Left-Handed Guitar Lessons for Kids: Options and Advice for Parents
Updated: Sep 30
Left-handed children often ask whether they need a special guitar. The answer is not always yes, and the choice deserves a little thought before you buy. Left-handed players can learn guitar just as well as right-handed players. They simply have a few more decisions to make at the start.
The three main options
There are three common ways for a left-handed child to play guitar. Each has real advantages and tradeoffs:
Play a right-handed guitar the standard way, with the left hand pressing the strings
Play a left-handed guitar, which is built as a mirror image of a standard guitar
Restring a right-handed guitar in reverse, which can work but often needs adjustments
Some left-handed people find the standard way natural, because the left hand does the detailed fretting work. Others feel strongly that strumming belongs in their dominant left hand.
How to help your child decide
A simple test is to hand your child a guitar and watch which way they hold it without instructions. You can also have them mime strumming and see which hand moves naturally. If they clearly prefer strumming with the left hand, a left-handed guitar is usually the better choice. If they seem comfortable either way, the standard setup gives more guitar choices and lets them borrow instruments easily. The key is to decide before building habits, because switching later is harder.
Why in-home lessons help left-handed players
Learning from a right-handed teacher can feel like reading a mirror. A teacher sitting beside your child at home can position themselves so hand shapes are easy to copy. They can also check that a left-handed guitar is set up correctly, since some left-handed models need adjustments. Because the lesson happens on your child's own guitar, there is no confusion about string order or setup.
Chord charts and tablature can also be flipped mentally, and your teacher will show your child how to read them either way. With a little patience, left-handed students quickly stop noticing the difference.
Every Evergreen Studios teacher is EvergreenCertified, which means background-checked, abuse-prevention trained, and personally vetted before teaching in any home. Your child keeps the same guitar teacher every week, and the lesson happens on the instrument they practice on at home.
Read our guides on how to choose a first guitar for a child and electric versus acoustic guitar for kids, or see our in-home guitar lessons guide.
How to get started
Private guitar lessons are $320 for one month. That covers four 45-minute lessons with the same teacher in your home.
Call (910) 613-0704 or email evrgreencompany@gmail.com.
Comments