Description
The Harlem Rag is one of Turpin's best-known works, an advanced piece unfolding over 1,500 notes across 191 seconds. Multiple themes alternate throughout, following the conventions of early ragtime while offering considerable variety along the way. It calls for sustained concentration and a firm rhythmic sense.
Ragtime pieces centered on Scott Joplin's syncopated rhythms — a lively American genre that helped pave the way for jazz.
Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Tom Turpin (1871-1922)
Tom Turpin (1871-1922) was an American ragtime composer and pianist. His 1897 rag 'Harlem Rag' is considered the first ragtime composition published by an African American composer, an important milestone in music history. This site includes that piece along with one other.
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