RAGTIME
From 1896 through the 1920’s Jazz’s predecessor Ragtime was at an all time high. Originating in St. Louis, Missouri, Ragtime became a household genre throughout the United States and it was played by regular people with pianos and the proper sheet music. Ragtime was both a vocal and instrumental genre, with many of its roots coming from minstrel shows, coon songs and cake walks.
Ragtime is a genre that uses a special technique making it sound the way that it does: the piano player plays the easier part with their left hand, while the syncopation/ “the swag” is played with the right hand. Other instruments used in Ragtime include the banjo and the guitar. The era of Ragtime produced a lot of famous musicians. Scott Joplin/ “The King of Ragtime,” Eubie Blake, Jelly Roll Morton and James P. Johnson.
EUBIE BLAKE
JELLY ROLL MORTON
SCOTT JOPLIN
JAMES P. JOHNSON
