What the [bleep] is Ragtime?

Quick and dirty explanation of the ragtime piano style by Martin Spitznagel.

=-=Ragtime resources=-=
Martin's website: http://www.spitzfire.com
"Perfessor" Bill's website: http://www.ragpiano.com
Ragtime on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ragtime
• piano
• stride
• piano lesson
• history
• scott joplin

[SupremeJet]

Martin, I've been hooked to your music! haha.. All started with the duet of you and Bryan Wright, The Cantina Band song. Anyways, you're a fantastic player!! Few question, i've noticed that you shake your legs up when you play a song. Following the beep? Do it in every piece? How did you become that great? practice a lot?

[spitzfire1138]

@SupremeJet I do shake my legs a lot lol. I have a tendency to speed up, so shaking my leg helps me keep time :D I'm landing my heel on the 1st and 3rd beat, mostly when I'm playing tunes that I want to "swing." As far becoming "great" - first, thanks for that! - I have played, played, and played. I've been at it 17 years now, sometimes practicing (when I was a kid) for four or five hours a day. Nowadays I try to always learn pieces that are just a little bit beyond me - keeps it fresh and hard.

[krimskrams]

so based on the fact that ragtime and the march emerged around the same time and everyone saying that ragtime in turn was the base of modern jazz, is it fair to say that military music has anything to do with this at all then?

[spitzfire1138]

@krimskrams Absolutely, IMO. Small orchestras, military bands, and piano-banjo combos make up the earliest recordings of Ragtime, and military music is one of the few genres where a lot of the tropes of ragtime still continue to this day (probably because it's so darn marchable).

[Ragtime44Films]

You are the best ragtime pianist I've ever heard. And believe me, that's saying a lot.

[spitzfire1138]

@Ragtime44Films Thanks! From checking out your channel, it sounds like we have some similar loves: ragtime, Star Wars, etc. Great minds think alike!

[SciukokuRevenge]

Easy... :-S

[Japanzor]

haha you talk about like its really easy

[AlexKitch]

Awesome! This style reminds me a lot of fingerstyle guitar playing. Tommy Emmanuel / Chet Atkins specifically come to mind

[Wabaanimkii]

Although I feel stupid; I feel like I learned something.

[nezkeys79]

great informative video. How do you practice the leaps in the left hand of rag (and grande valses for that matter). When I play them slow or moderate its easy but as soon as I play fast rags the accuracy in the LH diminishes greatly and I end up accidentally catching other notes

[SupremeJet]

@spitzfire1138 Thanks for replying. Just asking, is Maple Leaf Rag hard to play? Was wondering cause i wanted to try that piece after i finished The Entertainer. How long did you take to finish it? I've seen you play at the video from the Regular Division Competition. Yup, that inspired me. Too bad you didn't come in 1st cause you really are a marvelous player (:

[OctoberCountry1]

That was the most awesome Happy Birthday I've ever heard! Great video!

[J41mEV4rG45]

awesome. and i like the low note you put at the end of the song. pretty cool :D