Lefty, the One-Armed Guitarist

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• strum
• ain't
• support yourself
• pick

• busking
• 'bout
• human condition
• adapt

• playing the hand I was dealt

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Every now and then, you’ll run into something you simply can’t do. But those things are rarer than you think. Want some proof? Meet Lefty, the one-armed guitar player.

We found Lefty busking and entertaining crowds on the streets of Portland, so we asked him to share his inspirational story.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Watch and Read - Watch the video and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Lefty

Jason:  This is English, baby! And I’m Jason, and I’m here with Lefty, the one-armed guitar player. When did you start playing guitar?

Lefty:  ’Bout forty years ago. But I’ve only been playing one-handed for three years.

Jason:  That’s right. And so when you lost your arm, did you think you were still going to be able to play guitar?

Lefty:  I thought it was over. But the human condition is amazing. You can adapt. I’m playing the hand I was dealt.

Jason:  Alright. And what inspired you to try and keep playing guitar?

Lefty:  ‘Cause I love music.

Jason:  So you had to change your style a little bit when you started playing…

Lefty:  A whole lot. I used to fingerpick.

Jason:  Okay. And now you can just strum?

Lefty:  Now that’s all I can do. And now I bang.

Jason:  And so uh… You say that you might have been a better guitar player before.

Lefty:  Oh, I definitely was a better guitar player before. But now my passion is deeper now. So that makes up for it. And probably I’m better off now.

Jason:  Alright. And you make more money now?

Lefty:  Yeah, but it ain’t about money. It has nothing to do with money. My commitment and my dedication now is so much stronger. It means so much more to me because before when I had two hands I used to have to work to make a living, and guitar was just a hobby.

Jason:  So you don’t need the money you make to support yourself?

Lefty:  No. So I have nothing else to do except to pour my heart into my passion, which is a beautiful thing for a human being to do.

Jason:  Lefty, can I get you to give me a high-five and say, “English, baby!”?

Lefty:  Oh, sorry. Wrong hand.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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