? I also believe that the wooden piece inside the violin that runs lengthwise has to be changed.

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 05 Oct 2008, 22:58

yes that is another point. but feasible .

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 14 Oct 2008, 14:33

Here's a video clip of Shri Suvir Misra playing a khayal on the southern India (sarasvatI) veena. I appears that he has rotated the position of the instrument 180deg, and reversed the order of the strings to use the left hand for plucking and right for the frets:

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=XYt5dr7d8Jk