Feels like he just wanted to finish quickly and played fast. And everyone saying "if you don't like the speed watch another version"... well... yeah, i would, but the problem is that every god damn maple leaf rag video on youtube is chopin minute waltz-fast. And if it's not, then it's some fekking midi version. Sigh.
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect speed for this song!
Technically too fast, probably win zilch as far as scoring. But entertaining and FUN!
Some people don't understand how fun it is to play these pieces fast, so if you like it slower please go to a different video now. I am sure there are plenty out there. ;^D
On the one hand hats off for virtuosity and being able to play this at such a fast tempo. On the other hand the pianist has essentially spoiled the piece and this smacks of showing off. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
I think there is a point where you play it to fast and just destroy the peice.... and u past it. But i must give you credit for being able to play this fast. on that part of it, i say good job.
@VistasChangeNB I don't know why when someone plays this fast there are always those who say it has to be sped up.There are lots of people who can play that fast and faster.I have seen some of them in person,so I know it is possible.Alan is one of those guys who can do it easily.
@VistasChangeNB A very good observation. Judging by the video alone, I'd say that the performance is running about 10% faster than the original was played. It is pretty damn fast though, by any measure. There is nothing new about this....in the good old days of the 20s ragtime and earlier, there was constant competition to play these pieces faster and faster....but the purpose, as here, was to show off the player, not the song!
In my opinion the fast rhythm to the piece makes for a much more entertaining and up beat tune. It feels more like a bit out of a chase scene of some old cartoon.
@johnrk556 This is true. But to be fair, he only means to show off his speed here, and not his style at all. I'll bet that he's also quite capable of carefully measured expression and whatnot.
But sometimes you just gotta play shit fast man...
Okay, smart aleck... Complaining is easy, accomplishing is hard - YOU try it. :-O
You play it that fast and that clean. No fluffs, no flubs, and even be fast enough to toss in a few flourishes that aren't in the original piece.
Like Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." I agree that he could slow it down just a tad, but trust me, slowing down Alan takes an Aircraft Carrier anchor.
I always get a kick out of critiques from the peanut gallery directed at an individual whose talent lies stunningly beyond their reach or comprehension.. Its almost like a dog questioning the order of the planets. Bravo' Alan! Nothing short of amazing!
@warrenthomas4001 As I said in another post just because you can doesn't mean you should. Yes this guy is a virtuoso but the essence of the piece is ruined by playing this fast. That is the reason why Joplin included notation on the original sheet music "Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play ragtime fast!".
I found I was distracted from whatever musical content there was to something else. Some kind of Olympic event in beating previous records perhaps. All the same bloody good I suppose.
If you think this is Mickey Mouse Crap, the solution is simple. Don't go to Disneyland! They have millions of fans who love it and I am sure they won't miss you.
I have to assume this ludicrous display is merely to "show off"! Any true musician knows this is NOT how Scott Joplin intended this piece to be played. IT'S HIDEOUS! In my opinion :-)
No offense. But It's like half destroying the piece from Scott Joplin - terribly enough certain sounds or tingles of the piano can't be heard. But the goodside is it's pretty entertaining though on the short run.
Please read my previous messages on the "don't play fast" statement and it's real purpose. Indeed, this statement, probably originally invented by John Stark, the publisher, was not even printed on the Maple Leaf Rag, to be precise. This rag only indicates "tempo di marcia", which means "march time" (please check the sheet music). Indeed, let's consider that many pianists of the ragtime era played MLR even faster than in this video, and so would you say they were slapping Joplin in the face?
...also, you wrote:"that means you know better than he does". No, of course no. It were the pianists of the period who knew better than he does, because real ragtime is the one performed by those musicians, not the sheet music. Also, pianists of the ragtime era who recorded rags in more than one session, often changed the speed from one performance to another, because there's no rule in that. Let's also read the memories of Brun Campbell about improvisation and speed of the ragtime pianists.
I know it says Temp di marcia, and i know that this is not 800bpm, but what I'm trying to say is, surely the composer knows how he wants his piece to sound, regardless of your personal preference, for instance, i prefer it rapid.
That's alright, but first we don't know how fast Joplin wanted it to be played,since we don't have recordings of Joplin(the piano rolls are no indication in that sense).Also I have the complete recordings of Joseph Lamb and while many of his rags indicated "slow march time", he played them at a good speed,from medium to fast tempo.The sheet music in ragtime is in most cases no indication of the composer's idea.
Arthur Marshall,close friend of Joplin, played the MLR very fast. So however Joplin himself played this rag, certainly Marshall didn't outrage him by playing it very fast,there was no such a prejudice about the speed like today
no, i'm pretty sure joplin only said not fast to indicate that is how he interpreted it, and if you were to try to replicate it you would follow his rules, if you are just fucking around it doesn't matter.
Jonehz0r, you're such a in writing a violent personal message to me, including insults, and then blocking me, so that you cannot receive my reply. I'm sorry that my replies, based on ragtime history, humiliate you so much, but you shouldn't write these fallacies on ragtime tempos, denigrating great performers and knowledgeable people as well, because that's simply a ridicolous and pitiful attitude of you. Start studying and stop insulting pianists and real ragtime listeners.
The truth about ragtime is not music of composers, but music of the performers, and the pianists decided the speed, the amount of improvisation, the licks and tricks to add to a rag. While a listener may prefer a rag to be played fast or slow, it's ALRIGHT to play ragtime fast, because plenty of original ragtime pianists of the 1890s and 1900s played VERY fast.Even Jelly Roll Morton was afraid to compete with pianists like Tony Jackson,because those played so faster than him.
Oh, I don't know anything about ragtime huh? Why dont you go to the sheet music store and buy maple leaf rag for $2 and then you'll see that it does in fact say "Do Not Play this Piece Fast! ~Composer". Most of his music does. Its because things like this happen. I realize he is only playing to show off the speed, but i dont understand why he doesnt play another song fast. It's always ragtime, because people mistake it for music that is supposed to be played fast. Always. And it's not.
Dear Jonehz0z, I own the complete Scott Joplin, the complete James Scott, the complete Joseph Lamb, as well as some thousand of ragtime music scores. Not to mention hundreds of ragtime recordings by the original pianists. Also many of the Joseph Lamb scores say "Do Not Play this Piece Fast", and if you hear Lamb play (I own his recordings also), he played at quite a lively tempo, and even fast sometimes.
