Talk:Ragtime

This article should surely mention Max Morath, who about 1960 was a major factor in revived interest in ragtime. I believe he taught at the University of Utah? and did a series on ragtime for PBS or whatever the public TV group was at that time. Gomberg 17:32, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

Etymology

I'm sure this has been discussed somewhere, but isn't it possible that the word "ragtime" has some connection with the phrase "on the rag" (menstruation?) Dpbsmith 19:15, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Somebody (Tarquin, if I remember correctly) raised that possibility on IRC some months back. I don't know myself, but the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz doesn't mention it as a possibility. It doesn't actually suggest there's any doubt about the origin of the name at all:

The term "ragged time" came to be used in the late 19th century to describe the idiomatic syncopation characteristic of a style of popular music, predominantly for the piano, that emanated from the South and Midwest. The word "ragtime" was a corruption of this...

I don't know what other books have to say. --Camembert

Since we have a verifiable reference here for the etymology of the word, why include the other speculative references unless there is some historical basis for them? Just because something seems logical doesn't mean that it is factual. I am going to change the article to reflect this etymology alone. If anyone can verify another theory that's fine.Classicragger 03:34, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Ragtime is just perhaps the one great frist real american music which to this day does still continue to influence all really grest music with few excetions before or after there were a very few influences before ragtime! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eleventhdr (talk • contribs) 16:19, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Just as a point of correction, it is generally incorrect to refer to morphological development as "corruption." The first rule of language is that language changes, and there are usually specific pressures for these changes. --71.56.135.27 (talk) 22:10, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

Form in Joplin

Hey Folks, - I just picked up a disc of Joplin tunes, and I've noticed some structural similarities between the tracks. I mean more than just "Sonata Form." Certain devices or types of variation seem to be used frequently. But I'm not a music guru; that's why I checked out this page. Would it be possible to get more detail? Thanks! --Cladist July 20 2004

it was started by combing West Indian rhythms to European song structure...can some please look it up —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.165.128.199 (talk) 03:25, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

James Reese Europe, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle

No article on ragtime would be complete without mention of these three giants. I'm sorry I don't have the time to contribute to the article -- at least not right now. But someone should give these three their due.deeceevoice

What? No infobox?

Ragtime
Stylistic origins	African-American jigs and marches
Cultural origins	African-American communities
Typical instruments	Piano
Derivative forms	jazz, foxtrot
Other topics
Composers - Musicians

Most musical genres have an infobox. Is it about time we had it here? -- Smjg 17:24, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I've just been trying to do it. Here's what I've got so far. But we probably should improve on it before putting it in the article. I'm not sure which of the styles of ragtime should be listed in which bits of the box. -- Smjg 15:44, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Grammy Award?

Article says that Joshua Rifkin won a Classical Grammy for Joplin Rags in the 1970s but the Grammy pages don't show it. Does anyone object if I remove the reference here? Paul 20:14, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

I have just found a list of nominations for Grammy awards in 1971. While its a great record, sadly Rifkin didn't win this time... I'll add the reference and change the text. Major Bloodnok 10:13, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Contemporary Ragtime Composers Cited

I'm a nubie to the wonderful world of Wiki - but not to ragtime. I'm wondering why your short list of contemporary ragtime composers does not include Reginald R. Robinson? He's as prolific, perhaps more so than the names mentioned. He's as critically acclaimed as those cited (winner of the prestigious John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship "Genius Grant" award) and he's a signed recording artist. What more would qualify you for this short list? March 2006 (watkino)

I Love Ragtime,

GA Re-Review and In-line citations

Members of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Good articles are in the process of doing a re-review of current Good Article listings to ensure compliance with the standards of the Good Article Criteria. (Discussion of the changes and re-review can be found here). A significant change to the GA criteria is the mandatory use of some sort of in-line citation (In accordance to WP:CITE) to be used in order for an article to pass the verification and reference criteria. Currently this article does not include in-line citations. It is recommended that the article's editors take a look at the inclusion of in-line citations as well as how the article stacks up against the rest of the Good Article criteria. GA reviewers will give you at least a week's time from the date of this notice to work on the in-line citations before doing a full re-review and deciding if the article still merits being considered a Good Article or would need to be de-listed. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us on the Good Article project talk page or you may contact me personally. On behalf of the Good Articles Project, I want to thank you for all the time and effort that you have put into working on this article and improving the overall quality of the Wikipedia project. Agne 03:17, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Reasons for GA Delisting

This article's GA status has been revoked because it fails criterion 2. b. of 'What is a Good Article?', which states;

(b) the citation of its sources using inline citations is required (this criterion is disputed by editors on Physics and Mathematics pages who have proposed a subject-specific guideline on citation, as well as some other editors — see talk page).

LuciferMorgan 17:58, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Joplin article

An anon with a rotating ip has been making a series of edits to the Scott Joplin article repeatedly putting in such questionable assertions as calling Joplin "the founder of ragtime" and describing his music as "jazz". I've reverted and tried explaining on the article talk page, but I fear I'm starting to lose patience. Assuming good faith from the anon editor, I don't wish to look like I'm getting in a revert war with them. So I'd appreciate it if some other editors interested in ragtime could eye the Scott Joplin article and perhaps comment on any of the points of dispute on the talk page. Thanks, -- Infrogmation 15:57, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

What about the guitar?

