Elizabeth Cotten
Cotten created a unique method of fingerpicking called “Cotten Picking.” This alternating-bass method was born when she was first learning a stringed instrument. Her brother, a lefty, had a banjo, and this right-handed girl flipped the bando upside down so she could hold it. When she switched to guitar, she kept the picking style, and the rest is history. Her notable instrument is a Martin 000-18.
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