Magnetic Rag by Scott Joplin

[1nv1nc1b1e]

too much rubato. i played this piece myself. u use too much pedal and the notes must be more detached. it's not that legato

[Thunkful2]

@1nv1nc1b1e

It needs lots of sensitivity & rubato to play rag right & not a doggerel. Bravo!

[1nv1nc1b1e]

@Thunkful2 yeah, but its way too much.

[Valness11]

you look pretty awesome :D and your playing's great. double win!

[tf2whackyengineer]

This is great playing on its own, but the outfit made it twice as awesome.

[zrofosho]

Its nothing to play this song while reading sheet music. if you play by ear, thats what makes you a real piano player. i hate when non musicians make comments like "That's amazing!". i know many people, i can take a peice of sheet paper out and give to them, that can play this song and any song they get infront of them. not putting this piano player down but this isnt talent. its just hard work.

[ItsJulz]

@zrofosho Yeah, but hard work is a talent in itself. You can't find many hard working people these days. I'm jealous of people who can read music, because I can't, even though I play piano. I can't sit down and play any piece perfectly, I have to spend months playing a piece to get it right. Sight reading is a far more graceful way of playing. I understand how frustrating it is, but reading music is a major part of being a musician. You're not a musician if you can't read music.

[skyofthestorm]

@ItsJulz "you're not a musician if you can't read music." so much wrong with that statement i'm sorry.

[Telekon5]

NIce. My only critique is the timing is off at places. Even if you slow down to add a shuffle swing, it should still keep a steady time.

[TheOpinionatedPerson]

An excellent song played excellently. 12 dislikers have no taste :'/

[NiggaTubeDotCom]

Excellent playing, dumb hat

[MickeyYahoo]

Very good. Very, very good.

[matteonator]

nice hat :D

[PetersFilmes]

Have you learned any new rags lately?

[ironyofblackrose]

I love your hat. Great job =)

[ALex4815162342]

OH MY GOD, DUDE! You have the same metronome as me!!

Oh and your playing, it just inspires me to finish learning this. I'm currently on the 3rd part. But hey, you played great, keep it up, you nailed it, man!

[treewindle]

Nice tophat man!

[XxAllyKat94xX]

lol does the person in the back wearing blue realise they got a cameo role?

[XxAllyKat94xX]

whoever is filming did a good job of it, and the piano... wow! talented!!

[corsairflyfan]

so talented!!!

[mangafreaky]

this is also one of my favorite style of piano music

[Aazer27]

très plaisant comme style...

[HidemiM]

You played the very first ( intro.) 6 notes

differently than written, is it intentional?

[theregsband]

Dont knock it till you try it. Very well done!

[katie8753]

He plays very well but his timing is way off.

[Gwimina]

What is the brand of your piano? It sounds very good!

[tashlentine]

It's a steinway - one of the best, if not THE best brand of pianos :)

[xXDuenDeXxX]

Muy bien!!! esta bien porque estas practicando .... pero bastante biennn a mi no me sale nada de eso che una pregunta .... nada qe ver pero sos Mujer o Chico ? porqe no se diferencia con ese sombrero jajajajaj xD

[cammywatt95]

100th comment!!!!! awesomely done

[SnapplePoet]

so many comments, it only proves how much of a talent you are at life, truly phenomenal

im enchanted

best of luck to you in all of your life :]

[NightmarishGuy]

I like the outfit. It makes him look kinda marxish. I mean like a Marx brother, of course. The good kind of marx D:

[PaulUmbarger]

Great playing!

[eltrentoro]

you played the first two measures wrong

[moonwalker1984]

nicee performance!! loving the image ;-) well done, keep it up!!

[dunngar]

Nice

[lolipop829]

stupid vlothes but song is good :D

[bhavvv]

The point of the clothes is that they are in theme with the music.

And they look nice to me.

[emaytee]

@bhavvv oh, i thought he was a homeless man who broke into that nice home.

