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:

On Apologizing To Kids

Everyone is so weird about apologizing to children.

via Thing of Things August 25, 2025

Against the Teapot Hold in Contra Dancing

The teapot hold is the most dangerous common contra dancing figure, so I’ve been avoiding it. The teapot hold, sometimes called a "courtesy turn hold,” requires one dancer to connect with their hand behind their back. When I realized I could avoid put…

via Emma Azelborn August 25, 2025

Little Puppy

She's very little and she likes to do stuff with me. She also likes to bark around and run around and jump around. She also likes to go to places with me and that's all I have.

via Nora Wise's Blog Posts August 23, 2025

more     (via openring)