Fastest ragtime piano yet heard by mere mortals; Tom Brier on "Redneck Rag"; 174 bpm

[Lmanyakaa]

such beautiful music! it's a shame that most of the kids and youngsters listen to justin bieber and other craps these days.

[chozos64]

For a second I thought seeing a third hand coming out of his beard.

[DrSpideybug]

Fingers of steel! :D

[ditto56789]

im surprised the lady with tthe flut didnt collapse.

[SplashyEcho]

Amazing!

[Alaeriia]

176 beats/minute. Assuming there are an average of two chords in the left hand and three notes in the right per beat, that comes out to about 880 actions per minute.  Considering that 400 actions/minute is extremely impressive for a professional Starcraft gamer, and considering that most of said 400 actions are irrelevant spam, we can safely assume that Tom Brier has the fastest hands in the world. I suggest you call Guinness about getting Tom a nice world record plaque.

[Zlaterrr]

@Alaeriia Teh luls, u cant compare apm in starcraft and this

[Alaeriia]

@Zlaterrr And why not?

[ThunderhorseOfHell]

Holy santa clause shit!

[phanteon198]

WHOOO WHEEE!! LOOK AT THOSE HANDS GO!!

[WizardLostEx]

Awesome!

[xFOBxPATDx]

I'm just surprised he's not Asian. 

[eric17adrian]

hay i have a piano just like that one but mine is way out of tune.. sad face

[iPhoneGamerz]

Ryanimay sent Me

[kologuy]

His beard is so epic, it grows to the back of his head.

[Bellairs120466]

Playing a single sheet of music for 3+ minutes...Tom Brier

[Keeper1st]

@Bellairs120466 Heh, actually the sheet on the piano is something else. He has this tune memorized for it's very often requested.

[Xbonechiller]

@Bellairs120466 wow is that even possibly or is it like phtoshoped??? THATS CRAZY

[0kabaloko0]

my brain had an aneurysm out of PURE EPICOSITY!!!

[freeman2545]

pretty damn fast ..thats for sure

[beckham7england4ever]

it's awesome :)

[monstakididee]

wouldnt have worked without 0:52 LOL



[fortmax789]

I have so much respect for this guy, I simply don't have the long enough fingers to reach some of the chords.

[vankarton]

Oscar peterson

[gabbyfromTX]

Wow....I'm so jealous right now....

[asifallwithin]

sounds like mario XD



[MobiusMatrix]

I think if you somehow divided the piece up you all could pull off Circus Gallop!

[SeriousEli]

@MobiusMatrix He is a ragtime player; not that he can not play it... but it's not his style...

[SumoBoo]

haha liked the spaceballs reference.

[Keeper1st]

@SumoBoo Yeah, I think it's safe to say this is the only time that both The Jazz Singer and Spaceballs have been referenced in the same video!

[PsikoProductions]

the instrument(s) on the right are magically musical. lol

[joujou264]

This needs to have more viws, where are the Bieber haters when you need them?

[dmhardin102]

Prepare for ludicrous speed....My god he's gone plaid!

[LARUCUS]

Nice! Any chance at a circus galop video?

[iProficient]

grandma's got skills. oh, and tom too of course.

[thedubstep0]

not even mad

[joebeaudette21]

insane

[metallicaaaa1]

OMG HIS HANDS!!!! The power of christ compels you!!!!!!!

[thesparitan]

@metallicaaaa1 LMAO

[Gotmilk0112]

Tom Brier, Y U NO FAMOUS??

[44t56]

Red Bull gives you wings

[vstman]

I cannot explain the happiness I feel when I hear such delightful music. Awesome!

[ferimentodefoice]

I'm in a very nice area of youtube =D

[KawhackitaRag]

I play ragtime, and I know Tom personally and have seen him play in person many times, and even _I_ have to admit that at the end, his hands look sped up! (Even though they're not!!!)

[EsojestMort]

haha, i'd pay so much just to be able to visit you people one day

[JustSpawnKilled]

Please excuse me. I need to go figure out how to un-melt my face.

[Bellairs120466]

More like breakneck rag, but oh well...