This article is all based upon the piano, but you can play ragtime on the guitar as well, it's done by fingerpicking, I only dabble in this, but I was thinking- how many ragtime guitarists are there out there, I think we should make a little section on it in this article. --Mikeoman 23:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Sure, why not? I guess you'll start w/Stefan Grossman, right? Lessee: Duck Baker? Who else? +ILike2BeAnonymous 00:11, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Giovanni De Chiaro has transcribed all of Joplin's piano works to solo guitar. Although I'm a pianist and don't play guitar, his transcriptions are so good that I think some of the pieces actually sound better as guitar music than piano music. Both the sheet music and his recordings are available.--Classicragger 17:46, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Right- I know it's a big old subject there's tonnes of books on it, all of which I don't have right now, however I do dabble in ragtime although i am not expert in it- therefore I will add a brief section to this article- at one point in the future we can expand it but for the meantime, I will add what I know to the article- now are there any other notable ragtime guitarists we can add in, I've seen Grossman's books- they're good.--Mikeoman 22:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I noted the undo and reflecting on it I kinda agree, if we're gonna do it- do it right, we need a good strong section, not one with a that gradually snowballs- so you have my apologies. is it better therefore to have an article with more things such as the history of ragtime guitar and a quintessant time line full of notable guitarists- I only know a few, also do we need to have lots of information on the physical technique of ragtime guitar such as strumming patterns, fingerpicking, chord progressions and so forth?--Mikeoman 20:59, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

ragtime outside the United States?

So far I know that the Cuban pianist and composer Ignacio Cervantes had written a number of 41 cuban contradanzas, in which number 2 has a really close similarity to the ragtime style in rhythm (source: 101 montunos by Rebeca mauleon) . Although i have not come even close to any of these songs being performed nor the scores of it (except for the fragment which is shown on the book) i am unable to determine if ragtime had an influence on some of the musical styles outside the united States to be able to blend with afro-caribben music. Any verification or more information on this would be gladly apreciated. 70.121.124.110 16:25, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

the massive popularity of ragtime in Britain after 1911 deserves a paragraphJohncmullen1960 (talk) 07:30, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Image in the way

The "Maple Leaf" image is overlapping a bit of the article text in my browser (Safari). Is there any way to fix this? Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.157.231.55 (talk) 18:51, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

1st song with "rag time" in title

Does anyone know what the first song recorded was to use the word "ragtime" or "rag time" in its title, and who the performer was? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.177.104.238 (talk) 18:03, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

The lead

Wikipedia:LEAD states that the lead should summarise the rest of the article, whereas here it is given over to the musical structure of rags. I'll take a first pass at moving the text around. Major Bloodnok (talk) 12:12, 12 October 2008 (UTC)

Added some more to the Lead. I appreciate that I'm leaning heavily on Blesh, but that's the only source I've got. I'll take a look at adding & expanding on the information included in the lead when I get a chance (unless anyone else wishes to do so before I can!)

I'd like to focus more on the form of the Rag plus its influence Major Bloodnok (talk) 23:14, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

Ragtime and Brahms

Brahms is mentioned twice. First, is Brahms known of his waltzes? I really don't think so. Secondly, how Brahms can be influenced by Ragtime if he died (in Europe) around the same time when ragtime was about to born? --128.214.205.63 (talk) 14:51, 4 December 2008 (UTC)

True, although the information I had comes from Blesh's introduction to the Complete Works. Someone else with more knowledge of this should take a look. Major Bloodnok (talk) 12:07, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

EDIT. I've just taken another look at the source. I think I can add some clarity to this; the first mentioning of Brahms compares Joplin's work to other composers' output favourably. The impact on Brahms' work itself is less clear, although Blesh cites a biography of Brahms from 1933 and claims that the composer had "envisioned a ragtime project just before his death". I think on reflection this is quite a slim claim to significance, so I'll remove the reference in the article. Major Bloodnok (talk) 12:16, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Quotation

The quotation at the end is well meant but should be folded into the article. I don't think we need all of it either. Major Bloodnok (talk) 19:52, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

I have removed the long quotation. I was going to use it as a critical appraisal of Ragtime, but given it is from a novel (albeit one in which Ragtime appears to be a major plot point) I don't feel it could be used as such. For this article it is not notable enough to be included (WP:N), although if other editors with better understanding and knowledge of the topic think otherwise I'm willing to concede the point, although it should not be in the form of a long block quote. There are other and better sources out there which can give a more thorough appraisal of Ragtime. Major Bloodnok (talk) 18:44, 16 September 2009 (UTC)

Sound files needed

Why not to put audio files in the article too? I see that they are in the corresponding articles, but it'd be useful if they also were put in here. People wouldn't need to leave this page to go listen to music in the articles about each song mentioned here (The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag etc.)-Betty kerner (talk) 22:39, 16 September 2009 (UTC)