Elizabeth Cotten - Backwards guitar player

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RabsRabs Frets: 2602
in Guitar tFB Trader

Watching that hurts my brain (trying to workout the fretting backwards :) )

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  • Albert King played the same way. 
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    The Bass player in my band learnt to play bass like that. It's very, very odd to look at, but to him it's always been that way. He learnt by ear, no musical relatives or friends to help and is left handed, so ended up with a RH bass, upside down.


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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    But Elizabeth Cotton is pretty damn cool. Sounds great :)
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  • Eric Gales:

    I'm just a Maserati in a world of Kias.
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  • stuagustuagu Frets: 334
    Its the swapping of the finger and thumb that i have trouble getting my head round, cool. 
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Elizabeth Cotten makes that look so easy. 

    Gary Fletcher of The Blues Band is another upside down bassist ( and guitarist). Coco Montoya is another thick strings nearest the feet guitarist, he was Albert King's drummer, IIRC, before picking up the guitar so I guess that's the explanation. Otis Rush as well - the upside down thing seen as part of the explanation for his bending and vibrato being so well developed on heavy strings. 
    Less of an argument for this approach might be Sir Bob Geldof. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    Dick Dale plays that way too. 
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I was going to mention Eric Gales, beaten to it. A superb blues player.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Hence the phrase 'Cotten picking"
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  • thermionicthermionic Frets: 9499
    National Treasure, Gruff Rhys plays like this as well.

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Super_Furry_Animals_@_Indie_Rock_Festival_01.jpg

    I think he picked up the habit from his brother Dafydd, who also played that way. He once lent me his Maya Strat copy when my guitar broke when I was in a rock workshop type thing when I was a youngster. I remember being confused, because although he played a right handed guitar upside down, I always thought people swopped the strings round, like Hendrix did.
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  • CHRISB50CHRISB50 Frets: 4290

    Hendrix could do it too, although I'm not sure if there is any footage of him playing upside down with the guitar strung RH as well.


    I can play songs that I know well on a RH guitar turned upside down and strung RH, but only stuff I'm really familiar with.

    I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

    But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to

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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    Rabs said:

    Watching that hurts my brain (trying to workout the fretting backwards :) )

    She was terrific wasn't she!  :)
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Gruff Rhys Plays well but Mel Smith was awful
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