I just had a go at a box I borrowed from a friend. I wasn't doing too badly and could play a scale after a couple of minutes but I then took a look in the box book and realized that, as a left-hander, I played it the wrong way around. I changed it, but it didn't feel as comfortabel as before. This is strange because I play the fiddle right-handed and feel very comfortable with it.
Are there any box players out there who play the box left-handed? Is it o.k. to just turn over the instrument and play the other way around?
Why would it matter. If it works for you go with it. I've seen mandolin players playing left handed with the mando strung right handed and upside down and guitar players doing likewise.
Odd, innit? I play both guitar and fiddle left-handed (and couldn't do it any other way) but play melodeon right-handed (and couldn't do it any other way). To me, on all three instruments, it's my right hand that is fingering the melody line.
It's been touched on before, but I've often wondered if a left-handed fiddler would have any advantage over other players... or is bowing actually more difficult to do than fingering?
If you play left-handed, you can pick up any box and play it.
Unless it has "stops" (bits sticking out of the top of the treble side), which will now be sticking down into your leg.
A lot of the traditional style in B/C (and presumably C#/D) playing is based on having your stronger index and middle fingers around the middle buttons. If you're playing upside down, you'll be using your strong fingers to play higher notes and ornaments.
Having said that, I'm sure there's at least one great player out there who plays that way.
"If you play left-handed, you can pick up any box and play it..."
As opposed to a box with the notes rearranged so they're the right way round when played left-handed.
But you may have to change your nickname if you keep going down this route, fiddlinsue! boxinandfiddlinsue, or buttonsandbowssue. They just don't have the same kind of ring to them...
squeezinsuewithfiddle ......no..........that's not right.
That Ashley doesn't seem to have any trouble playing a right-handed fiddle left-handedly, does he? I tried it once and my right arm hurt for days (and it sounded awfut).....I'm too old for new tricks, I reckon.
i'm a Lefty, in more ways than one. but speaking in the right-brain, left-handed sense, i play b/c box the conventional way and haven't had any problems, though i guess it's true that the fine-motor-function part of learning this instrument has taken years for me....thought, it hadn't occurred to me until right now that this issue might play a part. i just chalked it up to b/c box being hard to learn, which it is, and me being a bit neurologically challenged in the motor-skills realm, which i am.
but i had six or seven years of piano as a kid, and the right hand (usually) plays the melody on piano, so it transferred pretty well to box. seems to me the kind of right-hand action you have to do on fiddle might also serve well on box, where coordinating bellows action to playing speed is a huge part of the deal.....so i guess my advice would be, suck it up, white-knuckle it, and you'll get it the regular way. but in terms of whether it's "ok" to play the other way round, of course! anything goes....so long as it works, that is. also---b/c box is honestly a challenge to learn. i know more way people who have started it and quit, than people who have stuck with it long enough to be able to play it with any proficiency....
One of the top players in Quebec plays with a standard box turned upside down. He learned right-handed as a child but hit a plateau when he was about 14. He flipped the box upside down and never looked back.
Having a row of stops at the knee end doesn't seem to be a problem. The only modification required involves the air button - he has an extra one fitted on his 3-row boxes and on the one-rows I guess the lever is turned around.
Hi Pete,
it would be great, if finding a new nickname was my biggest problem when playing the box !
Maybe I'll start practice both ways, 15 minutes right-handed, 15 minutes left-handed and then later on decide which one I prefer. It is good to know, that I can play both ways on a normal box. It is true, it is not easy to learn, but it is so much fun and by the end of yesterday, I managed a very shakey first part of "Out on the Ocean". I was so proud of me .
I play the guitar left-handed and started with the box just a couple of moths ago. My right hand works so well on the right-handed box that I will never consider getting a lefty box.
Great to see there are other left handed box players out there. Instead of turning the box upside down I had my first two boxes reconfigured so that they play the same as a right handed box (low notes on top and high on the bottom) but in mirrir image.
Sean Garvey did the first and Brendan Mulhare did the second. It basically involves remounting the reed blocks upside down with the mounts requiring some modification. The base side needs a bit more work depending on the model of box.
If you have a three voice box you will need someone to make a new center reed block (still looking) as the air holes don't line up.
Sean Garvey reckons he can commission a new Paolo Sopprani for me built left handed from scratch with the stops on the top and a complete mirror image of a right handed box.
The problem with playing this type of box is that you can't try out before you buy and it has very little resale value unless you can find another lefty with the same playing preferences that you have.
Having said all this it's good craic to give my box to guest who wants to play a tune and hear the howls that come out it when it is played right handed
the box and left-handed players
the box and left-handed players
I just had a go at a box I borrowed from a friend. I wasn't doing too badly and could play a scale after a couple of minutes but I then took a look in the box book and realized that, as a left-hander, I played it the wrong way around. I changed it, but it didn't feel as comfortabel as before. This is strange because I play the fiddle right-handed and feel very comfortable with it.
Are there any box players out there who play the box left-handed? Is it o.k. to just turn over the instrument and play the other way around?
