Tom Brier sight-reads ragtime

One of the most phenomenal sight-readers of ragtime, Tom Brier fills out and embellishes a tune as he reads it from the page. The only error made is on the repeat of the final strain when an unusual chord change was missed (which is why he points at the score when he finishes -- after the video ends, he proceeded to play the strain again).

The tune is "Fly-Swatter Rag" composed by myself (Ron O'Dell) in 2007. Download the sheet music for free:

http://www.keeper1st.com/music/flyswat.pdf

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ragtime
• piano
• sightread
• fly-swatter
• flyswatter
• rag
• tom
• brier
• ron
• o'dell

[Thingfishy]

Really love this rag, Ron! It is just perfectly constructed and feels entirely complete at the end. Truly wonderful piece by you and played by one of the all-time great piano players! :)

Thankyou so much for all your videos and please thank Tom on my behalf for the hours of joy and entertainment he's given me!! Would love to hear and see him sight-reading and embellishing 'The Black And White Rag' by George Botsford if that were at all possible :)

[Keeper1st]

@Thingfishy No need for sight-reading; he knows Black & White Rag by heart. See the video called "Ragtime Party - Black & White Rag".

[wonlungtong]

I like your rag, particularly the last section.  Is it available?

[Keeper1st]

@wonlungtong Yes. I just added a link to a PDF of the score. Open the video description.

[CChromatic]

Nice tune! I love the champagne glass atop the piano, along with the "NO DRINKS" sign. ;-)

[Keeper1st]

Heh! It isn't Tom's glass; I swear!

[Bei1052]

This is sight reading? o_O

Totally amazing.

[bowflop]

nice piece, Ron!

[bowflop]

oh my goodness!!! i have been looking for this vid for so long!!! i saw it for two seconds and forgot the name of the title!!!!

[jamocha101]

I couldn't sight-read "On Top of Old Smokey." Oy. -_-'

[SeeburgMusic]

I like how there's a wine glass on the piano, which plainly has a "NO DRINKS" sign on it.

[LitemyDay]

If you close your eyes... you can even see the train coming. :P

[kungfuchee]

Very nice rag! Very comical in my opinion :-P All I can think of when I hear this a big chef at an old restaurant running around trying to swat all the flies and tripping over everything, hehe :-p

You wouldn't happen to have the sheets for this would you? Sounds like a fun tune I'd like to play!