What Is Ragtime? A Beginner’s Guide (with Pieces to Play)

Ragtime is the sound of the bouncing, syncopated piano you know from silent films, ice-cream vans and The Sting — cheerful, springy and instantly recognisable. Here's what it actually is, why it feels so distinctive under the hands, and which rags a learner should try first.

What ragtime is

Ragtime is a musical style noted for its syncopated — or "ragged" — rhythm, typically composed for piano. It emerged in the early 1890s, peaked in popularity through the 1890s–1910s, and was largely overshadowed by jazz in the 1920s, before revivals in the 1950s and 1970s. (Wikipedia)

It originated in European American communities in the late 19th century, blending European classical music, jigs, cakewalks, marches and blues, with the Mississippi Valley — especially St. Louis — as a primary centre of its development. (Wikipedia)

What makes it sound like ragtime

The defining feature is syncopation: melodic accents land between the metrical beats rather than on them. (Wikipedia)

At the piano this produces the style's signature split personality:

• The left hand keeps a steady, marching pulse — often a low bass note followed by a chord ("boom-chick").
• The right hand plays off that pulse, landing between the beats.

That tension between a strict left hand and a playful right hand is exactly what makes ragtime bounce — and it's also the main thing you have to practise.

The key figure: Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin is the most prominent ragtime composer, known as the "King of Ragtime." (Wikipedia) He composed more than 40 rags and helped elevate the style into a respected art form. (Wikipedia)

Rags to start with

The Entertainer (hard) — the most famous rag of all, copyrighted in 1902 and revived in 1973 by the film The Sting. (Wikipedia)) (Walkthrough: How to Play The Entertainer)

Maple Leaf Rag (hard) — copyrighted 1899, it became the model that later rag composers followed and earned Joplin his title. (Wikipedia)

Both of those are demanding. If you want to get into the style sooner, these Joplin rags are catalogued a level lower:

• Solace (medium) — slower and more lyrical than a typical rag; a gentle way in.
• Bethena (medium) — a ragtime waltz, graceful rather than jaunty.
• The Easy Winners (medium)
• Peacherine Rag (medium)
• Original Rags (medium)

And from another founding figure, Tom Turpin — credited with the first published rag by an African American, his "Harlem Rag" of 1897 (Wikipedia):

• The Harlem Rag (medium)
• The St. Louis Rag (medium)

How to practise ragtime

1. Left hand alone, until it's automatic. The steady pulse is the foundation; if it wobbles, the syncopation collapses.
2. Right hand alone, slowly, from the letter notes.
3. Combine far below performance speed. Locking the two hands together is the real work of ragtime.
4. Loop the awkward bar with the A–B loop rather than restarting the piece.
5. Speed up only when it's clean. The bounce comes from accuracy, not tempo.

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