I don't care how many scores you own. Ragtime was never meant to be played fast unless the tempo suggested it. When it says do not play fast, your not supposed to play fast... And also, many of the ragtime composers were not great pianists, only good composers.
If you've heard those original ragtime pianists play (and of course you haven't), you'd know the scores were not indicatication of their playing styles,and most of the arrangements were not faithful to what they played.The sheet music was for the wide public, mostly amateur pianists of limited skills.Only in the second half of the 1910s the publications started beiing more faithful to the playing styles. If you take the tempo or metronome indications like the Bible you're not playing ragtime
First of all, I'm an atheist, so the bible doesnt mean anything to me. Second, Theres a difference between playing ragtime "a little bit faster" and playing it like this. I dont give a crap if people play a little faster than usual, its when things like this happen. When people use ragtime to show off their dexterity. And by the way, I have heard original pianists play on pianola rolls, so don't tell me i havent. This arguement is becoming stupid, so I'm leaving now.
The pianola rolls are no indication of the real speed of those piansits, because the suggested tempos were added by the editors. You must hear the audio recordings, there are many! Search for the rcordings of Charley Thompson, Joseph Lamb, Mike Bernard, Felix Arndt, Roy Spangler, and many others. I agree the argument is becoming stupid, since I give you information but you just keep replying with your dogmatic fallacies.
Lmao, just because the recordings say that the tempo is supposed to be fast doesnt mean they are right, and also, I'm giving you the answers that most people agree with. Don't tell me that ragtime was ever played THIS FAST in this video. Because it wasn't. And dont act like you know everything about ragtime, because they were never written to be exploited like this. Why don't you go read up on it some more, if you disagree. And also, Pianola Rolls were recorded as they were played.
No, that's not true. Hand played piano rolls were edited by an arranger, who would correct recording issues and in most cases add notes to the performance. The arranger would also set a suggested tempo for the roll, that is not necessarily the one used by the perfromer. Maple Leaf Rag was often played even faster than this video. Two examples are the recording by Harry Snodgrass, or the recording by Morton in St Louis Style, where he also remembers the rag was often played fast like that.
Indeed, I'm not acting like I know all about ragtime, because that's not the case. But the fact is that I do know much about this music, and I have plently of documentation, recordings and scores, and you don't know anything about that. There's no intention to provoke here, but it would be the time to stop with this misinformation. Fortunately,as the original recordings are getting available in these years,a new understanding,once lost in the '70s, is growing back and this music lives again.
For the last time, it doesnt matter how it "used to be played". Maple Leaf Rag was written by Scott Joplin, and he did not want it to be played fast. He didnt play it fast, and he never intended for it to be played like this. If you want to argue that, I'm not even going to bother replying because that just shows how much of an idiot you are. If you have any smartass remarks after this, be glad to post them, but I'm not replying anymore after this.
It DOES matter how ragtime was played, actually. Because that was the reality of ragtime music after all, not the sheet music, that was a product directed to a wide public, many of whom were amateur musicians. If you've ever heard a ragtime pianist play, and you haven't, or if you knew anything about ragtime, and you don't, you would stop writing these false things. BTW your insults just show your difficulty in adding serious argumentations.Congratulations!
Jonehz0z, by the way, if you don't like fast ragtime, it's not a problem, and there were pianists at the time who used to play fast, others who used to play slow. In both cases, they had a rocking and snappy sound (and many of those styles were documented by the recordings, which of course you cannot have heard, if you write such comments).But if you say that it's not right to play ragtime fast, you're wrong and I already explained why some publishers, especially John Stark, used that sentence.
I did not say it wasn't right to play ragtime fast. I said it isnt right to play it fast if it says not to, and that people like this ruin perfectly good songs and exploit them for sheer flashyness. It drains all character from the song, and it only displays dexterity, no feeling or emotion, or style. wha
Yes, I understand. But you must admit that the Maple Leaf Rag was often played very fast at the time. Faster than this performance in many cases. And ragtime was what it was, not what a singular composer (but actually here it was John Stark,the publisher) wished. Also,ragtime is rhythmic piano, not romantic piano. You don't have feelings in boogie woogie as well. I have great performances of Maple Leaf Rag played slow, like Brun Campbell's, and it's a romping performance. Like this fast one.
It was played faster at the time but it was also played shuffle style more often too.. And also, if you don't think ragtime can have feeling or emotion, take a look at Solace, or watch Mimi Blais perform.
Mimi Blais is a pianist of today, and she perform ragtime with a classical approach that didn't exist at the time. The first man to record the Maple Leaf Rag was Lionel Belasco, in 1915. He also played Carribean and South American syncopated piano styles. This give you an idea of how Solace should have been played to sound like a true Mexican serenade. At the time also Ernesto Nazareth recorded, and while his music is played so slow and dreadful today, he played fast as hell
Well, thats the thing. Today is today. Piano styles have changed, and ragtime has been performed with a new approach. I dont approve of the approach that this video suggests is all. It's really a matter of opinion. But I, along with more than half of the Youtube ragtime pianists believe that this ruins the character of ragtime. That is all, have a good day.
That's all right if it's just a matter of tastes. But this half of the Youtube ragtime pianists(I seriously doubt they're a half) should keep themselves from labeling fast ragtime as "wrong": in doing that, those people are actually WRONG and the recordings are the proof. This "new approach" to ragtime(actually started in the '70s and dying in these last years in favour of real ragtime), is simply not what ragtime ever was. It's not phylological.
Again I repeat that the "don't play fast" warning was just not to dicourage the amateur pianists to which the sheet music was intended for. Arthur Marshall, Joplin's pal, had recorded the Maple Leaf Rag and it has been reported he played it very fast. So you're going to say that Marshall, one of the great St Louis ragtime composers, ruins perfectly good songs?When speaking of ragtime or whatever music genre tied to a past,you can't judge it regardlessly of what it REALLY was at the time.
It wasnt just to discourage the amatuer pianists, it was to tell the pianist, whether he/she be amateur or not, the suggested tempo to make the song sound the best. You can't argue that. And ANYONE that plays this song this fast is ruining it.
