September 2026 - "Dry and Dusty"
David and Sandy ca. 1996
In the fall of 1986, Sandy C., a lifelong resident of Nashville, Tennessee, became intrigued by the mountain dulcimer. She first heard about the instrument from a friend, then borrowed one from a music teacher at the school where she worked. All she needed was an instructor. When she discovered that a local city park’s community education program offered a dulcimer class, she eagerly registered. Unfortunately, the class was canceled due to low enrollment.
Undeterred, Sandy picked up the flyer advertising the course, found the instructor’s name, looked him up in the Nashville phone book, and gave him a call to ask about private lessons. The person who answered was none other than David Schnaufer. It was like looking for someone to paint a house and connecting with Michelangelo.
Sandy soon discovered that learning from David meant learning strictly by ear. At first, the idea unsettled her. She was certain she needed something written down—notes on a page, a book to follow, anything she could hold in her hands. David listened patiently and assured her she could learn this way, that her ears would guide her more than she realized. Sandy wasn’t convinced, but she trusted him enough to try. After that very first lesson, she walked out astonished. She had learned by ear—really learned—and she knew David had been right all along.
At the end of each lesson, David would make a cassette tape recording of the tunes and techniques they had just gone over so she would have something to listen to and practice along with until their next lesson. Sandy recently re-discovered some of those recordings, and has been gracious enough to share a few of them. One of tunes that David taught her was an old fiddle tune titled “Dry and Dusty”.
The fiddle tune “Dry and Dusty” has deep roots in the Ozark tradition but took on new life as it traveled through Kentucky and Texas fiddlers. The tune was first collected in the Ozark Mountains by folklorist Vance Randolph in the early 1930s, with versions recorded from Arkansas fiddlers like Lon Jordan and the Morrison Twin Brothers String Band. In these Ozark versions, the tune typically had two parts (AABB). Local lore says fiddlers would play “Dry and Dusty” as a signal they needed a drink during a dance. Others suggest the title reflects the drought and dust endured by settlers in the region.
The tune spread westward, appearing in the repertoire of Texas fiddler Eck Robertson, and later Benny Thomasson. Thomasson’s style emphasized elaboration and variation, and his version expanded the tune beyond the simpler Ozark form. Kentucky fiddler J.P. Fraley learned “Dry and Dusty” from Thomasson’s playing. Fraley’s interpretation carried Thomasson’s influence but retained his own lyrical Kentucky style. This is the version that David Schnaufer picked up and made part of his repertoire. The version David played—via Fraley and Thomasson—stood out because it had four distinct parts, unlike the standard Ozark two‑part form. This expanded structure gave the tune more variety that reflects the Texas contest style’s love of complexity and the Kentucky tradition’s lyrical phrasing.
Here’s a link to a YouTube of the Benny Thomasson version:
You can click on the “play” button below to hear the original cassette tape recording David made for Sandy after one of their lessons:
I have included two versions of the arrangement. The first is a transcription of the way David first taught it to Sandy during one of her early lesson sessions. The other is a closer reflection of the version he learned from J P Fraley, including some enhanced chording options.
Enjoy, and as David would say, “Keep on pickin’!”
In music and friendship,
~Tull
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