Did you know that both the Ukulele and the Guitar are designed so that the left hand plays the notes on the fretboard and the right hand strums? It actually doesn't matter if you are left handed or right handed, equal use of both hands is required when playing string instruments. Each hand just has a different job. Left handed people can actually be at a bit of an advantage in the beginning of learning a string instrument as the muscles in their left hand fingers usually have a bit more dexterity and muscle built up just from using it to write with.
Learning how to play an instrument the way it was designed to be played will also make it easier to follow any method books, online resources, chord diagrams or materials students use or find on their own as they will all be from this perspective. If we restring an instrument, all the resources will be backwards which can be even more confusing for students. Restringing an instrument will also affect the nut which is the bracing at the top of the neck of the instrument where the strings sit. There are grooves engraved to fit the different thickness of strings for standard tuning. If we flip the strings, they don't fit quite as well, can slide off or break more easily.
Learning to play an instrument the way it was designed to be played will also translate to playing other instruments in the string family. Ukulele, Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass are all played with the left hand on the fretboard, and the right hand strumming/plucking/bowing.
If students decide to one day purchase their own string instrument, it will also open up a lot more options for purchase. While there are some "left-handed" guitars in music stores, they do not have a large selection and often the price will be higher for this specialized instrument. The only time I recommend using a left-handed guitar is in the case of a physical deformity that wouldn't allow for a student to play the instrument the way it was designed to be played.
We talk about all these points in class as I have many left-handed students, and I encourage any who may have had ukuleles restrung for them in the past to try and retrain themselves. This is a great opportunity to do so as there are a mix of students in the class who have played before and some who have never seen the instrument so the pace we take can help new students catch up. The exercises I use and the extensive repetition is meant to build muscle memory in fingers so all students can be successful and that just comes with consistent participation and a growth mindset.
Learning how to play an instrument the way it was designed to be played will also make it easier to follow any method books, online resources, chord diagrams or materials students use or find on their own as they will all be from this perspective. If we restring an instrument, all the resources will be backwards which can be even more confusing for students. Restringing an instrument will also affect the nut which is the bracing at the top of the neck of the instrument where the strings sit. There are grooves engraved to fit the different thickness of strings for standard tuning. If we flip the strings, they don't fit quite as well, can slide off or break more easily.
Learning to play an instrument the way it was designed to be played will also translate to playing other instruments in the string family. Ukulele, Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass are all played with the left hand on the fretboard, and the right hand strumming/plucking/bowing.
If students decide to one day purchase their own string instrument, it will also open up a lot more options for purchase. While there are some "left-handed" guitars in music stores, they do not have a large selection and often the price will be higher for this specialized instrument. The only time I recommend using a left-handed guitar is in the case of a physical deformity that wouldn't allow for a student to play the instrument the way it was designed to be played.
We talk about all these points in class as I have many left-handed students, and I encourage any who may have had ukuleles restrung for them in the past to try and retrain themselves. This is a great opportunity to do so as there are a mix of students in the class who have played before and some who have never seen the instrument so the pace we take can help new students catch up. The exercises I use and the extensive repetition is meant to build muscle memory in fingers so all students can be successful and that just comes with consistent participation and a growth mindset.