Former Joplin students have confirmed that it was not to discourage amateur pianists, who wouldn't have purchased a heavily arranged rag if t was to be played as fast as the professional pianists played ragtime in the saloons. Joplin's real interest was not that his music was played fast or slow,but he didn't want the performer to simplify or "fake" the piece,a typical bad habit among fast pianists in particular.
Jonehz0r, you're such a in writing a violent personal message to me, including insults, and then blocking me, so that you cannot receive my reply. I'm sorry that my replies, based on ragtime history, humiliate you so much, but you shouldn't write these fallacies on ragtime tempos, denigrating great performers and knowledgeable people as well, because that's simply a ridicolous and pitiful attitude of you. Start studying and stop insulting pianists and real ragtime listeners.
Alan Thompson is a great ragtimer of today! Some complained about the speed, because they're just totally ignorant about ragtime.But nobody seemed to notice the important thing about this performance: it's very fast, but Alan is able to give tension and bounce to his performance at such a speed, and that's what makes his performance one of the best I've heard. It's OK to play ragtime both slow and very fast, the only important think is to play it snappy and with bounceness. Great Alan!!!!
It was a common trick during the ragtime era to play the Maple Leaf Rag as fast as possible. I can tell you that Alan Thompson or Rod Miller play very faithful renditions of how ragtime was played in vaudeville during the '10s. You're free not to like that, and in fact authentic ragtime is not music for everybody.
ah cmon, todays punky kids are hopped up on energy drinks and painkillers. they need their ragtime fast so they can dance the charleston at breakneck speed. i like ragtime slow, but i really like it fast
What? Do you not know how to read? The sheet music says "Note: Do Not Play this Piece Fast~Composer"... So many people think it makes ragtime better when played fast, but its not it just makes it sound obnoxious. Each time someone plays this Scott's rolling over in his grave...
I collect vintage ragtime recordings and I have piano solos played by Brun Campbell, Euday Bowman, Sid LeProtti, Will Ezell, Al Siegel, Frank Banta, Charley Thompson, etc...just to name a few. Many of those pianists from the ragtime era played fast. Some very fast.The sheet scores insist about playing slow just not to scare the amateur pianist.Actually it's not important to play fast in ragtime, but you're wrong that playing fast is not in the spirit, because plenty of them played fast.
Ok, if you has anthing bad to say about this video, and your name is not Rod Miller, you can shut the hell up. This dude was kickin ass and takin names. I saw, I was there.... on youtube watching the video. lol
Well that was fun...but why is is everybody ragging on the tempo..music is about feeling and this talented cat here is just havin' a fun bash at it...at his level of playing most of us can only dream about playing at that tempo...and by the way for the most part pretty clean and crispy!come on now he's just havin' fun with it....TOO FAST?...Art Tatum could snore at this speed....hahahahahCHEERS
Too fast,not too fast...lets hear the "maestro": "tempo di marcia " chronometer in 88. Get the video here in youtube and you will hear the maestro himself playing his composition...and this should be the end of this discussion. Yes,this particular one was
its true what you say but if you can play sothing as well i the guy in the video then it is still well performed since the way he plays it is not sloppy
I personally think it sounds cool this fast. Reminds me of something in the background of one of those old silent movies or something. I play this song too (not nearly this fast-I'm not that talented) but I wish I could. And BachScholar: why try to downplay that? It was amazing and the guy's clearly got great talent.
I just want everyone to know that I can play this both faster and cleaner than Thompson. But do I want to do this? NO! It simply is not music at this speed and it loses its character. If you don't believe that I can play this faster and cleaner than Thompson, dare me, and I will post proof in a high definition video.
consider the purpose and location of his playing dipshit...its a soda shop on main street, not Carnagie Hall...Get off your high horse and go close your fingers in the lid of your piano...This is pure entertainment and people love it...that is the reason why he has a gig with Disney and you dont...
i know that ragtime is supposed to be played slowly, but i LOVE maple leaf rag when it's played fast. i don't understand why everyone flips out all the time when it's played fast. who gives a shit? go watch a video where it's slow.
To dm325: Ragtime is NOT supposed to be slow, and I don't know why many on YouTube assume this. When Joplin wrote "not fast" on some of his works, he was simply warning against insanely fast tempos like this one. But by saying "not fast" he certainly didn't mean "slow". Maple Leaf Rag should definitley not be slow and anyone who plays it slow needs to take some serious lessons in history and piano playing. There are slow rags though, like Solace for instance.
Thats complete rubbish. You can't say his playing is terrible at all! I am grade 7 piano and I still think this is amazing. I know it isnt suppose to be played this fast, but you have to admit, its really entertaining!
Complete rubbish, people with no music talent are like: "OMG he can play fast he must be really good" "Look at all those keys move." He managed to water down the already dilute existence of Ragtime. Nice figering though...
Your're a great player--i just want to say that i've been playing THE MAPLE LEAF Rag in puglic for several years now--when i play really fast i dont get much attention--but when i slow the tempo down to 2/4 march tempo is when i get the attention and the applause--(2/4 march tempo is still rather fast)
I'm trying to learn this song, and I hope to learn it this fast when the song is fully learned. I attempted to play it this fast; my music teacher said it was "Scott Joplin on speed". lol I'm on the last part, I love how it just smoothly goes into D flat from A flat. :)
Everybody should play it the way they like it, I prefer it a bit slower, to give it more swing. It seems like this guy likes to play it very fast, maybe to show off or something. I really did not like this version, like many people on youtube I see, the main problem when you play to fast is that the music and composition loses his power, and the pianist becomes the important thing, that is a thing many pianist should keep in thought: never make yourself more important than the music!
This is real speed... Alan was known around Dland for being able to play this song this fast. He recorded a CD with a faster version of this song, as well. Anyone know what happened to him?
