How to Play Ragtime Jazz

Ragtime is America's original rebel music. Predating jazz and all of the offsets of jazz, ragtime has its roots as the original pop music. Ragtime comes in different forms and tempos, but one thing all ragtime music has in common is its essence of freedom and playfulness. Follow these steps to help you play ragtime jazz and experiment with this wonderfully rich American tradition.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Start by learning the history of ragtime jazz. Learn especially about ragtime forerunners such as Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb, and James Scott, to name a few.

2. Learn as much about your specific instrument as possible and learn to play it classically first before deviating to ragtime. Build a strong foundation in music theory before moving onto jazz theory.

3. Listen to recordings of ragtime to get a feel for the style of the music. Pay special attention to the syncopated rhythms of ragtime and note that this rhythm can be applied to any meter to create a ragtime sound if played properly.

4. Develop a sense of anticipation of the melody as opposed to playing the melody when beginning to play ragtime. Follow along with your favorite recording to get a good feel for the beat. Think of the music as more of an upswing to the next melodic note rather than a straight progression as in traditional music.

5. Slowly play the music until you can sort of catch the upswing and then increase your speed as you become more comfortable with the style. Practice this style of playing with your favorite pieces and try to make them more ragtime friendly for extra practice.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn about the different forms of ragtime to see the difference between the styles; cakewalk, two step, slow drag, and foxtrot are all forms of ragtime.
• Pay special attention to the historical implications of ragtime and try to be respectful of the rich multicultural history of the jazz style, as this history colors the sound greatly.

Resources

• Find some vintage recordings of ragtime music.