Elizabeth cotton had a very interesting guitar style and her playing comes across well on this recording. Watch this unique style in a performance of freight train, her bestknown song, edited from film taken by pete and toshi seeger at the seeger family home in 1957. Includes unlimited streaming of freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes via the free bandcamp app, plus highquality download in mp3. Elizabeth cotten wrote freight train at 11, won a grammy at 90, and changed. Elizabeth libba cotten nee nevills january 5, 1893 june 29, 1987 was an american blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. Notice her lefthanded, upside down style bass is all played with the index finger, melody with the thumb.
Elizabeth libba cotten january 5, 1893 june 29, 1987 was an american blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at. Includes unlimited streaming via the free bandcamp app, plus highquality download in mp3, flac and more. Digitized from a shellac record, at 78 revolutions per minute. Freight train is the classic written by north carolinas elizabeth cotten. In her early teens she bought her own guitar and started writing own songs. Cotten, elizabeth freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes music. Elizabeth cotten freight train tab ultimate guitar archive. Download and print sheet music or learn how to play online. Its my now favorite uke song and i have memorized it so i can play it any time and anywhere. Jul 05, 2016 freight train tab by elizabeth cotten.
Elizabeth cotten biography, albums, streaming links. Composer of the perennial favorite freight train, she taught herself to play lefthanded on her older brothers guitar which was strung righthanded, leaving her playing not only lefthanded, but upside down as well, picking alternating bass with her index finger and melody with her thumb. The song has a constant bass line running throughout with a strong, yet simple, melody line playing simultaneously. Elizabeth cottens 1958 debut album folksongs and instrumentals with guitar, aka freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes is best known. Stream ad free or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon. Negro folk songs and tunes folkways 1957, now reissued as freight train and other north carolina folk songs, smithsonian folkways 1989. Freight train is an american folk song written by elizabeth libba cotten, when she was a teenager, sometime in the early 20th. Freight train is a short folk guitar piece that employs a technique known as a bass run. Elizabeth libba cotten was born on january 5, 1895 in chapel hill, north carolina, although some sources list the year of her birth as 1893. We have an official freight train tab made by ug professional guitarists. Freight train simulator, the train giant and more freight train download.
Elizabeth cotten wrote freight train at 11, won a grammy at 90. The song freight train by elizabeth cotten was my breakthrough fingerpicking song. Cotton, elizabeth freight train and other north carolina. In accordance with the directives of government and health authorities, we have temporarily suspended operations. Freight train by elizabeth cotten by bill mcmannis free. Shop our newest and most popular elizabeth cotten sheet music such as freight train, or click the button above to browse all elizabeth cotten sheet music. But the songs she wrote there would carry her far away, all the way to the stage at carnegie hall, where the world heard her sing about the lonely sound of a passing train. Buy fully licensed online digital, transposable, printable sheet music. Really fun to play a little faster than the original. Elizabeth cotten freight train lyrics genius lyrics.
Elizabeth cotten released it on the album folksongs and instrumentals with guitar in 1958. Elizabeth cottens uniquely american guitar style and songs have woven their way into the tapestry of american folk music. Born in chapel hill, north carolina, cotten grew up in a musical family. Elizabeth cotten wrote freight train at 11, won a grammy at. Freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes. Although she became quite good at it and began writing songs like this. Aim how can we learn about melody and folk instruments through elizabeth cottens freight train.
Freight train elizabeth cotten bytown ukulele group bug. Cotten began playing the banjo at the age of eight and soon thereafter turned to the guitar and at the age of twelve wrote freight train, a timeless folk song that would eventually stand beside other classics in the canon of great train songs. Related album freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes. Jun 25, 2016 freight train elizabeth cotten tabbed by.
Its a little challenging for complete beginners but if you take it slowly and keep at it, this is piece you should definitely have in your repertoire. Elizabeth cotten simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Elizabeth cotten, freight train, free score with tablature. Folksongs and instrumentals with guitar smithsonian folkways. Elizabeth cotten freight train business nature scribd. Print and download freight train sheet music in pdf. So here is a simplified version which you can download by.
When lillie married, elizabeth divorced frank and moved in with her daughter and her family. Freight train by elizabeth cotten arranged for ukulele by. Listen to vastopol by elizabeth cotten on slacker radio and create personalized radio stations based on your favorite artists, songs, and albums. The original phrase was not cotton picking fingers, but cotten picking fingers in reference to elizabeth s selftaught mastery. G e f c am chords for freight train railroad bill fingerstyle roger mason e. Albums include folksongs and instrumentals with guitar, vol. Jan 27, 2014 when elizabeth cotten and her brothers were playing music together each would have songs that they called their own, and freight train was one that she made up and sang as hers.
Jan 05, 2016 elizabeth libba cotten was born on january 5, 1895 in chapel hill, north carolina, although some sources list the year of her birth as 1893. It was written by elizabeth cotten when she was a teenager living in rural north carolina in the early 1900s. Shake sugaree, and freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes. Her method was so influential it became known as the cotten style. Freight train is an american folk song written by elizabeth cotten in the early 20th century, and popularized during the american folk revival and british skiffle period of the 1950s and 1960s. Elizabeth, frank and their daughter lillie moved around the eastern united states for a number of years, between north carolina, new york city, and washington, d. By cottens own account in the 1985 bbc series down home, she composed freight train as a teenager sometime between 1906 and 1912, inspired. For instance you did not explain to my satisfaction the strumming patern.
