Chopsticks in ragtime on two pianos, unplanned & unrehearsed

[@Keeper1st]

He's 16 years old, and the reigning champion of the annual World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing.

[@hortondlfn1994]

He obviously deserves the title - breathtaking talent!

[@BabaltBlaydin]

It's unbelievable to think that boy is 28 now

[@pi5549]

@Keeper1st -- How about contacting Neuralink with an idea to give Tom an early neuralink, so that he can learn to make music through it? This would give Tom another lease of life, and be tremendous advertising for Neuralink.

[@jopeckxpress]

@@pi5549 It might sound very harsh, but I would recommend forgetting about it. Maybe in a far future it will be a competent technology but that time is not today :(((

[@kennyworth007]

The older man met his match...The younger one ,met his master. Just the same awesome performance by both parties...

[@kennyworth007]

The most violent 'nerd ' fight ever..I enjoyed every moment..Good job to both parties..

[@srenhaandbk7904]

shout-out to the guy who starts clapping at 1:46, but then stops as he realises he hasn't got any sense of rythm.

[@jasiahchristian6653]

pro trick : you can watch series at flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies these days.

[@richardjude6150]

@Jasiah Christian yea, I have been using Flixzone} for since november myself :D

[@srenhaandbk7904]

@@richardjude6150 Why are there so many people talking about flixzone!?

[@JohannaAFlorez]

I love that musicians challenge each other like this. So much good music comes out of it.

[@TheGilbeeno]

Love how Adam tries to finish it like 5 times but Tom just keeps adding new melodies to confuse him :D

[@sethbarry8811]

Tom looked like he was having so much fun messing with adam

[@Keeper1st]

Adam has been playing for about seven years. Tom, for about 33 years. I seem to recall that they did break into this at after hours of the West Coast Ragtime Festival later that year on a couple of new Yamaha grands. I don't know if tdub1941 recorded it though. He was there recording a lot.

[@hortondlfn1994]

2:00 - when Adam thinks the variation is over and then throws his hands in the air when he realizes there's MORE...that made me nearly fall out of my chair, and I had to play it over and over. What a great pair of players!

[@Keeper1st]

Be sure to see the follow-up performance from a couple years later. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaaVo2t-mbCipMk

[@hortondlfn1994]

@@Keeper1st Thanks! I will!

[@johne7345]

I am always impressed by folks who can improvise so effectively. Those two guys are having way too much fun.

[@Keeper1st]

Those flowers were on a collision course with Adam's lap. Luckily Pepper saw how the vase was moving and stepped in to take it away.

[@Crimmyblues]

"I was in a hotel lobby when a concert broke out"

[@Keeper1st]

Back in the ragtime era, string bands were quite popular. Harp guitars were invented to provide bass notes, I think! There was a seminar about this at last year's West Coast Ragtime Festival. The covers of many rags point out all the different arrangements for which they were published, often various combinations of piano, guitar, and mandolins. There just aren't enough people playing the music on string instruments these days!

[@Keeper1st]

@jlh2667 A couple weeks ago they met again and did another impromptu Chopsticks that lasted for over nine minutes. I'll be posting that eventually.

[@kade82]

I've been playing piano for 28 years (since I was 16) and while I think I have a natural God-given talent for playing, I know I am nowhere near the level of these two. This is absolutely fantastic!

[@sigmet61]

I have never seen anything like it.. Just amazing.... what incredible talent.. and the kid does not appear to be very old...

[@Keeper1st]

Afterward, Adam did suggest that they work it out as a real set performance... Who knows? Maybe at the West Coast Ragtime Festival in November...

[@Keeper1st]

As an update to this old comment: There's a group called Ragtime Skedaddlers -- consisting of guitar, banjo-mandolin and standard mandolin -- that is about to record an album of the ragtime works of Charles L. Johnson (composer of "Dill Pickles Rag", "Doc Brown's Cakewalk" and "Sweet and Low" among others), using, wherever possible, the originally published guitar & 2-mandolin arrangements. There's at least a couple videos of the Ragtime Skedaddlers on KZbin; search their name.

[@PagnDad2]

another wonderful video... and... as for the tuning of Adam's piano... I have always thought ragtime sounded best on a piano that was slightly drifted off tune

[@pi5549]

Wonderful that Tom was able to 'pass the torch' so to speak before his crash. I see he has paired up with several other musicians on occasion, so his creativity has found its way into the global vibration.

[@claudiasmemaw]

Tom Brier was HORRENDOUSLY injured in car accident Aug 6, '16. As I understand it, he was the last car in a line stopped on an off ramp. His little car was rear ended by a speeding Silverado. He sustained VERY SERIOUS brain damage. Right now, he can not play! I do NOT know Tom, only his music. Please keep he & his family in your thoughts & prayers.

