I’m right handed and I play that way, but I like to turn my brain inside out occasionally by switching hands for a tune or two. Doesn’t really work on my Casey Burns flutes, 'cause they’re so very right hand oriented. But on whistles and my bamboo flutes and so forth, I think it’s good for the brain. Makes me really use it. 
I’m left-handed and play left handed sets of Highland pipes, smallpipes, and uilleann pipes, as well as a left-handed keyed Hamilton flute (which I found thanks to to Brad’s site) and I play whistles left-handed. It just felt more comfortable and logical to me that way and I’ve never had trouble getting left-handed instruments made…Funny thing is, I play guitar and bass right handed…Probably would’ve been easier to have started out on a left-handed guitar, but there were never any around & I couldn’t be bothered to buy one or turn the strings around…Then again, I’m not much of a guitarist…
The best advice is if you are new to the instrument, play in the way that is most comfortable for you. If you’ve been playing whistle left-handed for a while before starting flute, it’s probably best to stick with playing left-handed rather than trying to re-wire your brain.
You do occasionally find people who play whistle left-handed, but switch hands when playing flute or pipes (Seamus Egan comes to mind…) and sound spectacular either way. Such people are possessed by the Devil.
Mike McGoldrick plays left-handed.
As does Garry Shannon. Sheesh, just those two and Mrs. McEvoy are good enough company for me 
(A lefty for everything except golf). I know there are a couple other notables I’m just not thinking of at the moment.
One, I’ve never had a problem sounding an instrument decently from the left, nor did the maker of my Flute (John Gallagher) charge any differently for my left-keyed flute. Chris Wilkes acknowledged it does make a noticable difference in constuction (embochure cutting I assume, since it’s a keyless) when I placed a recent order with him, but again charges no extra for a left-handed set-up. I don’t believe Pat Olwell does either.
Lefties unite!
Cheers,
- Ryan
I’m surprised nobody else has said this–or I’m not reading carefully–but I’m right-handed but play left-handed. When I first picked up the whistle I taught myself the basics from a book, but I did the ol’ mirror image. By the time I started taking lesson, I felt set. I could have changed, but my teacher said that it was all right, perfectly acceptable, and had precedent, and wouldn’t cause problems unless I had to deal with instruments that conformed to a right-handed hold or had keys.
It’s true that the embouchure on a “regular” flute can be tricky, and forget about dodging around a keyed one. But, for the most part no problems. And, it does make interesting paring with other flute players–as long as you don’t start dueling!
Mike
Do you play with your drones on your right shoulder?
Indeed. Did, rather - living in an apatment has reduced my piping drastically.
There’s a right-shoulder tradition on South Uist. There are some players with a South Uist connection who play right-shouldered even if they’re right-handed.
Gary Shannon plays lefty but is right-handed according to the interview on Brad Hurley’s site.
Cheers,
Aaron
This topic is timely for me right now (no pun intended) because I’m in the process of teaching 100 fourth graders to play the (gasp!) recorder in elementary music class. So many want to play with their right hand on top. I tell them that “Left hand rules!”–left hand goes on top. When they ask why, I say, "Well, you CAN play the recorder or the Irish whistle with either the left or right hand on top–it doesn’t really matter. But if you ever take up Boehm flute, clarinet, saxophone, etc., it just won’t work because of the keys. " There’s always a certain percentage who just can’t do it with the left hand on top. But they usually can get it with right hand on top.
I agree with the person above who said that on flute, both hands are necessary, so it’s not really a left-handed or right-handed issue. But you certainly could not play the Boehm flute very comfortably lefthanded. I’ve never seen it.
Jeanie
I know a man who plays the soprano D whistle lefty, and the low D righty; anchoring the instrument with his ring fingers, and covering tone holes with his pinkies. This man is, as you say, possesed by the devil. Most unusual.
This post almost seems outrageous to me. I know you mean what you say, and I don’t mean this as an attack at all, But I come at this issue from a completely different angle.
For a school boy like me (college) money isn’t something I can really throw around. I need that money to eat, damnit! I’m not going to let some lefty flute take food off the table (this is very unlikely, being that I’m a righty)!!
In the game of music, progress in physical technique is hardly ever the issue except at the very lowest and very highest levels of preformance. Your “mind’s ear” is where the real progress is at. If you can only play a song by going through the memorized finger patterns, or those dictated by the sheet in front of you, then you’ve not made any progress worth mentioning (except possibly rythmic). Your fingers (and other aspects of physical technique) can be retrained relativly quickly, this is why a good musician can usually pick up new instruments in rather small amounts of time. Your fingers will catch up to your ear in no time if you choose to switch you technique, trust me on that.
