“I’m left-handed – now what?” You don’t need to buy a special left-handed ukulele. Or, not when you’re an absolute beginner.
The ukulele world has plenty of scope for left-handed players.
Keep reading to find out tips for left handed ukulele players, and about left-handed ukulele chord charts. And about how the music world in general doesn’t cater very well for the creative diversity of left-handed musicians.
Right-handed music
About 10% of the population is left-handed. If you’re right-handed, like me, it’s handy to know about the different experience of left-handed musicians. It could be helpful to someone in your family, or a friend.
Left-handed people get used to coping and adapting in a world that takes right-handedness for granted. Everything from dining table settings and can openers, to music.
Up till the mid 20th century many left-handed kids were expected to write right-handed.
Like other spheres of life, the music world is set up for right-handed people.
Orchestras are particularly rigid on this. In an orchestra, all the violinists must be playing right-handed.
Despite this, I know left-handed people who’ve become skilled classical violinists. I think the sheer co-ordination difficulty of an instrument like the violin may transcend left hand or right hand affinity. (This is just my theory.)
I used to work for a violin business, The Stringed Instrument Company. I remember one day a client asked for a left-handed violin.
Cath Newhook, my boss at the violin workshop, explained that violins are acoustically designed to be played right-handed.
The strings and bridge and chin rest can theoretically be reversed to suit a left-handed player. But this will result in the instrument not being optimized for tone and sound. And this is a big deal for a violin.
Famous left-handed guitarists
Guitar family instruments (including the ukulele) come in both right and left-handed models. There’s a famous subset of left-handed guitar players, headed by Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney.
Paul McCartney’s left-handed bass guitar gave the Beatles their distinctive visual symmetry on stage. The Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr, was also left-handed, but he played a right-handed drum kit. (This illustrates the ability of many left-handed folk to adapt.)
McCartney and Hendrix inspired generations of left-handed guitarists, including my husband, Matthew Bannister. As a teenager, he didn’t think twice about starting off left-handed. If it was good enough for his heroes Jimi and Paul…
However, Matthew says he’s found there are some serious practical inconveniences to being a left-handed musician. You can’t just pick up any guitar and play it – you always have to lug along your own instrument.
Also, the choice of good quality left-handed guitars is limited, especially in a small country like Aotearoa-New Zealand.
David Bowie was a left-hander who learned to play guitar right-handed for practical reasons. Miley Cyrus is another.
Options for left-handed ukulele players
There are various choices for left-handed ukulele players.
Here are the four main options. I’ll list them here, and then I’ll explain in more detail.
1. Change the strings around on a standard ukulele
2. Buy a special left-handed ukulele
3. Play a right-handed ukulele
4. Play a right-handed ukulele upside down!
1. Re-string a right-handed ukulele so you can play left-handed
This is the easiest and cheapest place to start when you’re a beginner ukulele player.
The strings will be upside down, from the point of view of a right-handed player. Because the ukulele is a fairly simple instrument, it doesn’t make much difference, visually or acoustically. (Whereas upside down guitars look a bit strange.)
If you’re not sure how to string a ukulele left-handed, ask a music shop person to change the strings for you. They may charge you for this, because it’s a fiddly task.
Also, you may need to buy a new set of strings. Even with a cheap ukulele, I recommend investing in good quality strings. A set will cost approximately $15-20. Aquila and Martin are both good brands, but there are others.
2. A special left-handed ukulele
There are left-handed ukulele models on the market. They’re not as common as right-handed ukuleles.
I suggest you look into buying a left-handed ukulele further down the track, if you want to upgrade from your beginner instrument.
But I think your easiest option to start with is to change the strings around on a right-handed ukulele.
3. Try playing right-handed ukulele
If you’re an absolute beginner at ukulele, I suggest you try playing right-handed for a few weeks. Keep an open mind and see how you go.
If you can adapt to playing right-handed, your left-hand strength will be an advantage with left-hand finger dexterity, playing chord shapes.
Playing right-handed is much less complicated, in many ways. Both now and further down the track. My husband Matthew, who is a left-handed guitarist, agrees with me on this.
However, if you’ve tried this for four to six weeks and it still feels weird, then go to Option 1. Get the strings switched over and play left-handed.
I know several left-handers who don’t seem to have problems playing a ukulele right-handed. But others just can’t adapt to right-handed playing. It makes a big difference for them when they get hold of a ukulele that’s strung left-handed.
It depends how strongly left-handed you are.
4. Play upside down ukulele!
Play a right-handed ukulele upside down. Yes indeed, it’s a real thing.
My husband Matthew plays ukulele like this. I thought he was just being creatively weird, until I did some research and discovered quite a few left-handed musicians who play right-handed ukulele upside down!
This isn’t the best choice for absolute beginners without any other musical experience, however.
Left-handed ukulele chord shapes
The chord shapes will be different on a ukulele that’s strung left-handed. They will be mirror image to right-handed chord shapes.
My husband Matthew says this fact will be obvious to most left-handed folk.
I’m explaining it here for the benefit of right-handed people like me. I didn’t know this until left-handed people showed up in my ukulele classes!
You can get special left-handed chord charts. Here’s a link to download a left-handed ukulele chord chart. (Free, no sign-up required.)
But I’ve found that hardly anybody uses one of these.
In my experience, teaching hundreds of adult beginners, most of the left-handed players adapted easily to reading right-handed chord charts. They told me they didn’t need a special chord chart to play ukulele left-handed.
Here’s where you can download my right-handed ukulele chord chart, if you don’t already have one. Free, no sign-up required.
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More reading
Beginners Guide To Ukulele: Start Playing Today
How To Choose Your First Ukulele
How To Tune a Ukulele With a Tuner
How To Sing While Playing Ukulele
Ukulele Adventures – What’s Next After the Beginner Basics
Top 7 Handy Ukulele Accessories
Over the Rainbow and Beyond: A Realistic Guide for Ukulele Beginners
Why Kids Need Music – and How You Can Help With Ukulele
Do I have To Read Music To Play Ukulele?
Do You Use a Pick With a Ukulele?
How To Play Ukulele Without Getting a Sore Hand