Do left-handed players really require special instruments?

People who are left-handed often have difficulty in using appliances which are designed only for right-handed users. But there are many other objects used in daily life which can be optimized for left-handed users.

Left-handed players are always confronted with the problem of how they should play their instruments. Do left-handed players really need special recorders? In general, we think not.

Each hand is required to do a function when playing the instrument and complicated tasks can be tricky for both hands. Left-handed players are almost at an advantage when considering the difficult technique required to play.

So most of the musical instruments are really for ambidextrous players. This is probably the reason why left-handed instruments have not asserted themselves on the market and only occupy a small corner in the series of instruments for beginners.

Anyone learning on a left-handed instrument will almost certainly encounter difficulties later on:

• You will always require your own specially made instrument.
• You do not have a choice of instruments.
• You cannot take advantage of the second-hand market.
• When playing in an ensemble, you cannot be as flexible in playing different parts which is normally expected unless you own enough of your own instruments or play in a left-handed ensemble.

Nevertheless, the RWC can build some instruments for left-handed players and most of kits can be adapted to become a left-handed instrument.