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play that fast????UUH ?? WHAT FOR , MAKES NO DIFERENCE, its not write for that speed, what is it ? PRESTISIMO obstinadisimo PIU MOSSISIMO HAHHAHAHA , come on!!! its about music , not a race finger(show off)
I just tried it this fast. He plays it at 160 to the quarter note. It's definitely fun, but not music. If I had a video camera I would record myself and show you that I can do it too. My performance is cleaner than his though. But what is ragtime all about? About who can play the fastest? This idea is ridiculous.
ya know hes playing it fast but also keeping the rynthem right..i love that it sounds so cool not like other people that just play it in 10 seconds...
sorry for the double post but seriously what matters is that sped up or not this video is cool, entertaining, and fun to listen 2, so stop complaining and dont try 2 point out bad things about it u r ruining people's time and pissing them off. so stfu u noobs
That comment was a written one, its written on every Joplin piece from Leola onwards. Two things about that; 1. It was written in context to how fast people would play it back then, which was *extremely* fast, in order to impress people and make some money. 2. Leola was published 6 years after Maple Leaf. Maple Leaf never even had that tag in the first place. :P
Fast. But just because you can doesn't mean you should.
elusivemel 2 months ago
nice technic but too fast for me! i like it when it's slower..
aureliefasollasido 3 months ago
Feels like he just wanted to finish quickly and played fast. And everyone saying "if you don't like the speed watch another version"... well... yeah, i would, but the problem is that every god damn maple leaf rag video on youtube is chopin minute waltz-fast. And if it's not, then it's some fekking midi version. Sigh.
el3dlu 8 months ago
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect speed for this song!
Technically too fast, probably win zilch as far as scoring. But entertaining and FUN!
Some people don't understand how fun it is to play these pieces fast, so if you like it slower please go to a different video now. I am sure there are plenty out there. ;^D
FuzzyOrangeHat 1 year ago 5
xD awesome playingxD
definitly it isn't speeded up, I can play this in almost the same speed - it is possible to do
But nevertheless is think it sounds much better, if you play it slower though playing it fast is so damn funnyxD
DarothProductions 1 year ago
Why do people complain so much about the damn speed. It think it sounds great slow but even better when it's play fast. Just give it a rest.
2MARINES2 1 year ago
@2MARINES2 I couldn't have said it better! Thank You!
sandrad63 7 months ago
On the one hand hats off for virtuosity and being able to play this at such a fast tempo. On the other hand the pianist has essentially spoiled the piece and this smacks of showing off. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
tbcass 1 year ago
I think there is a point where you play it to fast and just destroy the peice.... and u past it. But i must give you credit for being able to play this fast. on that part of it, i say good job.
PianoFreak0127 1 year ago
Are you kidding me? GREAT JOB!
MacWhi 1 year ago
This is clearly sped up.... Look at those winners behind the piano.
VistasChangeNB 1 year ago
@VistasChangeNB I don't know why when someone plays this fast there are always those who say it has to be sped up.There are lots of people who can play that fast and faster.I have seen some of them in person,so I know it is possible.Alan is one of those guys who can do it easily.
toomanyfords 1 year ago
@VistasChangeNB A very good observation. Judging by the video alone, I'd say that the performance is running about 10% faster than the original was played. It is pretty damn fast though, by any measure. There is nothing new about this....in the good old days of the 20s ragtime and earlier, there was constant competition to play these pieces faster and faster....but the purpose, as here, was to show off the player, not the song!
Huckabeezer 1 year ago
omg! i can't play it nearly as fast...
oxa95 1 year ago
scott joplin si incazzava molto quando la sua musica veniva suonata così velocemente.
Supergio1974 1 year ago
In my opinion the fast rhythm to the piece makes for a much more entertaining and up beat tune. It feels more like a bit out of a chase scene of some old cartoon.
taggeraun 1 year ago 3
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sandrad63 1 year ago
This is at Disneyland! They don't serve "crack" there, only "coke". lol
sandrad63 1 year ago
nowhere in the music does it indicate the pianist should be high on crack while playing.
isambo400 1 year ago
WOW Nice!
HE360 1 year ago
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sandrad63 2 years ago
Fast with no style. Like bad lovemaking.
johnrk556 2 years ago
@johnrk556 This is true. But to be fair, he only means to show off his speed here, and not his style at all. I'll bet that he's also quite capable of carefully measured expression and whatnot.
But sometimes you just gotta play shit fast man...
eltrentoro 2 years ago 4
Ha Ha! It doesn't matter what negative comments you make because his fans know how talented he is! :)
sandrad63 2 years ago
Trash
MickeyYahoo 2 years ago
Okay, smart aleck... Complaining is easy, accomplishing is hard - YOU try it. :-O
You play it that fast and that clean. No fluffs, no flubs, and even be fast enough to toss in a few flourishes that aren't in the original piece.
Like Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." I agree that he could slow it down just a tad, but trust me, slowing down Alan takes an Aircraft Carrier anchor.
BruceBergman 2 years ago 2
I always get a kick out of critiques from the peanut gallery directed at an individual whose talent lies stunningly beyond their reach or comprehension.. Its almost like a dog questioning the order of the planets. Bravo' Alan! Nothing short of amazing!
warrenthomas4001 2 years ago
@warrenthomas4001 As I said in another post just because you can doesn't mean you should. Yes this guy is a virtuoso but the essence of the piece is ruined by playing this fast. That is the reason why Joplin included notation on the original sheet music "Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play ragtime fast!".
tbcass 1 year ago
I found I was distracted from whatever musical content there was to something else. Some kind of Olympic event in beating previous records perhaps. All the same bloody good I suppose.
FishingtonBurpPuzzle 2 years ago
Daaammn, that's quite a feat! It gives me anxiety to listen to it that fast but it's impressive!
lelandb123 2 years ago 2
If you think this is Mickey Mouse Crap, the solution is simple. Don't go to Disneyland! They have millions of fans who love it and I am sure they won't miss you.
sandrad63 2 years ago 9
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If Scott Joplin was alive to hear this, he would have died of depression after how his masterpiece was screwed. Typical Mickey mouse crap...
karimalaz 2 years ago
This is Disneyland Folks!
No one is showing off.
sandrad63 2 years ago
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I have to assume this ludicrous display is merely to "show off"! Any true musician knows this is NOT how Scott Joplin intended this piece to be played. IT'S HIDEOUS! In my opinion :-)
kraftpr 2 years ago
No offense. But It's like half destroying the piece from Scott Joplin - terribly enough certain sounds or tingles of the piano can't be heard. But the goodside is it's pretty entertaining though on the short run.
