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Chapter 43
Scott Joplin
Maple Leaf Rag
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Rhythmic Syncopation
Hidden Melodies and Stride Bass
Profile: Scott Joplin (1868 1917)
Expand Your Playlist: Joplin
Sectional Form
Connect Your Playlist: Syncopation
Listening Guide: Maple Leaf Rag
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
43.1 Define ragtime and discuss its origins.
43.5 Recognize the form of Maple Leaf Rag.
Key Concepts
syncopation, sectional form, compound melodies
Chapter Highlight: Ragtime
Ragtime, with its syncopated rhythms, laid the groundwork for early jazz.
Chapter Summary
Scott Joplin is best known for his ragtime piano pieces. Born in Texarkana, Arkansas, he taught
himself to play piano and other instruments as a teenager. He left home for
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St. Louis in 1894 and settled in Sedalia, Missouri, where he worked as a pianist, playing ragtime
for elite social clubs. His Maple Leaf Rag was published in 1899.
Ragtime style emerged in the Midwest when musicians improvised on popular tunes. In
States attended the event but African American musicians were excluded from the official
entertainment. Many African American musicians played outside the exposition and exchanged
Listening Guide
The form of Maple Leaf Rag is sectional, with four parts: AABBACCDD. Only A returns after
another section. The melodic patterns distinguish each part of the form most obviously. Section
D is not syncopated.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag
Chapter Audio: Chapter 43
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1.
and exchange ideas?
2. -twentieth-
Activities and Exercises
1. Play excerpts from three or four different Joplin piano pieces. Repeat the experience, this time
giving the title of each. Did the students find it easy to identify the Joplin pieces? Were the
pieces similar in any way? Compare the pieces and discuss the differences and similarities.
2. Ask students to speculate on the origins and demise of ragtime. Remind them to think about
where the music might have been played.
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Journaling Prompt