Hello.
To make a long story hopefully shorter, when I was six, apparently I was in love with this piano player. 10 years later, I find her again, and am informed about my amazement of her playing 10 years prior.
This player is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuwoVGXaWvg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBRJhY4ayQo

She was one of the people who got me wanting to play piano.

I know not a lot about ragtime. I listen to it a lot, but playing it, I do not know much. Teachers, I want to start. I play classical pieces formally from grade 8 RCM, and video game music for fun. I want to start ragtime, but I do not know where to start, or what songs to start on, or where to look for them.

What should I do?
I know that sharing music sheets for free is looked down apon, but if there is anything you CAN share to help me out, that would be great.

Thanks guys.

For the love of piano,
KeysOnTheCeiling

Ooh, pick me! Pick me! (I've been playing nothing but ragtime for about 2 years now, and I'm dying to share my obsession with someone)

Start here:

www.perfessorbill.com

When you've completely overloaded yourself with information from that site, head over here:

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/cgi-bin/sheetmusic.pl?Rag&titlepages&1

and download some stuff you like.

The nice thing about ragtime is that it is public domain, so you are free to share the music and download it and play anything you like - no copyright worries.

Also, entering the words "ragtime festival" into Youtube should get you all sorts of interesting performances to listen to. The Scott Joplin Festival is the biggest one (worth attending if you're nearby).

(gratuitous plug for my own ragtime compositions: www.larisamigachyov.com/sheetmusic.html)

Both my parents played like that, so you can imagine what our house sounded like!

It's stride piano. I always called it "swing bass", but over in the Non-Classical Forum, I've since learned it's called stride!

The left hand swings from the root to the chord and then to the alternate and back to the chord, then does a walk chromatic change as a turn around! I use this style for the "12th Street Rag".

The accuracy of the left hand to swing and hit its mark, just takes practice!

Thanks guys!
I"ll defiently cehck those links out.

Just for you people who like listening to it, this is my favourite arangement I've found for teh Charleston. (That iw ish i could find :p )


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX1Y-xr36A4
It's so nice to be able to listen to something different piano wise. Im always playing classical and videogamemuisc, things i love playing, but this has always captured part of my soul.

Just getting back into playing, but my best memories of playing when young was Scott Joplin. The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag were favorites.

Your arms will kill after playing one....especially your left arm but it is SOOOOO worth it for this type of music.

Have fun with it. Like you, I hope to get back into this again soon.

-RP

I'm glad I hit upon these links tonight, they have given me a real interest. I'm learning to play ragtime, its so much fun!

Does anyone have any suggestions for me to learn?

I don't see the Entertainer or Maple Leaf Rag on there, but I apprciate the other songs I just don't know which ones to learn.

Hi,

By coincidence I just got back from the shop, where I bought Book 1 of Martha Mier's series "Jazz Rags and Blues". I saw them recommended on another thread here.

Jazz, Rags and Blues


"10 original pieces for the late elementary to early intermediate pianist" - just what I need, a fairly gentle entry to the art. On page 1 and having a ball.


Just listening to Larisa's playing, through the headphones as I type this. Great fun! Maybe I'll get there one day....sigh....

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks, Chris! Really, my music is not too terribly hard to play. If you're "early intermediate", you should have no problem.

LM (always happy when people play my stuff...)