Vyszeamy 2 years ago 11
It sounds horrible when it's played that fast, but it's entertaining to watch.
yves918 2 years ago 4
Joplin specifically sed "dont play it fast" so by playing it fast, your slapping joplin in the face cos that means you know better than he does
deathbyb0ngo 2 years ago
Please read my previous messages on the "don't play fast" statement and it's real purpose. Indeed, this statement, probably originally invented by John Stark, the publisher, was not even printed on the Maple Leaf Rag, to be precise. This rag only indicates "tempo di marcia", which means "march time" (please check the sheet music). Indeed, let's consider that many pianists of the ragtime era played MLR even faster than in this video, and so would you say they were slapping Joplin in the face?
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
...also, you wrote:"that means you know better than he does". No, of course no. It were the pianists of the period who knew better than he does, because real ragtime is the one performed by those musicians, not the sheet music. Also, pianists of the ragtime era who recorded rags in more than one session, often changed the speed from one performance to another, because there's no rule in that. Let's also read the memories of Brun Campbell about improvisation and speed of the ragtime pianists.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
I know it says Temp di marcia, and i know that this is not 800bpm, but what I'm trying to say is, surely the composer knows how he wants his piece to sound, regardless of your personal preference, for instance, i prefer it rapid.
deathbyb0ngo 2 years ago
That's alright, but first we don't know how fast Joplin wanted it to be played,since we don't have recordings of Joplin(the piano rolls are no indication in that sense).Also I have the complete recordings of Joseph Lamb and while many of his rags indicated "slow march time", he played them at a good speed,from medium to fast tempo.The sheet music in ragtime is in most cases no indication of the composer's idea.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Arthur Marshall,close friend of Joplin, played the MLR very fast. So however Joplin himself played this rag, certainly Marshall didn't outrage him by playing it very fast,there was no such a prejudice about the speed like today
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
no, i'm pretty sure joplin only said not fast to indicate that is how he interpreted it, and if you were to try to replicate it you would follow his rules, if you are just fucking around it doesn't matter.
kmish213 2 years ago
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Jonehz0r, you're such a in writing a violent personal message to me, including insults, and then blocking me, so that you cannot receive my reply. I'm sorry that my replies, based on ragtime history, humiliate you so much, but you shouldn't write these fallacies on ragtime tempos, denigrating great performers and knowledgeable people as well, because that's simply a ridicolous and pitiful attitude of you. Start studying and stop insulting pianists and real ragtime listeners.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
The truth about ragtime is not music of composers, but music of the performers, and the pianists decided the speed, the amount of improvisation, the licks and tricks to add to a rag. While a listener may prefer a rag to be played fast or slow, it's ALRIGHT to play ragtime fast, because plenty of original ragtime pianists of the 1890s and 1900s played VERY fast.Even Jelly Roll Morton was afraid to compete with pianists like Tony Jackson,because those played so faster than him.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
If someone has copies of all of the Alan Thompson stuff that was up here a month ago or so, could you repost it?
It appears that mainstreetpianists has closed all of their accounts and pulled all of the great video's that were posted around the internet.
Thanks in advance.
erlidayz 2 years ago
Oh, I don't know anything about ragtime huh? Why dont you go to the sheet music store and buy maple leaf rag for $2 and then you'll see that it does in fact say "Do Not Play this Piece Fast! ~Composer". Most of his music does. Its because things like this happen. I realize he is only playing to show off the speed, but i dont understand why he doesnt play another song fast. It's always ragtime, because people mistake it for music that is supposed to be played fast. Always. And it's not.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
Dear Jonehz0z, I own the complete Scott Joplin, the complete James Scott, the complete Joseph Lamb, as well as some thousand of ragtime music scores. Not to mention hundreds of ragtime recordings by the original pianists. Also many of the Joseph Lamb scores say "Do Not Play this Piece Fast", and if you hear Lamb play (I own his recordings also), he played at quite a lively tempo, and even fast sometimes.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Dear luigiranalli,
I don't care how many scores you own. Ragtime was never meant to be played fast unless the tempo suggested it. When it says do not play fast, your not supposed to play fast... And also, many of the ragtime composers were not great pianists, only good composers.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
If you've heard those original ragtime pianists play (and of course you haven't), you'd know the scores were not indicatication of their playing styles,and most of the arrangements were not faithful to what they played.The sheet music was for the wide public, mostly amateur pianists of limited skills.Only in the second half of the 1910s the publications started beiing more faithful to the playing styles. If you take the tempo or metronome indications like the Bible you're not playing ragtime
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
First of all, I'm an atheist, so the bible doesnt mean anything to me. Second, Theres a difference between playing ragtime "a little bit faster" and playing it like this. I dont give a crap if people play a little faster than usual, its when things like this happen. When people use ragtime to show off their dexterity. And by the way, I have heard original pianists play on pianola rolls, so don't tell me i havent. This arguement is becoming stupid, so I'm leaving now.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
The pianola rolls are no indication of the real speed of those piansits, because the suggested tempos were added by the editors. You must hear the audio recordings, there are many! Search for the rcordings of Charley Thompson, Joseph Lamb, Mike Bernard, Felix Arndt, Roy Spangler, and many others. I agree the argument is becoming stupid, since I give you information but you just keep replying with your dogmatic fallacies.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Lmao, just because the recordings say that the tempo is supposed to be fast doesnt mean they are right, and also, I'm giving you the answers that most people agree with. Don't tell me that ragtime was ever played THIS FAST in this video. Because it wasn't. And dont act like you know everything about ragtime, because they were never written to be exploited like this. Why don't you go read up on it some more, if you disagree. And also, Pianola Rolls were recorded as they were played.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
No, that's not true. Hand played piano rolls were edited by an arranger, who would correct recording issues and in most cases add notes to the performance. The arranger would also set a suggested tempo for the roll, that is not necessarily the one used by the perfromer. Maple Leaf Rag was often played even faster than this video. Two examples are the recording by Harry Snodgrass, or the recording by Morton in St Louis Style, where he also remembers the rag was often played fast like that.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Indeed, I'm not acting like I know all about ragtime, because that's not the case. But the fact is that I do know much about this music, and I have plently of documentation, recordings and scores, and you don't know anything about that. There's no intention to provoke here, but it would be the time to stop with this misinformation. Fortunately,as the original recordings are getting available in these years,a new understanding,once lost in the '70s, is growing back and this music lives again.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
For the last time, it doesnt matter how it "used to be played". Maple Leaf Rag was written by Scott Joplin, and he did not want it to be played fast. He didnt play it fast, and he never intended for it to be played like this. If you want to argue that, I'm not even going to bother replying because that just shows how much of an idiot you are. If you have any smartass remarks after this, be glad to post them, but I'm not replying anymore after this.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
It DOES matter how ragtime was played, actually. Because that was the reality of ragtime music after all, not the sheet music, that was a product directed to a wide public, many of whom were amateur musicians. If you've ever heard a ragtime pianist play, and you haven't, or if you knew anything about ragtime, and you don't, you would stop writing these false things. BTW your insults just show your difficulty in adding serious argumentations.Congratulations!
