Left-handed
guitar
There are two primary families of guitars:
acoustic and
electric. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which
the strings, generally six in number but sometimes more, are attached.
Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with
animal gut or, more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Some
modern guitars are made of polycarbonate materials. Guitars are made
and repaired by luthiers.
Left-handed
players generally choose a left-handed (mirror) instrument, although
some play in a standard right-handed manner, others play a standard
right-handed guitar reversed, and still others (for example Jimi
Hendrix) play a right-handed guitar strung in reverse. This last
configuration differs from a true left-handed guitar in that the saddle
is normally angled in such a way that the bass strings are slightly
longer than the treble strings to improve intonation. Reversing the
strings therefore reverses the relative orientation of the saddle
(negatively affecting intonation), although in Hendrix' case this is
believed to have been an important element in his unique sound.
Guitars
can be constructed to meet the demands of both left and right-handed
players. Traditionally the dominant hand is assigned the task of
plucking or strumming the strings. For the majority of people this
entails using the right hand. This is because musical expression
(dynamics, tonal expression, color, etc.) is largely determined by the
plucking hand, while the fretting hand is assigned the lesser
mechanical task of depressing and gripping the strings. This is similar
to the convention of the violin family of instruments where the right
hand controls the bow.
There are two primary families of guitars: acoustic and
electric.Acoustic guitars (and similar instruments) with hollow bodies,
have been in use for over a thousand years. There are three main types
of modern acoustic guitar: the classical guitar (nylon-string guitar),
the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. The tone of
an acoustic guitar is produced by the vibration of the strings, which
is amplified by the body of the guitar, which acts as a resonating
chamber. The classical guitar is often played as a solo instrument using
a comprehensive fingerpicking technique. Electric guitars, introduced
in the 1930s, rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate
tone. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but a solid body
was found more suitable. Electric guitars have had a continuing
profound influence on popular culture. Guitars are recognized as a
primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country,
flamenco, jazz, jota, mariachi, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of
pop.