[@srenhaandbk7904]

of course. it is hard to think that tom, might never will be able to play sweet ragtime piano again...

[@Captain-Sum.Ting-Wong]

That's horrible. I really hope he is able to recover.

[@NinuRenee]

Even though I don't know the man personally his videos did get me into playing a lot of ragtime, hope he can still be able to jam on the piano like he used to in the future!

[@srenhaandbk7904]

That man alone inspired me to go into the ragtime genre, and though it is hard to keep those chords right, and not break the "buttons" (im danish, got no idea what they're called in english) on the shitty electric pile o' crap im stuck with, im still going strong, hoping one day to be as great as tom, or some what at least.

[@uncommonsense360]

Chevy Owners...

[@nightfall4315]

Amazing how he threw “Bill Bailey” in there! I’ve played It with my jazz band so often that I would recognize it anywhere Great musicians with great creativity!!

[@amybradley2514]

This is absolutely marvelous! I love impromptu playing like this, when two people who know what they are doing are having good fun!

[@Keeper1st]

It's explained in the description. Basically, Adam only knew the first part of the tune, so he stops, listens to Tom playing to pick up on the parts he doesn't know, then joins in. He also keeps thinking the joke about playing Chopsticks is going to end, but Tom keeps running with it!

[@DrewskisBrews]

Tom Brier: "Never stop in the middle of a hoedown! "

[@Dakdizzy]

I guess this is how it would have been during the ragtime era

[@ThatBoomerDude56]

Just like Marty said: "Watch for the changes and try to keep up!!"

[@Keeper1st]

Still chopsticks, really.

[@srenhaandbk7904]

i think everyone here is equally thankful you managed to capture this epic battle of wits

[@iceonisaac]

BEST THING IVE EVER SEEN

[@BrotherSkodidi]

It makes my fingers hurt! But it is so awesome! I am green with envy of their mad skills!

[@thatrecord5313]

Ah ha! I knew I was hearing the Tiger Rag from the ODJB, my favorite band!

[@Keeper1st]

@crankatorium Adam is 19 now. He was 16 or about to turn 16 when this video was recorded.

[@SymphonyOfSound02]

Wow thank you for sharing this, I am very impressed! I love the piano and they really look like they're having fun!

[@d3w4yn3]

CRAZY!!!!!! You guys were insane!!! I particularly like how you kept trying to see if you were done and he wouldn't let you off the hook! BRAVO for both of you!!!

[@Squarerig]

O am so impressed that I am,for once,almost speechless!A tremedous duo-and unrehearsed.Jesus,how would one rehearse music of this nature.Superlatives all round!!10 Starsand 100%

[@MrRagtimefan]

AWESOME!!!! both masters of improvisation! how can i learn to improvise like that? is there maybe a book or something that would help?

[@motob4406]

Just alot of experience I think, I've asked myself the same question so many times so I understand where you're coming from, I'm relatively new to the piano but I know that after practicing when I come back to the piano improvise, I'm ALOT better! I'm better and more fluid, controlled, even and whole because I've practiced. The eveness! Playing is alot like talking, if you want really fluid talking, like people who get up and just talk beautifully, reading poetry or something, they practice ALOT. Now just talking regularly maybe that's not something you really want to achieve, I don't desire to be a talker so I don't practice talking, as a result I have pauses, hesitations and I make mistakes alot, I'm ok with that because I'm not trying to do anything impressive, just talking :) With piano though, if you really want to play something amazing, improvised or not. Practice is key my friend. It doesn't have to be a boring monotonous task, even something basic, but it will pay off, good luck :) let me know how it goes!

[@btbuster1]

This makes me smile every time I watch it!!!

[@gmmix]

One of the best! FIVE STARS and added to my list of favorites.

[@Keeper1st]

@MrRagtimefan It just comes from a lot of dedication to the music, studying recordings (and, in Tom's case, piano rolls), and so forth. How they do it off the top of their heads is a mystery. I can sometimes make a new arrangement of something direct to paper (such as a couple videos I posted this past week), at least, but nowhere near the quality that these two can do right at the keyboard in real time.

[@Andrewcv44]

Brilliant!

[@Keeper1st]

A question many have asked themselves...

[@jlh2667]

Magnificent and that is the way I'd love to play that!!!

[@DrewskisBrews]

Helluva warmup! That kid has chops!

[@Birdnest12]

I just couldn't love this more!!! I am with DanStJH...green with envy!!

[@kwas101]

5:21 of pure pleasure!

[@SteveKarpali]

LONG LIVE RAGTIME!! You guys are very impressive

[@orshey]

@Keeper1st oh, i see it. thank you. so, it's the PAST. it was only several weeks earlier... i see it sadly. :( it's just today's favourite. =)

[@AntonAdelson]

Wow!!! Never seen anything like it before!

