Speed the Plow

June 12th, 2015
music, tunes
If you're growing crops on fields, plowing is pretty important. Traditional music being mostly written by and for people working in agriculture, there's a lot of music about plowing, including at least four tunes called "Speed the Plow":

English


(link; another one)

This is the most commonly played tune by this name, and is the one in NEFR. It's played over a wide range of tempos, from slow hornpipes to contra dance speed.

Old Time #1


(link; another one)

I'll occasionally hear this version from American Old-Time musicians. Usually played on a cross-tuned fiddle with a lot of open strings.

Old Time #2


(link; another one)

This is my favorite version, and the one the Free Raisins play.

Irish


(link; another one)

I hadn't heard this one before looking through variations for this post.

Swedish


(link; another one)

Comment via: google plus, facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

American effective altruists should probably donate to political candidates

My recommendation for donors who are American citizens or permanent residents is that they donate directly to high-value political candidates.

via Thing of Things December 28, 2025

Opinionated takes on parenting

This post is a collection of parenting takes that sometimes go through my head, based on my experience raising our two boys (5 and 2 years old). All of this is based on my experience and might not apply to others (see the law of equal and opposite advice)…

via Victoria Krakovna December 16, 2025

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Yesterday, I made a Christmas wreath. Here's how to make one. First, find an evergreen tree near your house. Clip off a few branches from the tree. Try to have as many leaves or needles on the branches as possible. Next, bring them home. What I usu…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts December 6, 2025

more     (via openring)