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Jonehz0z, by the way, if you don't like fast ragtime, it's not a problem, and there were pianists at the time who used to play fast, others who used to play slow. In both cases, they had a rocking and snappy sound (and many of those styles were documented by the recordings, which of course you cannot have heard, if you write such comments).But if you say that it's not right to play ragtime fast, you're wrong and I already explained why some publishers, especially John Stark, used that sentence.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
I did not say it wasn't right to play ragtime fast. I said it isnt right to play it fast if it says not to, and that people like this ruin perfectly good songs and exploit them for sheer flashyness. It drains all character from the song, and it only displays dexterity, no feeling or emotion, or style. wha
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
Yes, I understand. But you must admit that the Maple Leaf Rag was often played very fast at the time. Faster than this performance in many cases. And ragtime was what it was, not what a singular composer (but actually here it was John Stark,the publisher) wished. Also,ragtime is rhythmic piano, not romantic piano. You don't have feelings in boogie woogie as well. I have great performances of Maple Leaf Rag played slow, like Brun Campbell's, and it's a romping performance. Like this fast one.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
It was played faster at the time but it was also played shuffle style more often too.. And also, if you don't think ragtime can have feeling or emotion, take a look at Solace, or watch Mimi Blais perform.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
Mimi Blais is a pianist of today, and she perform ragtime with a classical approach that didn't exist at the time. The first man to record the Maple Leaf Rag was Lionel Belasco, in 1915. He also played Carribean and South American syncopated piano styles. This give you an idea of how Solace should have been played to sound like a true Mexican serenade. At the time also Ernesto Nazareth recorded, and while his music is played so slow and dreadful today, he played fast as hell
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
I meant, the first PIANIST to record the Maple Leaf Rag was Belasco in 1915. Of course there are earlier versions with other instrumentations
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Well, thats the thing. Today is today. Piano styles have changed, and ragtime has been performed with a new approach. I dont approve of the approach that this video suggests is all. It's really a matter of opinion. But I, along with more than half of the Youtube ragtime pianists believe that this ruins the character of ragtime. That is all, have a good day.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
That's all right if it's just a matter of tastes. But this half of the Youtube ragtime pianists(I seriously doubt they're a half) should keep themselves from labeling fast ragtime as "wrong": in doing that, those people are actually WRONG and the recordings are the proof. This "new approach" to ragtime(actually started in the '70s and dying in these last years in favour of real ragtime), is simply not what ragtime ever was. It's not phylological.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Again I repeat that the "don't play fast" warning was just not to dicourage the amateur pianists to which the sheet music was intended for. Arthur Marshall, Joplin's pal, had recorded the Maple Leaf Rag and it has been reported he played it very fast. So you're going to say that Marshall, one of the great St Louis ragtime composers, ruins perfectly good songs?When speaking of ragtime or whatever music genre tied to a past,you can't judge it regardlessly of what it REALLY was at the time.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
It wasnt just to discourage the amatuer pianists, it was to tell the pianist, whether he/she be amateur or not, the suggested tempo to make the song sound the best. You can't argue that. And ANYONE that plays this song this fast is ruining it.
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
Former Joplin students have confirmed that it was not to discourage amateur pianists, who wouldn't have purchased a heavily arranged rag if t was to be played as fast as the professional pianists played ragtime in the saloons. Joplin's real interest was not that his music was played fast or slow,but he didn't want the performer to simplify or "fake" the piece,a typical bad habit among fast pianists in particular.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Jonehz0r, you're such a in writing a violent personal message to me, including insults, and then blocking me, so that you cannot receive my reply. I'm sorry that my replies, based on ragtime history, humiliate you so much, but you shouldn't write these fallacies on ragtime tempos, denigrating great performers and knowledgeable people as well, because that's simply a ridicolous and pitiful attitude of you. Start studying and stop insulting pianists and real ragtime listeners.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Alan Thompson is a great ragtimer of today! Some complained about the speed, because they're just totally ignorant about ragtime.But nobody seemed to notice the important thing about this performance: it's very fast, but Alan is able to give tension and bounce to his performance at such a speed, and that's what makes his performance one of the best I've heard. It's OK to play ragtime both slow and very fast, the only important think is to play it snappy and with bounceness. Great Alan!!!!
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
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great please take a look at my ragtime videos.please comment and rate.thank you
scottg4life 2 years ago
Comment removed
sandrad63 2 years ago
I don't understand why people equate being a good piano player with how fast they can play something...it just doesn't sound good.
apm5016 2 years ago
It was a common trick during the ragtime era to play the Maple Leaf Rag as fast as possible. I can tell you that Alan Thompson or Rod Miller play very faithful renditions of how ragtime was played in vaudeville during the '10s. You're free not to like that, and in fact authentic ragtime is not music for everybody.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Jealousy will get you nowhere! I have heard this guy in person and he has talent.
sandrad63 2 years ago 3
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ah cmon, todays punky kids are hopped up on energy drinks and painkillers. they need their ragtime fast so they can dance the charleston at breakneck speed. i like ragtime slow, but i really like it fast
JanuaryDiamonds 2 years ago
Comment removed
JanuaryDiamonds 2 years ago
What? Do you not know how to read? The sheet music says "Note: Do Not Play this Piece Fast~Composer"... So many people think it makes ragtime better when played fast, but its not it just makes it sound obnoxious. Each time someone plays this Scott's rolling over in his grave...