[@SgtJelly]

Me neither!

[@Keeper1st]

@isambo400 The same thing he started at 1:30 -- a Trio section he made up on the spot, only this time he's switched to put melody into the left hand. They keep playing that until Adam introduces "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?" then when Tom joins into that, Adam plays "Tiger Rag" on top of it since it has the same chord sequence.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Of your going to show off, do it like this! Bloody superb.

[@samjarris]

Apsolutely fantastic. They are both wonderful musicians! geeze!

[@gilbert01284]

When two complimentary talents meet...

[@Keeper1st]

@orshey Adam (in the foreground) has played at the Bohém Ragtime-Jazz Festival in Kecskemét, actually.

[@AwesomepianoTURTLES]

4 people tried to party this, then they flipped the table and automatically pressed the dislike button.

[@FImMbO]

MY ears, they don't comprehend the awesome. TOO MUCH AWESOME.

[@625699]

I have never knew that chopsticks could be playing in ragtime on two pianos and make up the rest as you both went along. You are both interesting piano players. Good luck to you both in the future.

[@Senseman]

Astonishing. Thanks for posting this!

[@Keeper1st]

@orshey Yes, you just missed it this year. But now you have plenty of time to plan for 2011!

[@Keeper1st]

Yes, Adam is in the foreground.

[@KawhackitaRag]

I love it how the lady has to take the vase off the piano so it won't break!

[@ve2so]

Very good! Improvisation is fantastic!

[@Keeper1st]

That's Pepper Rae. I think you met her at Sutter Creek before. But yeah, she noticed that the vase was thinking about falling on Adam!

[@cmp772]

im one day older than this video n its make me hype for practice more and more the piano

[@vladinho7]

they are both really good. Great job.

[@flippiegrove3490]

Now that is fun.

[@Keeper1st]

@Crimmyblues Well, this wasn't the lobby. I do have a video from a spontaneous concert in a hotel lobby. Enter (without quotes) "baltimore jazz hotel" in the KZbin search.

[@DrewskisBrews]

I could watch this video 1000 times

[@洪諒]

Better than despacito

[@soggeysandwhich7520]

Obviously

[@Keeper1st]

@gmmix Be sure to check out the "redux" video response to this, when they did Chopsticks again a couple years later.

[@ozdigg9254]

Wonderful, thank you.

[@williamkieffer9023]

The song that never ends, but enjoyed.

[@karmaflage6891]

INSANE!!...... Totally awesome..... loved it...

[@mangobat827]

now thats some fancy chopsticks! XD

[@Damoskinos]

This is Fantastic

[@Drum3r541]

This is entirely WAAYYYY too distracting, but screw my paper, this is amazing!

[@ShokaLion]

That was utterly awesome.

[@issystar96]

NO WORDS!!! ♡♡♡

[@TheMemeMachineNowInHD]

Lol, at the end, he was like "No! We're DONE!"

[@NewZman23]

soooo good. u guys rock. I challenge anyone to watch this with cracking a smile :-)

[@Keeper1st]

@orshey No, no. Just a friend through ragtime!

[@HotcowCoUk]

great fun stuff! And talent.

[@Squarerig]

Chopsticks?Where is my sukiyaki,where is my chicken chowmein?Who needs food when music of this quality is on offer?

[@shortyclay1]

super job !!!

[@Keeper1st]

How a planned duet works varies. If both pianists are good improvisers, then they take turns on the melody (search for videos I posted of "Thunderbolt Rag" or "Blame it on the Blues" for just a couple examples). Other times, one pianist will be in charge of playing the tune mostly straight while the other adds embellishment throughout (search "Mashed Potatoes ragtime" for one example that I can think of).

[@DSHolmstrom]

nobody who has seen musicians improvising together can doubt the existence of at least trace levels of telepathy.

[@jessicarainier-pope3498]

amazing!

[@DrMPQC]

Adam is an absolute wizard o_o

[@isambo400]

3:40 get those flowers out of here

[@JohnHowieson]

Lovin' it!

[@zocjones]

*flail* applause Brilliant

[@DrMPQC]

Is there a special term for what Adam does at 2:07-2:09? Sounds really cool!

[@Somuchcooleronline1]

Good question

[@阮嘉朗]

Awesome

[@PianoJan]

Awesome! :)

[@Octary]

should have played the opening to mike tyson's punch out, real classic

[@orshey]

@Keeper1st :) yeah. kind. saw u the performance in HU♥?

[@orshey]

come to HUNGARY =) funny. pionist2's hands up in the air ♥

[@gracegorman642]

Wow!!

[@MissZAdlez]

Hilarious and amazing.

[@a320214]

GREAT FUN W.O.W. !!!!!!!!

[@kukimiyo]

haha, protect the vase!