Description
Tom Turpin's The St. Louis Rag packs 1,185 notes into a mere 89 seconds, making it an advanced-level piece. Its syncopated right-hand melody set against a steady left-hand accompaniment is a hallmark of the ragtime style, creating a blend of buoyancy and rhythmic tension. Performing it demands the technical control to deliver a dense stream of notes at speed.
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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