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GabrielFrank New Member
Joined: 14 Nov 2023 Posts: 1 Location: London
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 3:21 am Post subject: Left-handed playing after right hand injury: can it be done? |
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Hi everyone,
This is my first post… I have an injury that means my right index finger is numb and weaker than before (looks like it's probably permanent). I can play with my left hand and have been practicing with it for a while, but I wondered if anyone has had experience with having to switch entirely to left-handed playing? Is it possible to get up to the same level of fluency? How long might it take with daily practice? I'm guessing years… or maybe never quite… I mean, I can play pretty well with the left but it lacks the "edge" you need for fluent improvising, precise rhythm, etc... I've seen some posts about left-handed playing but I really would like to hear stories from people who have had right hand injuries and know what it's like…
Also, any specific tips for improving the left hand's fluency (beyond normal practice) would be much appreciated. |
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kehaulani Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9086 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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Oh my, what do French Horn players do?
You just have to work at it. After playing trumpet, I switched to French Horn for my Freshman year in college. Back to trumpet and then back again to French Horn, again, for a couple of years in a service band. Just takes work.
The only significant difference I can see is the use of the valve slides for intonation. It might be a little tricky and you may need valve-slide triggers or find a horn that allows you to lip the squirrely notes into pitch without losing tone color.
If you want to go that route, I believe Schilke, Yamaha and Jupiter make left-handed trumpets as did King. There may be more out there. _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet
Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Last edited by kehaulani on Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:16 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Rogerrr Veteran Member
Joined: 16 Feb 2020 Posts: 144 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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I’m just speculating, but wouldn’t it help to start using your left hand more for other tasks too….like writing, etc….and maybe strength training etc _________________ Sax player learning cornet & trumpet...and occasionally a little bit of trombone.
( so don't confuse me with an experienced player ) |
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Subtropical and Subpar Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 May 2020 Posts: 640 Location: Here and there
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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I will add that Carolbrass, and likely others, offer left-handed trumpets. Basically looks like a 'regular' trumpet in a mirror. See most of the way down here: https://www.carolbrass.com/products.aspx?getId=9A464C339A24D76A&getId1=59C956552B3C38AE _________________ 1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel |
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tomba51 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2001 Posts: 624 Location: Hilton Head, SC
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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The great cornet soloist, James Burke played left handed because he only had the use of one arm.
John McNeil, the great jazz trumpeter, taught himself to play left handed when illness caused him to lose the ability to play with his right hand. He eventually recovered and now plays right handed again.
So it is definitely possible to play left handed. _________________ Tom Barreca
Last edited by tomba51 on Fri Nov 17, 2023 6:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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dershem Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1891 Location: San Diego, CA
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Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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Jack Sheldon, after his stroke, had to learn to play left handed. he was never satisfied with it, but he always strove for better. _________________ BKA! Mic Gillette was my mentor and friend.
Marcinkiewicz Mic G. trumpet, Custom Marcinkiewicz mpc. (Among others)
Marcinkiewicz Rembrandt flugel, Benge 8Z cornet, King 2B, Bach 36, Benge 190, Getzen 3062... many more. All Marc. mouthpieces. |
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Jeff_Purtle Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Mar 2003 Posts: 938 Location: Greenville, South Carolina
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 6:30 am Post subject: |
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I had a student years ago that fell through a glass door and severed tendons in his right hand. He had to play with his left hand for several months and did great. He ended up adding another pinky hook on the bell to help and called his trumpet "The Bull Horn."
Jimmy Burke played with his left hand because his right hand and arm didn't work like normal.
Jeff _________________ Jeff Purtle
Trumpet Lessons Online since 2004, teaching since 1983
MultiTouch book on Claude Gordon
+1 864-354-3223 iPhone w/ FaceTime
Skype: jeff_purtle |
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peanuts56 Veteran Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2021 Posts: 237
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 9:46 am Post subject: |
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Never seen a left handed trumpet.
There’s a guy in Connecticut that plays lefty on a traditional right horn. I believe he teaches applied trumpet at one of the state colleges, possibly Central Conn. His right hand seems to have some kind of disability He’s an excellent player, jazz and legit.
High school band mate of mine plays trombone lefty. He had polio and is right side is severely atrophied. Graduated from North Texas and played in house bands in Las Vegas for a while. |
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horfhorf Regular Member
Joined: 21 Jan 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Alexandria, VA
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 10:15 am Post subject: |
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I've played French Horn and Trumpet like instruments (trumpet, mellophone, cornet) for most of my life. You might have some challenges coordinating your fingers but I think it's mostly a mind game. Your brain already knows what to do. You only have to transfer it to your other hand.
Playing recorder has a similar mind game. Soprano and Tenor recorders use the same fingerings. Alto and Bass recorders use the same fingerings. The parts are not transposed so a middle C on a soprano recorder uses a different fingering than an alto recorder. When you switch, you have to switch gears in your brain.
I would guess Tuba players do the same thing when they switch from a C tuba to an F tuba (like for the Bydlo solo from Pictures). _________________ horfhorf |
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Andy Cooper Heavyweight Member
Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1861 Location: Terre Haute, IN USA
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 11:48 am Post subject: |
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You might spend some time "mirroring" your left fingerings with your right hand on a table top. Go back to your Arban book and also scales - it's a matter of muscle memory. |
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umum_cypher Regular Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2019 Posts: 25 Location: London, GB
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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How strange, I am also in London and also switched to left hand early last year. I have been struggling with an issue with my right hand for four years and it was getting worse and worse. And my playing was entirely defined by the problem - spending all my time trying to fix it, changing what I played to accommodate it.
I spent a very, very long time reading, watching and practising different things. It was awful. One day I thought - just play left handed, who cares. It was a little slow at first, but soon got faster, and is now more uniformly fluent and clean than my right hand ever was, though I probably can’t rattle some things off quite as fast. I don’t think about it any more, and when improvising I do what my ears say rather than being vetoed by my fingers. Apart from trumpet players absolutely no-one notices that I am doing anything out of the ordinary.
Just go with it and practice as normal, I’d say. |
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cheiden Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8925 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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In high school I started doubling on French Horn and I was surprised how quickly my left hand caught up with my right.
I do agree that if this is permanent that you might look into a left-handed horn just so you don't have to struggle with the mechanics. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart
Last edited by cheiden on Thu May 02, 2024 1:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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spitvalve Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Mar 2002 Posts: 2177 Location: Little Elm, TX
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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John McNeil published a book on jazz trumpet technique many years ago where he advocated left-hand practice as a way to increase concentration, especially for learning difficult licks. I tried it; it works.
Trust your brain. It will be easier than you think.
You might want to do what Clark Terry did and have a finger hook put on the bell--he often played two horns back and forth, with the flugel in his right hand and the trumpet in his left. _________________ Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces |
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peanuts56 Veteran Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2021 Posts: 237
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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There's a guy in my neck of the woods who plays left handed. His right had is slightly deformed. I don't know him but have heard him play a few times and he's an excellent player. Pretty sure he was on the faculty at one of the state colleges. Good legit and jazz player. |
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