MeMeMe (getting the old Hobson's Choice in shape)

[ericcoleman]

Stolen blatantly from twoofdtm

Some of you I hardly know at all, but you friended me and I thank you. But here's a thought: Why not take this opportunity to tell me a little something about yourself. Any old thing at all. Just so the next time I see your name I can say: "Ah, there's so and so...she wears mismatched socks." I'd love it if every single person who friended me would do this...especially those who rarely or never comment. Yes, even you people who I know really well.

Comments

A thing or two to identify me

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

I'm Nate, and for the last 32 or so years I have had an absolute fascination with left-handedness and the whole phenomenon of laterality in general. Why do the overwhelming majority of people prefer to use one hand rather than the other, and why are "lefties" so totally outnumbered by "righties"? What does this tell us about the basic workings of the buman brain? Why are there twice as many righties among men as among women, and why are there more left-handed people among alcoholics and first-born children? And by the way, many people know that I believe very strongly that people who are born left-handed should play left-handed stringed instruments (or, in the cases of my beloved wife Louie and my old friend Kara Dalkey, regular electric basses flipped over). And while you're talking about mismatched socks: I wore mismatched socks from abou age 15 to 32 or 33.

Nate

Re: A thing or two to identify me

[ericcoleman]

And by the way, many people know that I believe very strongly that people who are born left-handed should play left-handed stringed instruments (or, in the cases of my beloved wife Louie and my old friend Kara Dalkey, regular electric basses flipped over).

Then what about Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix ???

And I coulda sworn Louie played a bass that was strung right handed ... which you also occasionally played . .. this means I have to pay a lot more attention at Windy

Re: A thing or two to identify me

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

I strongly support Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix playing left-handed and upside down. (That would be "played" in Jimi's case -- yes, I wish he were still with us, but I need to face the facts.) What you didn't realize is that I don't support "left-handed should play left-handed guitars" as a necessary alternative to playing upside down, but as a necessary alternative to pretending to be right-handed and strumming or picking with the right hand. I have investigated "lefties playing right" a *lot*. There are just enough people who have managed to learn to play well despite this handicap (Glen Campbell, Robert Fripp from King Crimson, jazz guitarist George Van Eps) that most people, and indeed most guitar teachers, can't grasp that overwhelmingly, this "pretending to be right-handed" results in acutely musically frustrated individuals who have rhythm problems (absolutely consistently, difficulty synchronizing rhythms with other players, either lagging behind the beat or falling into and out of synch) and can't improvise. Under these circumstances, then, I feel that Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix (and folk guitarist/writer Bill Staines, and several Twin Cities musicians) are doing *exactly* the right thing. Might they play better if they'd played custom made lefty guitars from the first? Yeah, just maybe, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I am thrilled that Jimi and Dick played lefty rather than trying to play righty, getting more and more frustrated and finally giving up (though apparently Jimi could play a little bit "righty" too).

And as far as Louie playing a bass that was strung right-handed -- that is exactly what I said she did. "Regular bass flipped over." It's easier this way, and it means she and I can share the same instrument in music circles.
Does this clarify anything?

Regards,


Nate

Re: A thing or two to identify me

[ericcoleman]

I mis-read that totally ... never mind.

On that idea though, Jimi's style really dosn't rely on the guitar being strung the way it was (right handed) but Dick would be a completly different player. Those massive chord bends he does would be outright impossible if he was pushing rather than pulling. The torque is much more in his favor the way he plays (and I have shook that hand, I was afraid for the bones in mine)

Re: A thing or two to identify me

[sciffy-circo.livejournal.com]

Are you into jazz? I met Slide Hampton years ago. He's right handed, but plays a left handed trombone. Why? Yes, we had to ask. When he was growing up, his family was poor. The second hand music shop in town only had a left handed trombone, so that's what he got, and he learned to play it.

Maybe that explains a few other musicians as well...