[bhavvv]

I can play the first two parts and half of the third section, then it gets ZOMFG hard with the fingering :(

[maxi123riley]

ragtime is my favorite kind of music. george gershwin, who has touched many people, ragtime was one of his favorites

[randal39]

great listening,i don't play myself but i know this ones difficult, i applaud your performance.

[Margoox59]

Vraiment tres belle representation!

[TrancerB7]

I tried this piece myself and found it too hard at the time. I think I might try relearning it though. Its cool to hear ragtime in modern times. I've been playing ragtime for about 5 years.

[jmkeller]

One of Joplin's best - too bad it gets shadowed by its overplayed counterparts

[Zagginair]

Not too impressed with how you slowed down at transitions or endings. And you cut out some random notes from the original score which is a little disappointing. Not super terrible though!

[bhavvv]

The slowing down at transitions are great!

Music sounds better with tempo changes.

Also, I cant hear any notes cut out from the original score, and yes, I have it and am currently learning it, this performance is played how my score is written.

[dchicka88]

your extremely talented!!

[templarus1000]

Hey Harpo, where's Groucho? ;-)))

[templarus1000]

Randy Newman cloned Rifkin and created ''you got a friend in me'' :-)))))

[Jodiee182]

awh man you're so cool :D

[insaneguitarfreak]

Hey man, I loved it, you rock!

[happsider]

great talent, I had a LOT of trouble trying to play this piece, but it's totally worth learning!

[Computersam]

Very good, you play great. *****

[Josien600]

damn i thought he was a girl =O

[n14e5o15]

w4nna cyb3r??

[petacavanagh]

Lol, did you just ask what i think you did? HAHA

[DarkSun101meh]

OMG SECKS!!!!!11!!

[petacavanagh]

I'm not gay or owt...but i have to say your good looking (must stress...non gay way xD)

[n14e5o15]

omg homo

[petacavanagh]

Lol, i'm not...

Would it help if i told you i'm a hot 16yo blonde with great legs and a phenomneal rack?

[4000blunty]

sounds good

[shinka1911]

very good

[Commentator732]

Section 3 should repeat. Every section is played twice in ragtime.

[Izzyandleah]

lol that rocks i didn't even know this existed. :] i like the entertainer. But it's a lot simpler...

[Randimony]

I'm used to hearing a recording of Scott Joplin playing this and I love the differences in the way you play it...it makes it personal. Sweet run though.

[hotfuzz152]

this boy is like marmalade in a coffee machine

[emaytee]

shit kid! great song, great performance!

[alanb39]

I guess that is Scott Joplin after his Michael Jackson remake! :-P

[bhavvv]

LMAO!!!

My god, that was funny. Ive been listening to this almost everyday for the last month or so.

[iplayjoplintoo]

ya the tempo is a bit varying, i have completed this song and like it alot. too slow which is strange when it states not to fast. I personally have problems with speeding up on the 2nd page =p

[Xithon]

Still, as a performance I thought this was great, might not have to-the-book, but I find it adds a hint of character that's unique to the performer.

Anyway, loved this video, you did the 'Rag justice in my opinion :)

[ms2333]

I think most people have a wrong idea of the proper tempo of ragtime music. Most of it I've heard is played WAY too fast. Joplin marked NOT FAST on many of his original scores. That actually means NOT FAST.

I find quick tempos trivializes the feel and it ends up sounding cartoonish.

In Magnetic Rag specifically, the originally published score is marked "allegretto ma non troppo". At 110-120 bpm, that's actually slower than played here. Pull up the score, use a metronome, and tap it out.