Now, if cost is not an issue, do whatever you like, but from the perspective of someone to whom cost is quite important: Physical technique is free, just takes a little practie. Flutes are not free at all. Lefty flutes may compound the problem. I’ve found it’s generally easier to change myself then the rest of the world.
Yeah, but it’s more fun to change everybody else. Besides, you get that great “I’m in charge” feeling. 
Seriously though, this whole thread reminds me of a quote from the TV show “Mythbusters”:
“I reject your reality and substitute my own.”
Bwaaaaahahahaha!!!
First, I think we’ve established that many makers charge nothing extra for a lefty-flute, so the cost option should not be a huge one, unless the maker who’s flute you must have charges extra for such things. Play what comes most naturally. Take the path of least resistance - there’s plenty of more important things to learn!
I can see your point there, however…
This statment is not true in my experience. I rather think it’s because of that familiarity, that one is freed-up to easier attain the sound your ‘mind’s ear’ is shooting for. I find it’s only when I can play a tune in my sleep, that I can more easily begin to adjust my phrasing/ornamentation on the fly and start to add my own unique expressive interpretation and nuance to the tune.
My own humble observations after a few years of playing, anyway.
Cheers,
- Ryan
Oh ninjaaron, we do seem to come at things from different directions don’t we?. I had assumed that the cost of a left-handed instrument would not be hugely greater, which is silly because I don’t know that. I would hope never to be cavalier about the expense of musical instruments because I know many people are struggling to afford them.
I think our difference may lie in the part of our lives we are in. I am older (55), so over the years I have saved up and accumulated some assets. So money, within reason of course, is not the problem it was when I first got out of school for example. But time, on the other hand, and therefore, progress are in shorter supply to me. Physical technique on any instrument has actually been very hard for me to acquire and that may be because I don’t have a real facility for playing an instrument or that I never got that advanced. So I think both of our points of view reflect our particular situations. I don’t know how old OnTheMoor is. He might have to average our opinions, probably giving weight to the younger side!
For a while, I almost bought a keyless irish flute…i was researching, and then decided I needed the money elsewhere. I play lefty style whistle, so naturally, I was interested in the cost difference between lefty and righty.
For all the makers I contacted, there was no cost difference, but there was a wait time, because it had to be custom ordered (embouchure cut is different) , and lefty flutes don’t often come up for sale secondhand.
So, really, if you’re gonna play keyless irish flute, no reason not to go lefty I suppose. Then again, I’m no flute expert. Maybe lefty keyed versions cost an arm and a leg?
It isnt so much buying a keyed flute that’s the problem. Yes, there may often be a price increase, but that’s generally worth it.
The issue is, if you decide to sell a lefty keyed flute, can you find a buyer?
My flute had no wait. The maker was able to make the cut on a flute he had waiting in stock and got it to me in a week. The jury is still out on if it is a good flute, since I have nothing to compare it to yet and I haven’t played around any flautists. Fine to my ear though.
People really want to villify Larsen for some reason. How about you put away the attitudes and pay attention to what he’s actually saying.
Sure, you CAN buy a new flute for left-handed playing for just as much money as a right handed one.
HOWEVER, and this is the central point he’s making, you won’t find the AVAILABILITY of flutes for left handers to be the same.
How many used flutes sell (on boards, ebay or other) on a daily basis? Not a lot of them (especially the keyed ones) are suited for left-handed playing.
He doesn’t say playing left-handed is wrong, just that if you are starting, you may want to consider availability of instruments as an issue. Even if all makers are willing to make lefty instruments, there aren’t as many AVAILABLE on the market as there are right-handed ones. This is a FACT. It cannot be disputed. There are MORE right-handed flutes than left-handed ones. This makes the pool larger for one handedness.
I’m a lefty. I understand this simple concept. What I did NOT do was go ballistic because I didn’t like advice that somebody gave. You don’t have to follow his advice, but considering what he’s saying, it’s VERY SOUND ADVICE.
To the OP. If you really want to re-read what he wrote, perhaps you should re-read it in context. Reading comprehension is a valuable skill.
As a point of observation, your own message appears pretty ballistic.
Sorry if my original post came across as a personal attack on Mr. Larsen, it wasn’t. My problem with the quoted passage is more light-hearted than “waiting outside Grey Larsen’s house with shotgun” angry. I wanted to know the truth behind his statements and the posts thus far have been very helpful.
Brian