“Chinquapin Hunting” in D is a separate melody from the more widely known A-major version, belonging to a different regional tradition. Its primary carrier was Hiram Stamper (1893–1992) of Hindman, Knott County, Kentucky, who passed it to his son Art Stamper (1933–2005); Hiram believed the tune predated the Civil War. The D-major melody has a distinct rhythmic feel from the three-part A version and is typically played in two parts, following the AABB structure standard for Appalachian reels.
Scholars of fiddle genealogy have traced relationships between the D version and the British traditional piece “My Love She’s But a Lassie Yet,” published as early as 1756, through Clark Kessinger’s recorded lineage — a connection suggesting transatlantic roots beneath the Appalachian character. Kessinger’s (1896–1975) recording of the D-major version is one of the fastest and most ornamented in the old-time catalog, Art Stamper’s 1982 Lost Fiddler album the principal studio reference for the Stamper interpretation.
The featured recording is Adam Steffey’s on New Primitive (Rounder, 2013). Steffey — a five-time IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year — brings the tune into the bluegrass-driven instrumental idiom while preserving the D-major feel that distinguishes this version from its A-major namesake. In jam sessions, calling “Chinquapin in D” is the standard way to distinguish which melody is intended.