Learn Ragtime Piano

Ragtime is a very fun and upbeat type of piano music to play. There are many different ways that you can learn ragtime piano and it requires dedication and commitment to your music lessons. Ragtime is classified by a combination of several European classical elements blended with an African American harmony to create a very rhythmic and fun piano style of playing. Many people are initially intimated by the ragtime genre but find that they greatly enjoy playing it once they learn some of the techniques and start playing songs.

Scott Joplin is considered the father or king of ragtime music. It would not be until his music appeared during the 1970’s in a motion picture show, that Scott Joplin would really become known to the world. Ragtime was around during the late 1800’s but its popularity did not see its peak until the movie, The Sting. Joplin originally played banjo at a very young age and then later mastered the piano. He enjoyed piano and music so much that he created a unique style of ragtime and even composed some very exciting ragtime piano pieces that are still played today by ragtime pianists all over the world.

Ragtime requires a great deal of manual dexterity and coordination to fully master. The majority of the pieces are very quick in tempo and have a large number of notes. In order to learn ragtime piano it is important to build some basic skills in piano playing. While it is possible to play ragtime piano by ear, it is much easier to learn this genre by reading the notes. Thus, it is imperative that you have a strong understanding of piano notes and chords to do well with ragtime piano. People that cannot read piano notes often find ragtime difficult to learn and become discouraged.

Many ragtime players have found it helpful to learn how to play classical piano prior to ragtime. Remember that ragtime is indeed a combination and blend of classical pieces with the unique harmony and blending. Once you start playing ragtime pieces you will notice that certain parts sound familiar. If you are already comfortable playing Bach, Chopin, Mozart and even Debussy, you will find that mastering ragtime piano will be much easier and you will actually learn ragtime piano much more quickly than others that do not have classical piano music training.

Prior to learning ragtime, listen to as many ragtime pieces as possible. Spend time hearing the pieces and feeling the different rhythms and blending of the notes. Not only listen to the different pieces of ragtime, but take the time to listen to different ragtime piano artists. The diversity and what each artist brings to ragtime will stand out in the pieces. You can get a feel for how the music truly sounds at its best before you begin playing. It can be very uplifting and inspiring.

You can learn ragtime piano with the instruction of a piano teacher or you can even learn it through piano teaching videos. There are a lot of techniques and skills that are required to master ragtime but videos will enable you to watch the instructor and to listen to the pieces as you are learning them. The majority of ragtime piano players start with simple or beginning ragtime pieces that are in the key of G and C or the key of Bb or Eb. This enables you to learn ragtime music pieces that are either on the white keys or ones played on the black keys. You will learn the basics and be able to better improvise and add your own flair to the pieces as you progress through your ragtime piano lessons.