[lisaviktorya]

Very true... although I have to admit, it's fun as hell to run through a ragtime hitting every note at breakneck speed. I personally dig the cartoonish craziness when I'm playing ragtime, but I can imagine it's not as enjoyable for the listener. I can't say I don't jump on the piano and play Maple Leaf a million miles of hour just to vent sometimes... haha :)

[ms2333]

I know what you mean...Maple Leaf is great fun to play fast to unload frustration. My girlfriend will sometimes come from nowhere and dance around all goofy while I play and we both get laughing so hard I have to stop. Music should never stop being fun. :)

[lisaviktorya]

Well said, thanks for that! :)

[777kilograms]

its up to the player on how faast they want

[ms2333]

I love the tempo you chose. With just the right sprinkling of accents and ritenutos, it was just perfect for me. Best recording of this piece I've heard on Youtube so far.

[Bookrten]

who's bloody drinkin noisy tea in the other room?

[mopalia]

This is a very difficult piece, and you do a good job with it. I question your speed changes - the slowdowns - which I'm imagining are done intentionally but which, to me, break the flow of the piece. As far a tempo goes, ignore everyone the best authority is Max Morath; I recall him playing faster than you, but you're ok. People forget that Joplin had serious musical roots- going "classical" is legit. Ever tried "Real Slow Drag" from Treemonisha? You'd like it.

Thanks for posting, good work!

[kkchelo]

From Spain congratulations! I play Joplin too.

[Castraphobia]

Not talent! Skill! :)

[art123freak]

you play just like joplin! keep up the good work and you could win a place in broadway!

[CooJordan123]

love your version!!

[berttu]

Awesome!!!!!! My favorite song:)

[mara235]

like your version - keep it up!!

[aaron12345432]

yes exactly. sugar cane is 100 bpm for example and people will say it's "too fast" if people play it at that speed. listen to kitten ont he keys with 3-hand accordian from keeper1st, now that's way too fast.

[kjcon54]

I really get tired of discussions of the speed of ragtime players. True, most are labeled 'Not too fast', but this does not mean slow. Maple Leaf Rag was marked, 'Tempo Di Marcia' or march time. Most of the others that have tempo markings say 'Slow March'. A few specify a tempo of 100 bpm--a fairly quick tempo.

Ragtime is supposed to be a lively dance music. My advice to piano players is to play it at the speed you feel it. Have fun. If music is not fun, there's no point in playing it

[duragdan2000]

Nice hat and nice rag! Congratulations!

[noodlecrazeet]

very well played, and i like the hat!5/5

[FREEASTHESTARS]

hey man you're really good keep up the good work how long you been playing (you're also cute hehe cool hat)

[csboard]

Above all musical performance is an interpretive art. It is the instinctive and individual spirit that is applied to the written

notes that lifts the performance from the mere mundane. In

spite of his years, Gabriel has this spirit in spades, which is what makes his performance so delightful.

[fuzzbear6240]

Gabriel, Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your gift with us all. I wish I could play. Regards, J.

[texican65]

Good playing kid!! Keep up the good work!

[paxthesecond]

I hate to be the fly in the ointment, but the intro is all wrong, and the piece is played too slowly, with strange hesitations. I don't think you really have the feel of it. This is one of Joplin's most complex works, but I really think you don't quite have it yet.

[akoljrkdsf]

lets see u doing better then! get a life, complaining on others piano playing is really low

[paxthesecond]

I have a life, thanks.

There's nothing low about making a comment about someone's musical performance when they publish that performance and invite comments. There are, in fact, several other better versions of this piece posted, and I encourage you to listen to them.

[ouirv]

Pax - I agree that it's fine to post constructive criticism, but a couple things I disagree with you about... 1) Gabe's choice of speed here is really very good - right in line with many major recordings of Magnetic by very prominent artists (Louchard, Zimmerman, Rifkin), and 2) I think this is overall the best version posted on YouTube. Please let me know who's you think is better.

[paxthesecond]

1. The choice of speed here is very poor, as is Zimmerman's and Rifkin's. I don't know Louchard. Remember that Rifkin was seriously criticized when his recordings were first released, because they were too slow. It's true that ragtime shouldn't be played too fast, but this speed is not fast enough, no matter who does it.

