Hi Laura! You’re right… strathspeys can be played a lots of different tempos. If I’m playing a strathspey for a Cape Breton step dance, I play the tune on the faster side. For Scottish country dancing, strathspeys are played slower. I often perform them at a tempo somewhere between these two styles! Overall, I play my Cape Breton strathpeys faster and more percussively and I play the Scottish dance strathspeys a little more LYRICALLY… and on the slower side.
Hope that helps. Happy Fiddling!
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