Maple Leaf Rag
Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag (1899), his first great success, is an Advanced piece (Octotune grade 7 of 8) in A flat major and 2/4, full of syncopated chords over a leaping left hand.
At a glance
| Composer | Scott Joplin (died 1917) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Advanced: grade 7 of 8 |
| Key | A♭ major (4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭)) |
| Time | 2/4 |
| Tempo | 120 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 144 bars, about 2:24 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to A♭6 |
| Left hand | A♭1 to D♭5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Leaf Rag | 7 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Maple Leaf Rag (1899) made Scott Joplin's name and became the best-known rag of its time. It is marked Tempo di marcia, in march time, and like all Joplin's rags it is in several strains, each repeated, with a trio in D flat major.
Why it is hard. It is one of the most demanding pieces in Octotune's library:
- Density. Both hands play chords and octaves much of the time. At the written tempo the two hands together play about 18 notes a second, far more than The Entertainer's 10 or so.
- Leaps. The left hand jumps between low octaves and chords almost every beat.
- Syncopation. The right hand's broken chords land off the beat against a steady left hand.
- Four flats, and five in the trio, with plenty of accidentals.
If you're not there yet. Start with Octotune's Melody level: the right hand's top line alone, still syncopated, is a fine reading and rhythm exercise. Then the Melody and bass level adds one left-hand note per bar.
Practice plan for the full rag
- One strain at a time. Left hand alone first, slowly, eyes ahead.
- Right hand alone, counting "1 and 2 and" aloud; tap the syncopations before playing them.
- Hands together at 40–50% speed with the A–B loop on two bars at a time.
- Keep it steady rather than fast. A march tempo with swagger sounds better than a scramble.
Before you start: the whole Octotune path, plus comfort with key signatures of several flats.
Questions
Is the Maple Leaf Rag hard?
Yes. It is an advanced piece (Octotune grade 7 of 8) and one of the densest in the library: both hands play chords and octaves, the left hand leaps constantly, and the key has four flats.
What key is the Maple Leaf Rag in?
A flat major, with four flats, in 2/4. Its trio moves to D flat major.
Credits and licence
- Music: Scott Joplin (died 1917)
- Typeset by Chris Sawer for the Mutopia Project
- Licence: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece