Author : Jennifer Stone
It goes without saying that lefties are always the minorities as most people in the world are right-handed. However, that does not stop left-handed people from doing what they do best. Despite the barrier, a lot of individuals have aced in their respective fields and proved that talent has no preference for hands. With proper practice and consistency, left-handed people have outperformed right-handed people in many cases and guitarists are one of the top of them.
While most guitarists are right-handed, some of the lefty guitarists set a benchmark in the industry that their right-handed counterparts didn’t do. Let’s find out the top 10 left-handed legends of guitar who set an example in the industry.
1.Jimi Hendrix
When it comes to legendary guitarists, Jimi Hendrix is perhaps one of the top. He is the most famous left-handed guitarist in the world who was not just a music artist but a dynamic persona who knew how to bend things in his own way. While a lot of people asked him to change his style and play with his right hand since it would help him save some cash; he made sure to stick to his lefty style even when he didn’t get a left-handed guitar. He used to flip the regular right-handed guitar and play it upside down to continue with his unique lefty style. It helped him create a unique tone that captivated everyone.
2. Paul McCartney
Not just with The Beatles but McCartney is well known for his unique guitar playing style when he started his solo endeavors. Being one of the most cool and charismatic personalities in the industry, Paul was an influential guitarist of his time. It is safe to say that his left-handed style has also made the songs by The Beatles more unique. His self-written tracks also sound good for the same reason.
3. Albert “BB” King
Everybody knows who the king of blues is and BB King’s name is well revered around the world. He tantalized the hearts of his fans with a unique left-handed style that made guitars talk and interact with the audience. There is no doubt that BB’s works are one of the best musical creations ever crafted and written for blues. He used a flipped-right-handed guitar known as Flying V which he used in most parts of his career. This unique style by the King helped him produce unusual dropped tone which he used much for open-tunings. The distinctive dropped tone produced delicious licks which added more flavor to blues. The ‘boom’ in BB King’s works was not his guitar, but BB himself.
4. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
This guitarist is best known for his out-of-the-box compositions which made him an inspiration to guitar enthusiasts. Omar worked with The Mars Volta and also the Drive-In and made sure to create compositions that could enthrall all. His left-handed styles offered a new creative wave in progressive rock music and allowed him to stand out among his peers at that time. The artist has worked in multiple bands due to his dynamic sense of original music.
5. Otis Rush
Blues has always been revolving at the musical epitome where the most skillful guitarists could be found and Otis Rush is one of them. Rush made sure to always put the strings upside down in his guitar allowing him to play unique, completely on his own. Not afraid to experiment, Otis was an artist with free-flowing energy. Rush’s individuality in guitar compositions has inspired the legends who came to the scene after him. Peter Green, Eric Clapton, and many other guitarists consider Otis Rush to be one of the greatest inspirations.
6. Mdou Moctar
Well, there are not many guitarists in the Sahara but Mdou Moctar made sure there was no greater one than him. Born in Nigeria, Moctar went through a fair share of struggle in their initial life and he even made a guitar from a bicycle. However, he quickly gained fame when music was recorded and spread across the world. He was a master of Tuareg guitar and his left-handed style made it sound more unique and compelling. He is one of the most influential lefty guitarists in the multi-cultural modern age.
7. Tony Iommi
When it comes to rock and metal music, it is practically impossible without blistering guitar compositions. Electric guitar is one of the main ingredients of rock music and Tony Iommi knew how to play it like a mad genius. To be honest, there would not be any Black Sabbath with Tony’s heavy metal shreds. He used to play a Gibson SG with his left hand and it produced a unique creative layer. The guitar was always detuned as too hard strings could hurt him in the finger which was already injured due to an accident that took place in the past when he used to work as a carpenter. The man was missing two fingertips in the left hand but never missed the passion in his heart for music, especially for guitar.
8. Kurt Cobain
Nirvana was not just a band but a state which was achieved by the frontman of the band Kurt Cobain. Although Cobain is mostly appreciated for his vocal prowess and writings that emitted true flavors of grunge; the artist was also one of the best left-handed guitar players in the world. His left-handed style and humble personality made him closer to most music enthusiasts. He used to play offsets and reissues which are pawned rather than expensive custom-made models. Perhaps he didn’t run after money which made him leave the world at a tender age of 27 years only.
9. Courtney Barnett
Not just men, but a lot of women music artists also set their bar high in the industry with exceptional guitar skills. Courtney is one of them who is a highly skillful music artist from Australia. She mainly works with Fender guitars for her compositions at recording as well as performing sessions. When it comes to acoustic compositions, the guitarist swaps to Maton. Rather than the flipped use of upside-down right-handed models, she prefers left-hand guitars that are specially built for lefties.
10. Barbara Lynn
Blues, soul, and R&B keep coming back to the list when it comes to the best guitar players of all time. Barbara Lynn is one of the legendary woman guitar players who were gems from the past. She used to be the greatest soul player in the 1960s and worked with Marvin Gaye, BB King, Gladys Knight, and many other legends in the industry. Without her precious contributions, “You’ll Lose A Good Thing”.
Bottom Line
Left-hand guitarists are not different than right-hand guitarists. They shared the same passion for guitar as the rest yet pursuing the road was a bit difficult as left-handed guitars were not commercially produced and custom options were expensive. Yet, they thrived and survived with nothing but an indomitable spirit!
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