She grew up in a strict, religious family and girls weren't supposed to play guitars. So she'd sneak her brother's guitar out from under the bed and practice when no one was around. However, she was left-handed, and so learned to play a regularly-strung guitar upside-down. That's why the chords and progressions she produced were so different from anything else that was being played at the time. A pure definition of the word "unique."

This is the talent that should have recognition in the Rock Hall of Fame. Humble and with grace, a beautiful, talented human being. Thanks to those who made the effort to post these videos.

A beautiful woman and great musician.

brilliant!!!! one of the BEST guitarists EVER. why she not listed in guitar press top 100s? and who are the 4 dislikes? wtf?

I love the black-and-white grainy footage, it adds to the charm of the music.

Mon dieu, je ne peux m'empêcher de toujours revenir à cette musique hypnotique. Une force tranquille.

No fancy, no show, a simple woman with an incredible talent!!!!!! God bless you!!!!

She gets that special sound, that comes from that special place, love and peace, thank you!

What a beautiful Soul she was! It would have been special to see her live! But it is special to see and hear her here, too! Thanks for posting! 🙂🤎❤️🤎🌼

Beautiful. We need more music like this. Not that modern day cacophony. Marvelous musicians like her and Gary Davis are rare.

She is literally playing the guitar upside down. Southpaws stand up!

Whoa! Never so clear a blend of heart and mind with her instrument. She makes it sound like two instruments!!!

This is some ahead of it's time guitar work for sure... Such a cool chick ❤

We are grateful to the people who share these moments. Elizabeth Cotten is a gem, what legacy!! 👍

This music radiates love, that's why it feels so good to hear

I think what makes her sound so distinct from the rest is that her downstrokes sound like upstrokes and viceversa.

No words to honor this beautiful soul.

Thank you for bringing this talented blues woman to light.

In terms of color, blues is an adaptation of African rhythms. In other words, the music came to America with the Africans and evolved. The whites who play blues learned from Black people. It only stands to reason that the most influential blues artist would be black.

Dear Elizabeth... Cotton. Thank You.

She is Killing it!

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (née Nevills) (January 5, 1893 - June 29, 1987)[1] was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. She played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down, as she was left-handed.[2] This position meant that she would play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking".[3]

I like to try and play guitar. So when you try and play makes you appreciate seeing Elizabeth play so beautifully and calmly . Imagine having a mum or grandma like that :)

Brilliant playing a guitar left handed strung right handed,Hats of to Lizzy,What a gem.

thank you cotten beautiful prestation

Am I the only one who has turned the computer upside down and watched her play? Then it makes sense what she did and she did it well!

WOW! Great musician! Great guitar player! Yes, I agree with Justin G. Steele when he wrote, "Thanks to those who made the effort to post these videos!" Yes, thnx! I appreciate it and I appreciate you!!!! I also thank those filmmakers, producers who did these amazing recordings of these wonderful, amazing musicians way back when! Thnx for sharing! 'Keep*On*A*Rocking*N*A*Rolling!' :)

Simply sublime and angelic

let's collect some money to send the two people that don't like this video to an ear doctor

She just reversed the guitar but not he strings, amazing.

David Holts " State Of Music" on PBS has a great doc. about her that is a must see!

Keep in mind that the audio quality is inevitably rough and probably sounds more out of tune than it really was at time of recording.

Thank you so much for posting this. This music makes people better. God bless you, and God bless Elizabeth Cotten.

Inacreditável... com que leveza e naturalidade essa senhora leva os dedos as cordas, sem esforço, sem expressar dificuldade alguma... com uma facilidade inacreditável! From BRAZIL!!!

this lady is amazing this style is everywhere

MEU NOSSO DEUS QUE COISA MAIS LINDA DE SE OUVIR ,EITA GLÓRIA AO CRIADOR !!!

This is incredible - playing left-hand strung for right-hand

Ridger 1978 = What an honour and privilege it would have been to know this lovely lady, she always played guitar upside down like that! The dislikes are on here because the people who put them here are not allowed anything sharper than crayons in the secure home they're in! Probably typed the dislikes on here inbetween drooling uncontrollably and waiting for the nurse to change their soiled underwear for them!

A national treasure. Thank you for uploading

Love you Elizabeth !!

