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FiddlerPaul71 - Posted - 12/09/2018: 09:49:40
This week’s tune is Speed of the Plow, from the playing of John Morgan Salyer (1882-1952) of Magoffin Co., KY. His roots in America go back to Benjamin Desalier, who was born about 1670 in France. He went to Charleston, SC around 1690, where he was listed as a “land owner.”
Morgan Mason Salyer, John’s father, was born in Floyd Co., KY in 1842. He married his second wife, Kate Patrick in 1880. She died in 1885. John, born in 1882, was their only son. John married Minnie Gullett in 1905, and they had nine children together. (Above information from Salyer descendants Jana Buck Hanks and George Stokes)
I could find no record of when John learned to play the fiddle, or from whom he learned it. He didn’t believe in recording on record labels, as he felt the record companies did not share enough of the profits with the fiddlers. John’s sons Grover and Glen convinced him to do some home recordings in 1941-42, using a home disc cutting system. Many of the tunes he played have not been documented elsewhere. How fortunate we all are that these thoughtful men decided to record their father playing the fiddle, for these tunes would most likely have been lost forever. Salyer is probably best known today for his very interesting crooked tunes.
Speed of the Plow is not related to the British Isles tune “Speed the Plow,” and is traditionally done in cross A tuning. After many years of not playing my viola, I decided to bring it out for some old-time “fiddling.” For those who do not know, the viola (in standard tuning) is tuned a perfect fifth below the fiddle (in standard tuning). There is no way to play in strict cross A tuning on the viola; the “equivalent” of that would be “cross D” (if there is such a thing). Remember, fiddle tunings are based on intervals built above the pitch of the lowest string. So, on fiddle, an “A tune” (AEAE tuning) could be done just as well in the key of G (GDGD tuning), F (FCFC tuning), E (EBEB tuning), or—on the viola—in the key of C (CGCG tuning), or D (DADA tuning). I chose the latter for this video.
I can hear some of you say, “EBEB on fiddle? Isn’t that too low?” Well, Hiram Stamper tuned his fiddle down that low and it sounded great. I do it a lot and it’s very nice, but, then again, I really like lower tunings. If you try it, just be a bit gentle with your bow pressure. The tunings I mention here are not necessarily jam-friendly, so try them by yourself or with a small group of friends who are open to exploring something a little different. You may just fall in love with that old, mellow sound and not want to go back to cross A!
Joining me are friends Stephen Rapp on banjo (Kent, OH) and Bill Braun on guitar (Cleveland, OH). Yep, these are my Old-Time pals who are willing to try just about anything I throw at them—including Salyer’s Speed of the Plow in the key of D.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and Stay Tuned for the next Old-Time TOTW, a different tune airing each Sunday morning.
Next week I will feature a duet playing another great Kentucky tune…see you then!
youtu.be/bePjTcfQSLY
stevo-msla - Posted - 12/10/2018: 10:45:14
Very nice Paul. Appreciate hearing some viola, and especially on such a great tune.
There’s a viola group on FHO that could use some new material. One of us should link this TOTW to the viola group.
I added viola to my pursuits last year in order to help my now 12 year old granddaughter when she first joined school orchestra. One of the first things I did was search FHO for viola discussion threads, including joining the viola group.
So I’ve had a little over a year to explore old time tunes on viola. And just the day before your post I had experimented with cross tuning, too.
FiddlerPaul71 - Posted - 12/10/2018: 22:30:05
Such serendipity is awesome Steve! I got to thinking of my viola when a friend insisted Isham Monday played Fire on the Mountain in C (he really was in F). I said that there is no way a fiddle could be in "cross C" (CGCG), but a viola certainly could. Viola was my major instrument in college, and the only one I ever had any lessons on (they were required because I had a full tuition scholarship and auditioned on viola). But my teacher made me play all high Romantic stuff, and I hated that music. Ironically, it's the one I play least, but I have been pulling it out for Old-Time. I didn't realise there was a viola group on here. I'll have to look for it. If there's a way for you to share this post with them, please feel free. It would be greatly appreciated. Paul