2. Most are better. This style is more suited to Chopin or to a more romantic piece such as "Solace" or "Bethena".

[ouirv]

Actually, Rifkin's NoneSuch recordings are widely considered to be quintessential Joplin interpretations. While slower than some, his speed is certainly acceptable. Without metronome notation, who's to say what the exact "correct" speed is. Ric Louchard's wonderful version is exactly the same speed as Rifkin's (5 min, 14 sec). I just checked - Zimmerman does play faster than I remembered, but not too much.

"Most are better" ? Which are you referring to? I'd love to hear any that are out there.

[paxthesecond]

Actually, Rifkin's Nonesuch recordings were widely criticized when they were first released, as being much too slow. In the only work of Joplin's that does have metronome notation, "School of Ragtime", the settings are almost impossibly fast, much faster than Rifkin's tempo. I guess Joplin should be the one to say, no?

Which? Go up to the "related videos", and pick one.

[ouirv]

I have never heard a professional record Joplin "impossibly fast" so apparently nobody knows how to interpret it.

"Related videos" are either played at the same slow tempo that you criticize or are loaded with mistakes, or both. I appreciate what everyone has to offer here, so I am not going to single out anyone's effort for specific criticism, but I would be interested to know which specific one you would single out for praise, and why.

[metanym]

I wouldn't concern yourself with pax the troll's rantings -- anyone who says "there are loads of examples" but won't even provide one when subsequently asked is, not to put too fine a point on it, full of crap.

[texican65]

I think you're a turd buddy! I think the kid's learning and will only get better. Just because you got picked on as a young pianist...doesnt mean you got to ruin this kid's spirits!

[trefiret]

Wow! That was spectacular!

[csboard]

Lovely descriptive playing, great pauses and accents brings out the wistful quality of the music. Well done

[homerboy488]

Great!

[shimmymoon]

Cool!

[music1mania]

wow great work!!! i only have the first page memorized so far...im gettin there soon

[doctorh2005]

great performance dude! :) 5 stars.

I'm assuming u planned to do the intro rhythmically different to whats written? :)

I do something similar in my Maple Leaf Rag :)

*respect*

[mimi1953]

VERY NICE i've never heard this before :)

[saxarat]

the llama praises your l33t piano skillage. ahhh! i forgot i had castle in the sky loading! it's all the way loaded! away i go!

[music1mania]

i see... that is genius. you are joplin's little apprentice! keep playing and you will land a big one in broadway!

[careyeOhkey]

Nice job kid ! Work on that intro, it's te attention getter.

[mistajellyroll]

PERFECTION! You played it just right! Joplin himself would be proud... ;)

[Myrymar]

Very good Mr. L

[Jellylorum1]

WOw this is Great! This is the best of allyour videos!

actually is the best of all the Magnetic Rags out there! 5 Stars!!! You play it perfect speed too. MOst people rush it too much.

[svanella]

GOOD JOB!!!

[mamamiaaa]

Great!!!

[aidywooh]

bravo

[tempson]

Thanks so much for the performance. Loved it. Wonderful stuff. I'm sure I will watch/listen several more times...bravo!

[daboerdi]

I envy your piano playing skills.

As for me, I am still stuck somewhere in the first half.

[ouirv]

"Not perfect?" "PRETTY good?" You are TOO modest. That was a really terrific performance - beautiful phrasing, very expressive and just the right speed. Thanks for posting this. If you've got more Joplin to post, we'd love to see it!

[WutherSoxDenton]

thanks ouriv

I don't have any more Joplin (yet) but I have some Debussy (just look at the thing that says "nore from this user)

[serenasirena]

this is so cool its like charlie chaplin music kinda!

[serenasirena]

Hehe this is awesome!!! I know I already said that but too bad!!! Hehe!

Mymy