Oi bom dia? Hoje acordei pela manhã! Decidi abrir as redes , parece meu espírito se comunicou com meus ancestrais! Escute essa Heroína Americana, fera no blus; e muita honra!

this is spectacular, i've never seen or heard anything like this before

I have no words,, I thought others on this studio were awesome,,, this woman ,, gots some balls,,,,

What a great collection of musicians! I listened to those masters when I was much younger. Now I even more appreciate their contributions!

what a fantastic tune. every mums expectatation

Sound quality will be restored in the future because this footage will live long after the guitar wizards who can't really play are forgotten. It will be glorious to hear then.

First song I cried , second ,I laughed in wonder....third, just marveled and smiled ...

her surname is Cotten....her playing is pure silk......

Hermosamente fantástica en mi caso tengo la suerte de que mi padre me a enseñado algunos tiemples por la labor diaria no lo practico .pero los tengo en mi memoria y los reconozco donde quiera que los oiga ......

That wasn't the discussion. My initial question was (as a keen follower of this type of guitar style) why I'd never heard of Elizabeth Cotton. Someone supposed it was down to her colour, but I am of the belief it was more because of her gender. My digging around the top 25 Blues guitarists found 25 men - No Women! It was more of an aside that 5 were white and tended to be more recent.

i like how lena hugues used to play the spanish fandanfo almost exactly like that

I love the time traveler with the iPhone at 4:56

Always have preferred east coast raggy blues to delta/country blues.

Three fingers for Washington Blues and I'm Goin' Away. A different rolling feel.

Glad I tripped over your channel.....Chock full of talent ....Thank you

やっぱりエリザベスコットンは最高だよ！！

What I don't understand is why she's not better known? I love guitar picking music, and have dredged through dozens and dozens of GUYS, and this beautiful lady has been hidden away like some sort of secret. I've just spent the last 24 hours digging every where to find her music. I don't understand why she's not right out there.

she's so lovely, i wish i knew her or something. she seems so cool

love that Washington blues song she does in this

What a gem, simple and great style.

My jaw is on the ground. Amazing. That is the way Jimi Hendrix played at first, a right-handed guitar upside-down, and the strings upside down also, he later flipped the strings.

Thank you for uploading this!

ESSA MULHER ERA UM GENIO FO VIOLÃO !

Wow ... glad i found this

there is nothing more than this. this is all we need.

She's the coolest. I'm amazed out how sick she played.

Spent a lovely hour or so at her house with MS John Hurt and Tom Hoskins, who also played left-handed upside-down and backwards. John played a somewhat different "Spanish Flangdang". Middle 1960s. What a sweet lady she was.

love her... ❤💙💙💓💓

wow that is brilliant .. so laid back and fun

So beautiful

Albert King plays like that too, I always thought that was wicked cool

This is essentially the same tune as the "Spanish Fandango" recorded by "Uncle Charlie" on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album, "Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy."

This people should be everlasting!!

These are the true hits....unbelievable cant stop listening. While it's not the hardest song to play, its the picking style/tone that no one can or will be able to reproduce. Where is this on vinyl???

Spanish Flang Dang (instr.) George Buck (guitar) Washington Blues (instr.) I'm Going Away

Playing left handed on a righthanded strung guitar, priceless. Jimi could do both !

Beautiful

Thank Heaven for Elizabeth Cotton!

As I listen ....i fall to to floor with shame not able to play

what a great player

Elizabeth Cotton is great! You might also like Hawaiian slack key guitar like George Kahamuko or anything on the dancing cat label.

I'm sure colour was right up there too, but gender knocked her way down the "must play list". I just checked a list of the "top 25 most influential Blues guitarists ever" - all 25 were men, 20 out of 25 were black.

Just what i needed to soothe my raging mind

I've played upside down lefty forever and this looks incomprehensible to me.

So Sweet...

This is an absolute treasure .

Amazing ! so glad to have found this. Thank you

thank you

sweetness love u truly..

love this

I like rag-time on guitar.

notice she is a lefty playing a right hand strung guitar. Amazing!

Fantastic

🙏🙏🙏! Gauchère. Bravo 👍

respect

Fantastic.

So pretty. Its upsidown. Look at the strings

I don't really care if she is black, white or purple , she is one talented lady. a right hand guitar played upside down left.. wow G

Other influential Black women blues guitarists? Rosetta Tharpe (the greatest!), Memphis Minnie, Etta Baker......

I think she is not considered a major influence because she didn't play the chitlin' circuit. In my hometown there was guy named Raymond Williams who was as good as anybody and he set up his amp and performed every Sunday afternoon but you won't find his work documented anywhere.