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The sounds of Ragtime move the spirit. To technically assess its history and evolution, through digital or written words, does not reveal its musical worth in any way; for, Ragtime is elusive and can truly only be interpreted individually by each listener. And, of course, each listener will be moved differently than than another as paralleled by the visual arts ... where everyone sees something different in the same painting.
The etymology of "Ragtime": The term is said to come from two parts, Ragged and Time. By ragging the timing in music, in a syncopated fashion, you would essentially be "tearing the music apart by tearing time apart" with unexpected rhythmic shifts. With the arrival of the 1890s, all styles of music that had this syncopated rhythm, were considered to be "ragged".
The instruments of "Ragtime": Piano is the first instrument that comes to mind in the applications of Ragtime (at least from the popular form as a main medium). Notwithstanding, many other instruments were involved in the origins of Ragtime ... and usually played by plantation musicians such as handmade mandolins, fiddles and banjos. In their portability, these instruments were easily carried, during and through the Civil War. Jigs, reels, hornpipes ... along with minuets, schottisches and cotillions were performed regularly for dances, corn shuckings and camp meetings. |
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The earliest influences of Ragtime came from this Americana tradition. As this troubadour process grew, Ragtime was taking stage. Other ensembles, consisting of full band instrumentation, began absorbing the many tunes exchanged in this tradition — both Guitar and Piano would perform many of these very same pieces long established by the wandering minstrels of America. In fact, the Minstrel Show itself, as a theatrical art form, was one of the first to bring forth Ragtime music to a white audience ... although, and intriguingly, from Afro-American folk sources.
First Published "Ragtime" and the Industrial Revolution: Ragtime was being played years before it was published — probably due to the limited acceptance by the higher music circles of publishing, in 1896 the curtain was lifted. And, as soon as it hit the publishing mainstream, of the Gay 90s, it lit the music world afire. Recalling, that at this time, there wasn't any kind of recording device, publishing really was the only real way to reach the masses. So, in essence, you can say that tangibly, Ragtime came into full being in the 1890s (with the first printed piece distributed in 1896). An American Institution if you will, as it fast became accepted in concert halls, with orchestras, on nickelodeons (jukeboxes of the time), and, of course, commonly played in brothels across the country. |
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The Ragtime Hit of 1899: "Maple Leaf Rag" was the first top-of-the-charts hit (before there were charts) and set the precedence for many more instrumental rags to come. Considered the most significant Ragtime piece ever written ... even to this day! Because of its immense commercial success, it singularly brought Ragtime to an accepted level that once and for all put the genre on the musical map. And, of course, it introduced Scott Joplin to a large audience ... perpetuating a demand for its published distribution. Keep in mind now, this was a turning point for Ragtime as a genre unto itself. Before the 1890s, Ragtime, or ragged, was really more of a verb that described how a piece of music was treated. When a piece was ragged it could be any composition within any genre with the added syncopation of being ragged. It took composers such as Joplin to conceptualize a music composition from scratch that was "ragged" as it was being written. This introduced Ragtime as an accepted music genre of its own as opposed to a verbal term of how a piece of music was treated. |
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Guitar and Ragtime Music: From the 1800s to today, Ragtime Guitar always had its own place, albeit, at times underground — both in the evolution and in the performance of Ragtime. Guitar, along with banjo, were played in parlor-style settings through the 1800s and on. Classical and minstrel-style music were played in solo settings — with a fingerstyle approach no less. Although piano held precedence for Ragtime, through its composers and published Ragtime piano music, many other string instruments were influential in its roots ... and even more so in its revival in the 1960s-1970s. This brings us to where the acoustic guitar reached its Ragtime zenith when many fine artists began arranging and interpreting Ragtime classics ... and, of course, many original guitar compositions also arose from this renaissance.
Ragtime also served as the roots for stride piano, a more improvisational piano style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Elements of ragtime found their way into much of the American popular music of the early 20th century. It also played a central role in the development of the musical style later referred to as Piedmont blues; indeed, much of the music played by such artists of the genre, such as Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, Elizabeth Cotten, and Etta Baker, could be referred to as "ragtime guitar." from Wikipedia
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Ragtime Guitar in the 1960s: Ragtime music in the '50s was more of a rinky tink piano display ... with a Tin Pan Alley focus. Pizza Parlors and Saloons were increasing the demand for the Honky Tonk piano which kind of "genericized" the sounds of Ragtime and really pulled away from the original timeless Ragtime compositions of the classical ragtime pianists. However, with the release of the hallmark book, "They All Played Ragtime", many new artists were rediscovering the wondrous and timeless melodies first written around the turn of the century. And when the '60s arrived, these artists were coming out of the woodwork with full-blown acoustic guitar interpretations of complex piano arrangements.
The popularity of Ragtime guitar had enough influence and impact to carry forward in mainstream rock/folk music. Arlo Guthrie released "Alice's Restaurant" in 1967 ... |
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... and the title track was a Ragtime Guitar piece with Arlo singing a refrain while throughout the entire 19 minutes recounting a story of Thanksgiving and "litterbugging". And, it soon became a movie under the same name. Sure, it was a product of the era, being essentially an anti-establishment song, however, the guitar work really was infectious. (Author's Note: I still perform this piece as an instrumental to this day and audiences always react with a "I know that song!")
Another mainstream Ragtime Guitar piece that hit the charts, in 1972, was "Keep on Truckin' Mama" by Hot Tuna. Interestingly, this piece had the very same progression as "Alice's Restaurant" — yet, a totally different feel and rhythm. In fact, this piece seems to fall back on the original feel of Blind Blake, the Ragtime Blues Guitarist considered "The King of Ragtime Guitar" in the early 1900s. (Author's Note: I also perform this piece ... and have loved everything ever written, interpreted or performed by Jorma Kaukonen — one of my all-time favorite acoustic guitarists on planet Earth.) |
Ragtime Guitar as an Underground Movement in the 1970s: Ragtime Guitar also had its underground movement of players. Many of these artists were well-exposed, in an underground fashion, by the Kicking Mule label of Stefan Grossman founded in 1972. This school of Ragtime Guitarists, under the wings of Grossman, focused on appealing to other aspiring guitarists (at least that was their targeted audience) by including accompanying tablatures with all album releases. There was an amazing line-up of guitarists of which included: Duck Baker, Leo Wynkamp, David Laibman, Peter Finger, Woody Mann, Eric Schoenberg, Rick Schoenberg, Dale Miller and Stefan Grossman himself.
Stefan Grossman has done more for the exposure and introduction of Ragtime Guitar to other guitarists than anyone else in history, period. His efforts are so influential, that this site itself would not exist without his superb and excellent work in music publishing. Thusly, I've dedicated this site to Stefan Grossman. May he always carry forth the Ragtime Guitar flag ... and, hopefully, may I in some small way help other guitarists and aspiring artists find inspiration in this wondrous and most delicate approach to the Acoustic Guitar.
Mickey Cochran |
Stay tuned, more to come on when and where the Guitar took its place in Ragtime History.
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