Jonehz0r 2 years ago
Jonehz0r, your complaints about the speed dwmonstrate you don't know anything about ragtime.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Amazing performance, but the Maple Leaf Rag is not a piece meant to show off the speed at which one can play. It must be savored!
ababsurdo1567 2 years ago 2
actually... not "anybody" can play the piano fast or loud... accurately.
although it *is* a bit faster than it should be, as a piece in itself, not relative to any past performances of this piece, it sounds rather nice.
TaichiKuro7 2 years ago
although I do not question the talent of the performer. It is not in the ragtime spirit to be 'fast'. Most ragtime pieces are marked 'not fast'.
mp4401 2 years ago
I collect vintage ragtime recordings and I have piano solos played by Brun Campbell, Euday Bowman, Sid LeProtti, Will Ezell, Al Siegel, Frank Banta, Charley Thompson, etc...just to name a few. Many of those pianists from the ragtime era played fast. Some very fast.The sheet scores insist about playing slow just not to scare the amateur pianist.Actually it's not important to play fast in ragtime, but you're wrong that playing fast is not in the spirit, because plenty of them played fast.
luigiranalli77 2 years ago
Absolutely awesome =D
bhavvv 2 years ago
what a pile of shit... anyone can play the piano fast or loud
edwardlindsey01 2 years ago
yea, but its hard to hit notes in a certain melody?
thenotoriousadin 2 years ago
dragonforce meets scott joplin
gijsjaradijsja 2 years ago
Ok, if you has anthing bad to say about this video, and your name is not Rod Miller, you can shut the hell up. This dude was kickin ass and takin names. I saw, I was there.... on youtube watching the video. lol
indiglo50 2 years ago 2
It is better ti improvide your own version of this song.
it sounds better with your own little twists in it.
Scott Joplin played it his own way, not just boring and plian.
Acidic0man 3 years ago
hooie that certainly is a talent
doesn't mean it sounded good, but that is surely hard as hell to do.
and the improvisations/revisions he made to the piece fit very well
PutaCaliente 3 years ago
we all have are twist and turns in the maple leaf rag!
changlinyun 3 years ago
i can play this faster
check out my video
but i respect this guy because he improvised his own version of MLR
thevuutrain 3 years ago
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KSGsimon 3 years ago
it's not about the speed.
Scott Joplin said that ragtime should not be played fast.
KSGsimon 3 years ago
Scott Joplin also said it was fashionable to play a ragtime piece as fast as you can at an end of a performance.
thevuutrain 3 years ago
"personally think it sounds cool this fast."
I agree, I mean it is not written to be played this fast, but heck, if i could play that fast, and contorl how fast i wanted it, I wou
"It was amazing and the guy's clearly got great talent. ld break my right arm."
VERY agreed.
Pianist4Life14 3 years ago
Well that was fun...but why is is everybody ragging on the tempo..music is about feeling and this talented cat here is just havin' a fun bash at it...at his level of playing most of us can only dream about playing at that tempo...and by the way for the most part pretty clean and crispy!come on now he's just havin' fun with it....TOO FAST?...Art Tatum could snore at this speed....hahahahahCHEERS
tequilaal 3 years ago
Hell ya dude!
indiglo50 2 years ago
Too fast,not too fast...lets hear the "maestro": "tempo di marcia " chronometer in 88. Get the video here in youtube and you will hear the maestro himself playing his composition...and this should be the end of this discussion. Yes,this particular one was
awfully fast.
heapr1 3 years ago
its true what you say but if you can play sothing as well i the guy in the video then it is still well performed since the way he plays it is not sloppy
sirdrake16 3 years ago
this sock :D
blobdark 3 years ago
I personally think it sounds cool this fast. Reminds me of something in the background of one of those old silent movies or something. I play this song too (not nearly this fast-I'm not that talented) but I wish I could. And BachScholar: why try to downplay that? It was amazing and the guy's clearly got great talent.
dannyb21892 3 years ago 2
i agree with you 100%
sirdrake16 3 years ago
I just want everyone to know that I can play this both faster and cleaner than Thompson. But do I want to do this? NO! It simply is not music at this speed and it loses its character. If you don't believe that I can play this faster and cleaner than Thompson, dare me, and I will post proof in a high definition video.
BachScholar 3 years ago
Music is subjective. It might not be music to you at that tempo, but it can be music for someone else.
While I agree that it sounds better at a slower tempo, it still remains music to me.
idiotflesh 3 years ago 2
Ok...BachScholar....consider yourself dared....now cough up the speedster version of MLR mister.
b1ak3m 3 years ago 2
consider the purpose and location of his playing dipshit...its a soda shop on main street, not Carnagie Hall...Get off your high horse and go close your fingers in the lid of your piano...This is pure entertainment and people love it...that is the reason why he has a gig with Disney and you dont...
jtfraijo 3 years ago 5
i know that ragtime is supposed to be played slowly, but i LOVE maple leaf rag when it's played fast. i don't understand why everyone flips out all the time when it's played fast. who gives a shit? go watch a video where it's slow.
dm325 3 years ago 3
To dm325: Ragtime is NOT supposed to be slow, and I don't know why many on YouTube assume this. When Joplin wrote "not fast" on some of his works, he was simply warning against insanely fast tempos like this one. But by saying "not fast" he certainly didn't mean "slow". Maple Leaf Rag should definitley not be slow and anyone who plays it slow needs to take some serious lessons in history and piano playing. There are slow rags though, like Solace for instance.
BachScholar 3 years ago 3
awful. far too fast
Skeletor000 3 years ago
I completely agree
evrynicktaken 3 years ago
brilliant, but I agree. way too fast. you miss pretty much everything at that speed. it's just becomes kind of a wash
Harken22 3 years ago
hehe, it's funny though
frankjong 3 years ago
Joplin was right! It shouldn't be played fast - not THAT fast, anyway.
grahamfyfe 3 years ago
good stuff
ginrue 3 years ago
Very entertaining when played at that speed but it degrades the music.
tdenusa 3 years ago
Thats complete rubbish. You can't say his playing is terrible at all! I am grade 7 piano and I still think this is amazing. I know it isnt suppose to be played this fast, but you have to admit, its really entertaining!
ilovevolleyball03 3 years ago
Complete rubbish, people with no music talent are like: "OMG he can play fast he must be really good" "Look at all those keys move." He managed to water down the already dilute existence of Ragtime. Nice figering though...
