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The Catamount - probably between 7:30 and 8:00 - after we've muscled Dusty's bagpipers out of the way so we can finish setting up the sound system (laughing). Dusty's bagpipers don't seem to need a sound system -

Cathy

I would love to hear a recording of your Black & White Rag Cathy, it`s one of my favourites. You may not know this but in the U.K. it is very well known as the theme tune of a popular snooker programme (now long gone of course).

The Entertainer - I worked on the B and C parts this eve - it's sure a lot easier to do 3rds on top of the octave than on the bottom. The really big jumps in the left in part C might be easier if they were octaves since I could use my thumb as a place marker and I might use it as a "phantom" marker - sort of keep it above the octave just as a help. I also tried using more peripheral vision to keep track of where my left hand is - slow but sure slow as my brother used to say. But doing octave runs fast in either hand is really hard. I can do them one on each beat at 112 (in Black and White) but my right hand isn't as experienced. Maybe I'll need 30 years for this piece.

Will - maybe when March is over I'll try to record Black & White. St Patrick's Day is kind of a zoo for bands that play even a little of Irish music, so we have rehearsals several nights next week, and then I have to figure out how to do the initial sound set-up for a dance the next week. But the caveat is that it *is* a "country rag" version - closer to Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys than a George Botsford classic rag styling. I grew up listening to Bob Wills/western swing and this rag entered that fiddle tradition, so I learned it from a lead-sheet and play it in that style. It's fun, but it's not like your Maple Leaf! Maybe I'll do it for the may recital. gulp - was that a commitment?

Cathy

Well, if it`s a bit different then it`s all the more reason to have a listen :-)

The jumps become second nature with enough slow and correct practice.

Hobo57, how are you making out with this? I'm wrestling with the octaves, as are others on this thread. I'm into the second theme now. It's actually easier than the first - the octaves come at you in shorter strings - easier. One tricky bit in the middle of the second theme with the bridging 7th.

Slow, but sure slow as Cathy's brother says...

I'm crawling along through the first section. I can hit the notes with one hand or the other, but putting them together is not yet possible for me. I'm so far out of my league to be attempting this version, but I'm going to stay with it for a while.

Nice to hear that the second theme is easier. Perhaps I'll work on that for a while.

My hand can reach the octaves, but needs control. The slow and steady are words to live by. I read somewhere that the last practice run should be the slowest and I'm finding that helpful - though my fast is still very slow.

So much to learn... So much fun along the way...

School time -

Starting Over - which chord in the second part is the bridging 7th? Is it the right hand D7 that's voiced C-F#-B that comes after the G that's voiced D-G-B?

And my version is from Scott Joplin King of Ragtime, Lewis Pub, 1972, and it says play the 2nd/B part an octave higher on the repeat. I've tried this on some other tunes I play and for me it's not trivial to move it up an octave. I have to practice almost as much as I do in the regular octave.

I'm like you, Mark - it's fun to be "out of my league" sometimes.

Cathy

Jotur, yes, the chord you describe is exactly the bit I was referring to. Not sure if "bridging" is the correct term there but that's all I could think of to describe it. Not exactly a D7 either - what chord is C-F#-B? The chord on the next beat immediately after it is D7 for sure. This phrase looks trivial but I just keep stumbling over it and the following bar for some reason. Practice.

Interesting that you mention the 8va on the second repeat in the B theme. Seems like it should be easy to move up an octave but it's not for me either. The shifting hand position along with the different sound is the reason I think.

Don`t be afraid to lean over to get in front of it when playing further up the keyboard. I just love that tinkley ragtime sound you get on those repeats, I`m always tempted to play it all up there :-)

I'll definitely try that Fraggle. Hadn't thought of that. This may seem like a dumb question but does the 8va apply to both clefs or just the treble. I'm assuming just the treble but is that correct?

To be honest I don`t know for sure, I`ve only ever raised the treble myself though.

Fraggle - thanks for the tip. With short arms that would probably help a lot. I think only the treble gets raised by the 8va, but hey, who's playing this piece? I saw the piano player with Wynton Marsalis play his boogie woogie way up in the top two octaves once and it was great, and I raised both hands on a rag for a contra dance I was playing awhile back because I was the only melody player for that tune, and with 6 times thru I had to do something for variety.

Maybe that 7 chord is a D7sus6 - hahahahahahahaha. Well, maybe it is?!? The bass certainly is a D7. But no matter what you call it, your description led me to the right place, and the c-b is a 7 interval. I think the next measure is tricky, too, because of the contract/expand my hand thing.

I won't be able to work on this for the next week or so, but hope you all have fun.

Cathy

I would like to do the study group. I have a book of all of Joplin's original music. I don't know if I can learn it or not. I used to be able to play an easier version when I was a kid. I am just restarting this month after not playing for over 15 years.

Play on brazo. The more the merrier.

I must be getting somewhere with this. This morning, my wife said "That sounds great" when I was playing it.

BrazosPiano,

Welcome. I can only speak for me, and progress is slow as I'm a first year beginner. Sometimes I think I should step back to an earlier version, but this is my fun piece and I'm thrilled for each little bit of improvement.

Starting Over, that's great that you're in the "recogonizable" and even "sounds great" space.

Coming along with this - I've memorized the first 2 themes now and I can play them, not well yet - still stumbling a bit over that tricky part in the B theme. The octaves remain challenging. Today I worked on the third theme, memorizing it first. Just about ready to start practicing it. Thankfully, this piece is quite easy to memorize.

You know, Joplin is not as simple as it sounds. It seems like just a plain old swing bass but it's more than that. A separate melody is buried in the bass line. It's no wonder this stuff survives 100 years later. It's really great piano music.

I can`t believe how quickly you memorise compared to me - you`ve caught me up and I already knew the first two pages when we started. In fact you`ve overtaken me because I`m still memorising the rest :-p
I can`t memorise anything without learning to play it.

I'm not sure that I have actually overtaken you. I memorize the music before starting to practice it. It was easy with this particular music but it is much more difficult with most music and usually takes me much longer. Try it. You may find you can memorize this music quickly as well because it isn't too complicated.

I'm just now starting to put hands together on the first section. I have the RH memorized, and the LH close to memorized. I'm guessing at least another week or two to get both hands together.

Someone said the second section was easier than the first, so I may move on to that after a few more days and let section #1 rest in the back of my brain.

This is a rewarding challenge. Each day the octaves feel a bit more comfortable. Though I'm still very slow...