Freight train, freight train, run so fast freight train, freight train, run so. If you want to download to an ipad or iphone youll need an app to do so, please read here. Freight train is an american folk song written by elizabeth cotten 18951987 in the early 20th century, and popularized during the american folk revival and british skiffle period of the 1950s and 1960s. Elizabeth cotten freight train free download as pdf file. Elizabeth cotten biography, albums, streaming links allmusic. Featuring her oftcovered classic tune, the titular freight train and her idiosyncratic, selftaught upsidedown lefthanded guitar playing style, this is an absolutely essential collection from an american folk legend lovingly reissued here on vinyl in an exact replica of the original. The track would get stalled and the train would be there sometimes for hours, just making a noise. Elizabeth cotten freight train and other north carolina. Listen to songs by elizabeth cotton on myspace, stream free online music by elizabeth cotton. Elizabeth cotten was born on january 5, 1895 in chapel hill, north carolina, usa. Learn how to play elizabeth cotten songs for acoustic guitar online. Music profile for elizabeth cotten, born 5 january 1893. The sign sits next to a retired train depot converted into a restaurant called the station, which advertises two claims to famer.
A selftaught lefthanded guitarist, cotten developed her own original style. By cottens own account in the 1985 bbc series down home, she composed freight train as a teenager sometime between 1906 and 1912, inspired by the sound of the trains rolling. Elizabeth cotten 18931987 occupies a unique niche in american fingerpicked guitar. So here is a simplified version which you can download by clicking here or on the picture on the left. If you like traditional acoustic folk and blues guitar, this is an album that is worth your attention, particularly if you are a guitar player. Students explore melody and banjo through the folk song freight train. Elizabeth cotton freight train gabriella quevedo duration. Chords for freight train railroad bill fingerstyle. This post features freight train with a link to the solo guitar tab travispicking and the sheet music chords, melody, and lyrics. Original key c tuning regular tab notes a fine fourliner, even though initially with lyrics and midtempo, this is made for picking posers. The title track, shake sugaree, is sung by cottens grand daughter, who had a decent voice. Elizabeth cotten freight train sheet music for guitar. Freight train by elizabeth cotten fingerstyle guitar lesson.
A wonderful motivation for all of us had her first gig in public in the age of 68. Where i lived the freight train would keep me awake at night, she once recalled. And heres a great performance of the song when she was in her later years. Elizabeth cotten tabs, chords, guitar, bass, ukulele chords, power tabs and guitar pro tabs including freight train, wilson rag, mama your papa loves you, oh babe it aint no lie, freight train.
Sources vary, but elizabeth libba cotten would be around 119 if she were alive today, and if she could revisit the spot where she wrote freight train, shed. Notice her lefthanded, upside down style bass is all played. Find elizabeth cotten discography, albums and singles on allmusic. Elizabeth cotten freight train guitar tab in c major. By 1958, at the age of sixtytwo, libba had recorded her first album, elizabeth cotten. Elizabeth cotten freight train guitar lesson, tabs. Freight train by elizabeth cotten arranged for ukulele by ukulele mike lynch. Freight train by elizabeth cotten arranged for ukulele. At the age of eleven she wrote a song called freight train, which was later her.
She played a guitar strung for a righthanded player, but played it upside down, as she was lefthanded. When elizabeth libba cotten was a preteen growing up in chapel hill, north carolina, the selftaught musician wrote a song called freight train. Watch the video for freight train from elizabeth cottens freight train and other north carolina folk songs and tunes for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Cover versions of freight train by elizabeth cotten. Meticulously recorded by mike seeger, this was one of the few authentic folkmusic albums available by the early 1960s. Freight train by elizabeth cotten was written by elizabeth cotten and was first recorded and released by peggy seeger, isla cameron and guy carawan in 1957. Freight train by elizabeth libba cotten smithsonian. Learn how to play freight train by elizabeth cotten on guitar with tabs and video lesson. Guitar traditional guitar traditional guitar free sheet music elizabeth cotten freight train. Pete seeger teaches you how to play guitar for free in the. Elizabeth libba cotten nee nevills january 5, 1893 june 29, 1987 was an american. As far as i know this is the original recording, and the recording ive based my transcription on.
Jim deeming teaches freight train by elizabeth cotten. Freight train by elizabeth cotten was written in the early 20th century and is very often taught to people who are new to fingerstyle guitar. To download the tab sign up for free to my student area. Freight train and other north carolina folk songs by. Piedmont blues, american folk music, country blues. Freight train by elizabeth cotton is a great piece to start with. Few guitarists have had as much impact on fingerstyle folk and blues guitar as elizabeth cotten 18931987, the singersongwriter whose songs have been covered by bob dylan, joan baez, david bromberg, the grateful dead, and many others. This technique is a singlenote line played by the thumb that leads to the next chord and serves to break up the monotony of a repeated pattern.
This is the very first album from the late, legendary folkblues guitarist and singer elizabeth cotton. When the train comes along elizabeth libba cotten 18961987 wrote her wellknown song freight train at the age of 11. Cotten, elizabeth freight train and other north carolina folk. Elizabeth cotten songs for all instruments and levels. Scroll down for full video lesson with tab of freight train. Cotten, elizabeth freight train sheet music for guitar. Check out freight train by elizabeth cotten on amazon music. Elizabeth cotten wrote freight train at 11, won a grammy. Guitar instructor john miller explains and then demonstrates elizabeth cotton s signature fingerpicking style through clear instruction, closeup views, and film clips of vintage cotton performances, including such signature songs as freight train, it aint no lie, and wilson rag.
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