heysupyall111 3 years ago
He finishes it in one less second than Rod Miller, but Rod Miller squeezes in an out-tro before finishing. They're both awesome.
connorpiano93 3 years ago 2
he took too much speed or needed to get another beer so he finished quickly.
spareaxe 3 years ago
illidnarg is full of it
emdawgy 3 years ago
hey, your super guy
butchfoot 3 years ago
Your're a great player--i just want to say that i've been playing THE MAPLE LEAF Rag in puglic for several years now--when i play really fast i dont get much attention--but when i slow the tempo down to 2/4 march tempo is when i get the attention and the applause--(2/4 march tempo is still rather fast)
illidnarg 3 years ago
That's good to know. Howcome you don't work at Disneyland with all the other good pianists?
avilliusflaccus 3 years ago
lol ure left leg keeps twicthin about
guyc 3 years ago
wwoooooooooaaaaahhh!!! ce gars déchire! je joue ce morco mais pas a cette cadence là!!! mdr
manu974aimwill 3 years ago
So much precision ... yet so much speed ...
HorizonChaser 3 years ago
now all it needs is drunks fighting in the background like an old bar.
Amazing job.
snplnktt 3 years ago 2
NICE!!!
Maximus1024 4 years ago
I'm trying to learn this song, and I hope to learn it this fast when the song is fully learned. I attempted to play it this fast; my music teacher said it was "Scott Joplin on speed". lol I'm on the last part, I love how it just smoothly goes into D flat from A flat. :)
WildHoneyPie4 4 years ago
I don't give a shit what anyone says. The best rag is played fast and hard, and you know it!
Alexcantsee 4 years ago 11
Yeah, but it has to still be steady at the same time of course (like this one). Too many people try to play too fast and fall flat on their face.
Reeal15 4 years ago
i just don't like the key of Alfat it is so hard to remeber wher ur supposed to put in the flats
algator07 4 years ago
its really boring to play rag songs slowly.
sunmax1 3 years ago
"Never play ragtime fast" - Scott Joplin
Djpawno1 3 years ago
Ragtime is supposed to be LIVELY but people mistake it for being fast.
bigboner1967 3 years ago
Everybody should play it the way they like it, I prefer it a bit slower, to give it more swing. It seems like this guy likes to play it very fast, maybe to show off or something. I really did not like this version, like many people on youtube I see, the main problem when you play to fast is that the music and composition loses his power, and the pianist becomes the important thing, that is a thing many pianist should keep in thought: never make yourself more important than the music!
HitokiriDiaz 3 years ago
Do some F&^ckin homework.
"Put a skirt on" - chopper.
avilliusflaccus 3 years ago
wow, you're very good!!!!!eheh..
(if you want give a look to my version!)
sSsSssciaoooo from italy!
magyo7 4 years ago
This is real speed... Alan was known around Dland for being able to play this song this fast. He recorded a CD with a faster version of this song, as well. Anyone know what happened to him?
TrumpetBoredom 4 years ago
Heeee...sort of stopped showing up for his scheduled shifts...something to that effect, I think.
He's still there from time to time, playing as a guest with the current resident pianists.
akaBeans 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
play that fast????UUH ?? WHAT FOR , MAKES NO DIFERENCE, its not write for that speed, what is it ? PRESTISIMO obstinadisimo PIU MOSSISIMO HAHHAHAHA , come on!!! its about music , not a race finger(show off)
manonsky 4 years ago
this is not that fast..show off or he got to pee
manonsky 4 years ago
I'd like you see you play that fast
BlacKat400 4 years ago 2
this lad is pure genius. Maybe he's jesus.
eoghanybleddy1 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
the video has just been artificially hasted, you can see it if you look attentively...!!!
UltraMagian 4 years ago
I have seen him play this myself.
hakkai153 4 years ago
If you watch in the background, the people are walking around like old people! They aren't walking fast! Thats pretty obvious
BlacKat400 4 years ago
ok, you must be right, I take my words back, it's real, but at first it seemed to be faked...
UltraMagian 4 years ago
I just tried it this fast. He plays it at 160 to the quarter note. It's definitely fun, but not music. If I had a video camera I would record myself and show you that I can do it too. My performance is cleaner than his though. But what is ragtime all about? About who can play the fastest? This idea is ridiculous.
ralkramralkram 4 years ago
just enjoy and shut up ^^
hakkai153 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I'm better than he is.
ralkramralkram 4 years ago
good! now go play elsewhere.
hakkai153 4 years ago 3
I hope you post a video of yourself soon, cause I don't believe a freakin' word!
SlayermanGR 3 years ago
ya know hes playing it fast but also keeping the rynthem right..i love that it sounds so cool not like other people that just play it in 10 seconds...
EMMDM 4 years ago
Whether it was meant to be played fast or not, you can't deny this is awesome. A talent like that is rare. I'd love to see him live.
stu73ke 4 years ago 3
I've been to Disneyland and seen him play in person...trust me, it's not sped up.
bryson217 4 years ago 3
I Wish He Would Have Played It From The Biginning.
Morahman7vnNo2 4 years ago
sorry for the double post but seriously what matters is that sped up or not this video is cool, entertaining, and fun to listen 2, so stop complaining and dont try 2 point out bad things about it u r ruining people's time and pissing them off. so stfu u noobs
blackberri64 4 years ago
w
o
w
hey1031 4 years ago
HOLY SHIT
supersonicnextgen 4 years ago
wtf
blackberri64 4 years ago
that 16th note run at 37 seconds is bad ass... not to mention the whole entire thing...awesome!!!
jtfraijo 4 years ago
Tape is sped up. Watch how people are moving in the background.
gunfplayer 4 years ago
maybe you're brains just slow.
avilliusflaccus 4 years ago
no, they are so excited so they move like that...
sunmax1 4 years ago
I would agree, but he slows down at the end. I guess it must be genuine...yikes...I feel really inadequate now!
meatball893 4 years ago
fuck that guy other side of the piano, alan must be really annoyed because of that guy
sunmax1 4 years ago
That comment was a written one, its written on every Joplin piece from Leola onwards. Two things about that; 1. It was written in context to how fast people would play it back then, which was *extremely* fast, in order to impress people and make some money. 2. Leola was published 6 years after Maple Leaf. Maple Leaf never even had that tag in the first place. :P
akaBeans 4 years ago