[gingersnnapps]

WOW!!!! Pretty incredible! I had the pleasure of watching Mr. Brier and the ragtime band he plays with called "Rasberry Jam Band" perform recently at the West Coast Ragtime Music Festival, 2011. Mr. Brier certainty has a gift for shaking and tickling the keys!!

[Keeper1st]

@gingersnnapps Awesome. It was a great festival this year, for sure. Were you at the afterglow buffet? On the video monitor showing clips from past festivals there was a rare sighting of the Pre-Beard Brier!

[TubePunch30]

Damn. Just. Damn. Tom is the man.

[bronney]

Tom is getting all the girls :( *cries*

[TheAniKinji]

2:40 your welcome

[wharrislv]

Tom makes me so happy.

[crumpetbutterdrips]

loved this. thanks

[TwoLeggedTriceratops]

For a second I thought his beard strapped down and around the back of his ear, lol.

[allgrinzz]

This is rather amazing.. loved it!

[Anonymis211]

(v°O°)<(That was AWESOME!)

[TheYoshiBrawler]

needs more cowbell...

[Jericho48793]

2:40 i died happy. lol

[caeksauce8]

BOSS



[Kensuke0987]

2:41 afterimages

[wollclark]

I want to get drunk and into a fight at a saloon now.

[MissInformati0n]

I want to burst out clapping at the end!

[nash0815]

That guy is awesome :D

[ap1027]

Tom is my hero.

And the washboard player is kick ass too.

[TackyRackyComixNEO]

Tom Brier: Even a machine couldn't play better.

[arewealldead]

I couldn't play that good if I dreamt it... And I wouldn't be able to play that fast without breaking all my fingers or accidentally putting my hand through the keys

[10INTM]

Just showed this to my mother. Her jaw was dropped the entire time.

[btbuster1]

Awesome! Fantastic ending!!

[nanuaraq0409]

What's that on the sign in front of him. "Please do not..." what?

[Keeper1st]

@nanuaraq0409 "Please do not allow children to play on piano."

[nanuaraq0409]

@Keeper1st Is that not to play on the piano with the sign, or not to play on any piano at all? :D

[Keeper1st]

@nanuaraq0409 I've always joked about how the sign says "play on piano"; it doesn't actually ask not to let kids play the piano -- just not play ON the piano. So it's OK to let them play the instrument, but not to "play" on it.

[bitchslapper12]

@Keeper1st Please do not allow Tom to play with children.

[JOdawla5]

@bitchslapper12 Why? Because their tiny heads would explode out of sheer amazement at Tom's awesomeness?

[FBfan47721]

@Keeper1st They mean babies right?

[goodolarchie]

@nanuaraq0409 Please do not make direct eye contact with the talent.

[devilasskicker]

this takes a life time

[Sirenhound]

You should get a camera with a higher frame rate to keep up with his hands! :P

[Thedeoradude]

How is that poor piano not on fire by the end of it

[TheMindfulOne]

LOL the frame rate of the camera is not fast enough.

[spitzfire1138]

And then the piano exploded and the people ran out screaming as Tom laughed and laughed... mighty speedy, those fingers! :D

[MagicDragonKatt]

Wow love it!

[VirtualHarmonies]

Awesome KEEPER!! Tom is a Legend! :)

[TheMotherbrain]

Very impressive! Just for the record did he ever played (i guess he did at least once lol) The Entertainer from Scott Joplin?

[Keeper1st]

@TheMotherbrain Sure. See the video called "Ragtime Party -- The Entertainer (Scott Joplin)"

[Keeper1st]

@TheMotherbrain Oh yes. Also see the video called "Scott Joplin - The Entertainer - 3 Pianos on Fire"

[Keeper1st]

@TheMotherbrain Oh yeah -- he's also playing accompaniment for the video called: Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" played by flute quartet

So yes. He does play it! Just never solo (why should he? everybody else does).

[steinwaygrande1]

Is there anything that Tom cant do huh ????

[chaff5]

@steinwaygrande1 I don't think his beard can make coffee. But I heard that it's learning from Chuck Norris' and will eventually learn to grow a fist.

[steinwaygrande1]

@chaff5 Give it time !!!

[specadmin]

shouldn't that be a "godly 174 beats per minute" :-)

I too would have a hard time believing if it weren't Tom

[christoffergray]

I think my brain just exploded..

