Maple Leaf Rag

Maple Leaf Rag (1899) is the piano rag that established Scott Joplin's reputation and turned ragtime from a regional African-American piano style into a national publishing phenomenon — Joplin's first big seller, the work that kept his estate solvent, and the most-played rag in the entire repertoire. The piece sits in A flat major, in the four-strain rondo form that Joplin perfected: AABBACCDD.

Technically the piece tests three things at concert standard. First, the syncopated right-hand line — every off-beat must be felt as on-beat in expressive weight, the way a dance feels two-against-three. Second, the marching left-hand stride pattern, which must stay rhythmically rock-steady (not swung) under the right-hand syncopation; Joplin himself instructed do not play this piece fast. Third, the structural shifts between the four strains: each must have its own colour while staying inside the same dance pulse.

Two pitfalls. First, students play it fast; Joplin's tempo marking is tempo di marcia, and rushing collapses the rag's character. Second, the left hand swings in pursuit of jazz feel; classic ragtime is straight-quavered, not swung — the swing came later, with Harlem stride and early jazz.

Listening: PD recordings of Maple Leaf Rag are abundant on Musopen and IMSLP audio (Joplin's piano-roll recordings of his own music are now PD). They are the canonical reference and clarify the no-swing, marching tempo.