Teaches the song forms and techniques of early American folk and blues guitar styles. Acclaimed blues performer and educator, Woody Mann, teaches five blues songs based on the playing of such originators as Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Scrapper Blackwell, and Tommy Johnson. Written for the near beginner to intermediate student, each song illustrates the techniques and approaches of these innovators in a clear and easy to understand arrangement of a classic theme in Open G, Open D, and standard tuning. Woody teaches techniques including rhythmic fingerpicking, left-hand dumping, brushing and percussive right-hand techniques, and syncopating a melody. Included is a Technique and Variations section where Woody further explores the subtleties of dynamics and phrasing and shows how to create variations within a tune. Early Roots offers the student the tools needed to understand and play the music of the early masters - the roots of today’s acoustic fingerstyle guitar music. Each song chapter includes introduction, performance, explanation and slow performance with split screen. Songs include: Delta Blues For Patton, Jackson Moan, Blue Daze, Shuffle Blues In G, and Bullfrog Groan.

Woody Mann had his first schooling as a teenager in the living room of Rev. Gary Davis, now the legendary gospel and ragtime guitarist. Mann went on to perform with blues masters Son House and Bukka White as well as contemporary innovators, including John Fahey, while he continued his studies of classical music at the Juilliard School and jazz improvisation with the noted pianist Lennie Tristano. He has recorded extensively, performed throughout the world, and is widely recognized as one of the leading teachers and authorities of traditional blues music.