[madwalrus9998]

everytime i watch this clip it seems to get better and better. thanks for posting :)

[Chris246t8kr]

Incredible. I can't think of any words to best describe it. "Calm before the storm..." nice use of captions :D.

[newthepanch]

when i be old, i wanna have a music club too.

[superjorrja]

@newthepanch you should start one now, and grow old with it :) that's much more fun

[Harmonyww]

OK, who gave Tom an unusually strong coffee? This is an insane performance (in a good way!) After passing my motorcycle test last week I made it a personal mission to join you guys at one of these ragtime meet-ups as soon as funds allow (which will be in a year or two.) Until then, I have to make-do with these recordings. Thanks for the upload!

[chaff5]

They need to add a "love" button... My favorites are still Spinach Rag and Birabuto Kingdom (I'm a gamer, what can I say.) but this is just awesome.

[Wolvenblaze]

Finally, a percussionist who's not annoying.

[ReNeyer]

@Wolvenblaze To me that rattling is fucking annoying ><

[SamuSchalla]

...another excellent performance by Tom!!

Do you know where to find the Sheet Music for this piece?

[Keeper1st]

@SamuSchalla Last I saw, the tune is only available as a lead sheet. But that was two years ago.

[47H10N]

Brierize it... FATALITY!

[molbac]

i like the the spaceballs reference^^

[Keeper1st]

@molbac I should have faded the video to plaid at the end...

[5457tommy]

What does the sign say on the Piano?

[LordGopu]

@5457tommy "Please do not let children play piano" I think

[Keeper1st]

@5457tommy As someone else correctly figured out, it's a sign asking not to allow children to play on the piano.

[isambo400]

@QuestionExistenciell yeah but most of that is spam

[teloenand]

@QuestionExistenciell Considering Tom is playing an average of 2-3 notes per beat, he's pushing about 400-450 actions per minute, none of which is spam like a lot of Starcrafters get up to. I'd like to see a Starcraft player hit 500 useful actions per minute (no spam at all).

[75egcg]

They had to replace the piano after this one

[XxDEBUGxX]

Always lovely to see Tom playing in harmony with others; and equally nice to still be surprised by your videos.

I thank youtube that I can experience you guys from so far away.

[asatorftw]

awsome^^ but i would prefere a solo performance by tom to be honest

[MoMember88]

face truly melted

[AngilasGuy]

GODLIKE

[nitronzx]

ahaha~

if I didn't know better, I'd say this was just sped up!

but I watch your channel and the videos of tom, so I know better :)

freakin amazing.

[superjorrja]

waaaahooo! :)

[MellowCypriot]

If it wasn't Tom playing, I would claim 'shenanigans' on those fast flying hands. Smile on my face during the performance, sense of joy and excitement and passion for the music by the wonderful musicians.

[xbox7888iscool]

i could play the maple leaf rag at that speed, but that was still pretty awesome!!

[orangeoranges11]

first off, this is AMAZING

second, how do you measure bpm?

[Keeper1st]

@orangeoranges11 I counted beats for 15 seconds and multiplied by four to get in the ballpark, then set a metronome click on a music program at 172, found that too slow, changed to 176, found that was too fast, changed to 174, found that to be spot on.

[orangeoranges11]

@Keeper1st oh... spiffy =3

[KawhackitaRag]

@orangeoranges11 bpm equals metronome marking, or number of quarter notes (or whatever the main note value is in the time signature) played in a minute. Lets assume Tom is feeling this in 4/4 (no telling), in this case, each "oom" (bass note) and each "pah" (alto chord) of the left-hand oom-pah would count as a quarter note, making four quarter notes per beat. However, I think Ron means this is felt in 2/4, so only the "oom"s (bass notes) count, making this about 174. In 4/4 it would be 348 BPM!

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag OOPS! I meant to say "four quarter notes per measure". Duh! Time for me to get some lunch!

[innocentbystander100]

HAAAAAAA THAT WAS AWESOME!!!

[darkclarky]

HOLY MAN COW OF TAFFETA! This is officially my new favorite video! :D

[honestyize]

jesus murphy!

[LeeTaoable]

Holy crap!



[skyman2002]

I Think This Burns Down All The Barns On This Planet!

[p122191]

Aha first! Very nice xD