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by fiddlinsue
Re: the box and left-handed players
Why would it matter. If it works for you go with it. I've seen mandolin players playing left handed with the mando strung right handed and upside down and guitar players doing likewise.
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by Bernie
Re: the box and left-handed players
Odd, innit? I play both guitar and fiddle left-handed (and couldn't do it any other way) but play melodeon right-handed (and couldn't do it any other way). To me, on all three instruments, it's my right hand that is fingering the melody line.
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by DavyR
Re: the box and left-handed players
It's been touched on before, but I've often wondered if a left-handed fiddler would have any advantage over other players... or is bowing actually more difficult to do than fingering?
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by morning star
Re: the box and left-handed players
Ashley MacIssac does it rather well ~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt8ksq4LQss
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by Tonya
Re: the box and left-handed players
There are advantages and disadvantages:
If you play left-handed, you can pick up any box and play it.
Unless it has "stops" (bits sticking out of the top of the treble side), which will now be sticking down into your leg.
A lot of the traditional style in B/C (and presumably C#/D) playing is based on having your stronger index and middle fingers around the middle buttons. If you're playing upside down, you'll be using your strong fingers to play higher notes and ornaments.
Having said that, I'm sure there's at least one great player out there who plays that way.
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by Gzeg
Re: the box and left-handed players
"If you play left-handed, you can pick up any box and play it..."
As opposed to a box with the notes rearranged so they're the right way round when played left-handed.
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by Gzeg
Re: the box and left-handed players
But you may have to change your nickname if you keep going down this route, fiddlinsue! boxinandfiddlinsue, or buttonsandbowssue. They just don't have the same kind of ring to them...
Pete
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by Reverend
Re: the box and left-handed players
squeezinsuewithfiddle ......no..........that's not right.
That Ashley doesn't seem to have any trouble playing a right-handed fiddle left-handedly, does he? I tried it once and my right arm hurt for days (and it sounded awfut).....I'm too old for new tricks, I reckon.
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by morning star
Re: the box and left-handed players
i'm a Lefty, in more ways than one. but speaking in the right-brain, left-handed sense, i play b/c box the conventional way and haven't had any problems, though i guess it's true that the fine-motor-function part of learning this instrument has taken years for me....thought, it hadn't occurred to me until right now that this issue might play a part. i just chalked it up to b/c box being hard to learn, which it is, and me being a bit neurologically challenged in the motor-skills realm, which i am.
but i had six or seven years of piano as a kid, and the right hand (usually) plays the melody on piano, so it transferred pretty well to box. seems to me the kind of right-hand action you have to do on fiddle might also serve well on box, where coordinating bellows action to playing speed is a huge part of the deal.....so i guess my advice would be, suck it up, white-knuckle it, and you'll get it the regular way. but in terms of whether it's "ok" to play the other way round, of course! anything goes....so long as it works, that is. also---b/c box is honestly a challenge to learn. i know more way people who have started it and quit, than people who have stuck with it long enough to be able to play it with any proficiency....
# Posted on September 16th 2007 by ceemonster
Re: the box and left-handed players
One of the top players in Quebec plays with a standard box turned upside down. He learned right-handed as a child but hit a plateau when he was about 14. He flipped the box upside down and never looked back.
Having a row of stops at the knee end doesn't seem to be a problem. The only modification required involves the air button - he has an extra one fitted on his 3-row boxes and on the one-rows I guess the lever is turned around.
# Posted on September 17th 2007 by Jeeves Tones
Re: the box and left-handed players
Hi Pete,
!
.
it would be great, if finding a new nickname was my biggest problem when playing the box
Maybe I'll start practice both ways, 15 minutes right-handed, 15 minutes left-handed and then later on decide which one I prefer. It is good to know, that I can play both ways on a normal box. It is true, it is not easy to learn, but it is so much fun and by the end of yesterday, I managed a very shakey first part of "Out on the Ocean". I was so proud of me
# Posted on September 17th 2007 by fiddlinsue
Re: the box and left-handed players
I play the guitar left-handed and started with the box just a couple of moths ago. My right hand works so well on the right-handed box that I will never consider getting a lefty box.
# Posted on September 18th 2007 by Risto
Re: the box and left-handed players
Great to see there are other left handed box players out there. Instead of turning the box upside down I had my first two boxes reconfigured so that they play the same as a right handed box (low notes on top and high on the bottom) but in mirrir image.
Sean Garvey did the first and Brendan Mulhare did the second. It basically involves remounting the reed blocks upside down with the mounts requiring some modification. The base side needs a bit more work depending on the model of box.
If you have a three voice box you will need someone to make a new center reed block (still looking) as the air holes don't line up.
Sean Garvey reckons he can commission a new Paolo Sopprani for me built left handed from scratch with the stops on the top and a complete mirror image of a right handed box.
The problem with playing this type of box is that you can't try out before you buy and it has very little resale value unless you can find another lefty with the same playing preferences that you have.
Having said all this it's good craic to give my box to guest who wants to play a tune and hear the howls that come out it when it is played right handed
# Posted on September 20th 2007 by southpaw