Magnetic Rag by Scott Joplin

[@mangafreaky]

this is also one of my favorite style of piano music

[@Aptosis666]

I like the outfit. The playing is good. The pianist is cute.

[@OuiRV]

"Not perfect?" "PRETTY good?" You are TOO modest. That was a really terrific performance - beautiful phrasing, very expressive and just the right speed. Thanks for posting this. If you've got more Joplin to post, we'd love to see it!

[@PrinceJoelNavGotti]

nicee performance!! loving the image ;-) well done, keep it up!!

[@ms2333]

I love the tempo you chose. With just the right sprinkling of accents and ritenutos, it was just perfect for me. Best recording of this piece I've heard on KZbin so far.

[@tf2whackyengineer]

This is great playing on its own, but the outfit made it twice as awesome.

[@lisaviktorya]

Very true... although I have to admit, it's fun as hell to run through a ragtime hitting every note at breakneck speed. I personally dig the cartoonish craziness when I'm playing ragtime, but I can imagine it's not as enjoyable for the listener. I can't say I don't jump on the piano and play Maple Leaf a million miles of hour just to vent sometimes... haha :)

[@ms2333]

I know what you mean...Maple Leaf is great fun to play fast to unload frustration. My girlfriend will sometimes come from nowhere and dance around all goofy while I play and we both get laughing so hard I have to stop. Music should never stop being fun. :)

[@andrewhardy9333]

Hi there, As a Scott Joplin fan, I love this. Love the style you play with, love the sound you are getting from your piano and the speed is perfect. I also enjoyed your emphasis on the harmony changes, it just allowed me to enjoy it that tiny bit longer. Great stuff kido!

[@happsider]

great talent, I had a LOT of trouble trying to play this piece, but it's totally worth learning!

[@SnapplePoet]

so many comments, it only proves how much of a talent you are at life, truly phenomenal im enchanted best of luck to you in all of your life :]

[@saxarat]

the llama praises your l33t piano skillage. ahhh! i forgot i had castle in the sky loading! it's all the way loaded! away i go!

[@Randimony]

I'm used to hearing a recording of Scott Joplin playing this and I love the differences in the way you play it...it makes it personal. Sweet run though.

[@babyruth181]

Very nice job on this piece.

[@ALex4815162342]

OH MY GOD, DUDE! You have the same metronome as me!! Oh and your playing, it just inspires me to finish learning this. I'm currently on the 3rd part. But hey, you played great, keep it up, you nailed it, man!

[@duragdan2000]

Nice hat and nice rag! Congratulations!

[@TrancerB7]

I tried this piece myself and found it too hard at the time. I think I might try relearning it though. Its cool to hear ragtime in modern times. I've been playing ragtime for about 5 years.

[@Valness11]

you look pretty awesome :D and your playing's great. double win!

[@theregsband]

Dont knock it till you try it. Very well done!

[@MickeyYahoo]

Very good. Very, very good.

[@TheOpinionatedPerson]

An excellent song played excellently. 12 dislikers have no taste :'/

[@texican65]

Good playing kid!! Keep up the good work!

[@mara235]

like your version - keep it up!!

[@FREEASTHESTARS]

hey man you're really good keep up the good work how long you been playing (you're also cute hehe cool hat)

[@ComputerSam]

Very good, you play great. *****

[@tashlentine]

It's a steinway - one of the best, if not THE best brand of pianos :)

[@Telekon5]

NIce. My only critique is the timing is off at places. Even if you slow down to add a shuffle swing, it should still keep a steady time.

[@OuiRV]

Actually, Rifkin's NoneSuch recordings are widely considered to be quintessential Joplin interpretations. While slower than some, his speed is certainly acceptable. Without metronome notation, who's to say what the exact "correct" speed is. Ric Louchard's wonderful version is exactly the same speed as Rifkin's (5 min, 14 sec). I just checked - Zimmerman does play faster than I remembered, but not too much. "Most are better" ? Which are you referring to? I'd love to hear any that are out there.

