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)

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