Here you can see the ‘stride’ in the left-hand and the melody in the right-hand. This is the opening of the famous composition ‘The Entertainer’. In the extract above it is easier to understand the characteristics of Ragtime I mentioned in the earlier paragraphs. This was in part due to the syncopated rhythm, but also the careful construction of the tune combining a compelling mix of movement by leap and step. The melodies, especially those of Scott Joplin, were extremely appealing and catchy. It is not an easy technique to master but this is one of the key elements of Ragtime piano music. Stride playing involves the bass note of the chord sounding in the lowest part of the piano, on the main beats of the bar, whilst the chords are on the weaker beats towards the middle register of the instrument. The left-hand style I refer to is also known as ‘stride’ piano technique designed by pianists at the turn of the century to give the impression of a piano re-creating the sound of a larger jazz ensemble. This fusion of cultures came most commonly in the form of piano pieces that would characteristically have the steady march-like pattern of accompanying chords in the left-hand of the piano, whilst the right-hand played the syncopated melody. When this music was fused with the more traditional and somewhat straight-laced marching band music of the Western cultural tradition, the music of Ragtime was formed. This means music that does not play on the beat of any given bar, but instead ‘off the beat’ creating a sense of lilt, swing, and forward motion. A characteristic of African American music was a rhythmic feature called ‘syncopation’. What can perhaps be considered to be part of the enduring appeal of Ragtime is the fact that it is a combination of music from both African and Western cultures. Ragtime music is essentially an early form of jazz music that dominated the American Jazz scene from the late 19 th to the early 20 th century. One of his most played and adored pieces, ‘The Entertainer’, composed in 1902 for piano solo, demonstrates so many of the characteristics of this style of music that we will explore in this article. This is because he is perhaps the most celebrated composer, and performer, of the style of music that came to be known as Ragtime. To many people, the mere mention of the word Ragtime prompts the name, Scott Joplin.
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