Clawhammer Tune and Tab of the Week: “Dry and Dusty”

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Different moods call for different music. And the banjo, as the world’s most versatile instrument, can easily accommodate.

Sometimes it’s nice to rip a fiddle breakdown as fast as your wrist will flicker, to set your pulse pounding by bringing out the banjo’s brash, stoccato jangliness.

Other times, it’s nice to slow things down and relish in its sweet and pensive side.

With this week’s tune, “Dry and Dusty”, we’re aiming for sweet and pensive. Yes, you can play it quick if you like, maybe if there’s a fiddler at your side. But played solo, this tune of Ozarkian ancestry sounds great as a slow number, a perfect piece for sitting back and reflecting while your hands provide the appropriate atmosphere.

And, as I think you’ll find, it’s not too difficult a tune to pick up. Just be careful, once you’ve got it up and running, you may lose track of a minute or thirty in dulcet toned banjo reverie.

There are worse things.

Dry and Dusty

aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 3

Notes on the tab: 

Dry and Dusty is typically played in the key of D on the fiddle, so I’ve placed it here in “double D” (aDADE) tuning. However, if playing solo, it’s also fine to play it out of “double C” (gCGCD).

Notes in parentheses are “skip” notes. To learn more about these, check out my video lesson on the subject.

For more on reading tabs in general, check out this complete guide to reading banjo tabs.