Elizabeth Cotten

Singer, Musical Artist

1893 – 1987

 Credit ยป
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Who was Elizabeth Cotten?

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter.

A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar, not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed guitar upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking".

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Born
Jan 5, 1893
Carrboro
Also known as
  • Elizabeth Cotton
  • Cotten, Elizabeth
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Lived in
  • North Carolina
  • Carrboro
Died
Jun 29, 1987
Syracuse

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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