Among my students, I have had two left-handed violinists, one of whom is still having lessons. They always seem to have an uphill struggle with bowing. Is this par for the course in left-handed beginners? (Or is it just that these two have never been noted for high levels of practice?) Any feedback greatly appreciated.

I'm not a string player, so can't comment directly.

However, my violinist daughter is very left handed. She's always thought this was an advantage - her left hand does the fiddly ('scuse the pun!) fingerings, her right hand pushes the bow backwards and forwards.

This is probably an unhelpful reply, but it's certainly her experience. She practices a lot and is very motivated, perhaps that's a factor, too.

I've always thought that the balance of difficulty between the hands is reaonably even, so that difficulties for left handers with bowing will be balanced out with the right hander's less flexible fingering hand.

I don't know if it is par for the course - the only left handed string player I know studied at the RCM and has recently been seconded to an American orchestra for some time with I believe some sort of bursary for living accommodation so I guess it didn't slow her down much

(I always struggled with bowing and I'm right-handed... in my case it was definitely the practice issue...)

I am also RIGHT handed like sarah-flute, but the left hand technique is the one that I am doing incredibly well with, it's my bowing that is hard to learn for me, not the basic detache', but more tricky things like spiccato etc, so even though my 'dominant hand' is in control of the bow it still doesn't give me an advantage!

I've often seen in American orchestras violinists playing with their bows in their left hands, but I've never seen this in the UK. When I played the viola very badly (& never practised, I was an appalling pupil), my teacher thought I was better at the left hand (I'm right-handed) because I'm a pianist & my finger technique was developed. This was many years ago & I still feel a bit guilty when I see this teacher & funnily enough she's leading the orchestra this Sunday when I play a piano concerto, but we can laugh about it now. I only did viola because we had to do a 2nd study at college & I didn't really want to do anything. I later changed to harpsichord, which I was much more suited to.

I think left-handed players are at a definite disadvantage - it's just instinctive to hold the bow in the right hand, and not for nothing do left-handed guitarists tend to play the other way round, Paul McCartney being an example.

Bowing isn't just pushing the thing backwards and forwards - there's SO much more to it than that! I'd even say the art of good bowing is far more difficult to master than good finger-work, and that the secret to superlative violin playing is in the bowing - it's certainly where all the subtlety is.

I reckon the reason left-handed people play the violin the wrong way round for them is because of the problems that would ensue if they were to play the other way round.

1 If they played in an orchestra their bow would be going in the opposite direction to everyone else's.

2 The difficult of a right-handed violin teacher getting their head round teaching the violin the other way round. It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

3 Having to set the violin up the other way round - strings the other way, chin-rest on the other side, sound post differently positioned.

That's not to say left-handed violinists can't become very good - Nichola Benedetti is left-handed! But funnily enough when I went to see her play recently I did notice something slightly laboured about her bowing arm - before I found out she was left-handed.

Tell me about it, that is why I am getting all the headaches lately! No problems with left hand at all. I have to get my teacher to 'prescribe me' some exercises for right hand as I feel that just learning tunes does not make me concentrate enough on those subtleties you are talking about Amanda. I am also saving up for a big book I've seen at Chappel's the other day where there is lots of exercises/photos/explanations etc

...not ot mention adding a new bridge, repositioning the bass bar, etc, etc. Someone told me once that to play left-handed meant practically taking the instrument apart and putting it back together again!

I agree with you, I am sure left-handers are at a disadvantage. I didn't know that Nicola Benedetti was left-handed.

HOOPS, apology Violinia, should have said 'those subtleties you are talking about VIOLINIA' and NOT Amanda (don't know why but was thinking of Amanda L when I was writing that post )

I am left handed, but have always played the cello the right(handed) way. I teach all my pupils that way even if they are left handed. For cellists and bassists it can actually be an advantage to be left handed, as you actually need strong fingers, much more so than for violinists. (I know the RH people will develop their strength with practice, but the LH have an advantage in the early stages). Maybe we should encouraging all the left handers to be cellists!!

Good idea! Next time I get a left-hander I'll give them a cello and point them in.......your direction! Yes, I see your point - but does it take your students longer to get the bow working properly?

Left handed violins (real ones, not conversions) are readily available but of course that doesn't solve the other problems.

Liz