[@Thunkful2]

@1nv1nc1b1e It needs lots of sensitivity & rubato to play rag right & not a doggerel. Bravo!

[@lisaviktorya]

Well said, thanks for that! :)

[@ms2333]

I think most people have a wrong idea of the proper tempo of ragtime music. Most of it I've heard is played WAY too fast. Joplin marked NOT FAST on many of his original scores. That actually means NOT FAST. I find quick tempos trivializes the feel and it ends up sounding cartoonish. In Magnetic Rag specifically, the originally published score is marked "allegretto ma non troppo". At 110-120 bpm, that's actually slower than played here. Pull up the score, use a metronome, and tap it out.

[@doctorh2005]

great performance dude! :) 5 stars. I'm assuming u planned to do the intro rhythmically different to whats written? :) I do something similar in my Maple Leaf Rag :) *respect*

[@OuiRV]

Pax - I agree that it's fine to post constructive criticism, but a couple things I disagree with you about... 1) Gabe's choice of speed here is really very good - right in line with many major recordings of Magnetic by very prominent artists (Louchard, Zimmerman, Rifkin), and 2) I think this is overall the best version posted on KZbin. Please let me know who's you think is better.

[@shinka1911]

very good

[@kjcon54]

I really get tired of discussions of the speed of ragtime players. True, most are labeled 'Not too fast', but this does not mean slow. Maple Leaf Rag was marked, 'Tempo Di Marcia' or march time. Most of the others that have tempo markings say 'Slow March'. A few specify a tempo of 100 bpm--a fairly quick tempo. Ragtime is supposed to be a lively dance music. My advice to piano players is to play it at the speed you feel it. Have fun. If music is not fun, there's no point in playing it

[@Bfushigyidzhange]

@1nv1nc1b1e I am a pianist myself and I think that he is playing it just right.

[@dunngar]

Nice

[@Tomelmusico]

Muy bien!!! esta bien porque estas practicando .... pero bastante biennn a mi no me sale nada de eso che una pregunta .... nada qe ver pero sos Mujer o Chico ? porqe no se diferencia con ese sombrero jajajajaj xD

[@WutherSoxDenton]

thanks ouriv I don't have any more Joplin (yet) but I have some Debussy (just look at the thing that says "nore from this user)

[@matteonator]

nice hat :D

[@emaytee]

shit kid! great song, great performance!

[@mopalia]

This is a very difficult piece, and you do a good job with it. I question your speed changes - the slowdowns - which I'm imagining are done intentionally but which, to me, break the flow of the piece. As far a tempo goes, ignore everyone the best authority is Max Morath; I recall him playing faster than you, but you're ok. People forget that Joplin had serious musical roots- going "classical" is legit. Ever tried "Real Slow Drag" from Treemonisha? You'd like it. Thanks for posting, good work!

[@ItsJulz]

@zrofosho Yeah, but hard work is a talent in itself. You can't find many hard working people these days. I'm jealous of people who can read music, because I can't, even though I play piano. I can't sit down and play any piece perfectly, I have to spend months playing a piece to get it right. Sight reading is a far more graceful way of playing. I understand how frustrating it is, but reading music is a major part of being a musician. You're not a musician if you can't read music.

[@OuiRV]

I have never heard a professional record Joplin "impossibly fast" so apparently nobody knows how to interpret it. "Related videos" are either played at the same slow tempo that you criticize or are loaded with mistakes, or both. I appreciate what everyone has to offer here, so I am not going to single out anyone's effort for specific criticism, but I would be interested to know which specific one you would single out for praise, and why.

[@PIER-PIZZA]

who's bloody drinkin noisy tea in the other room?

[@Commentator732]

Section 3 should repeat. Every section is played twice in ragtime.

[@jmkeller]

One of Joplin's best - too bad it gets shadowed by its overplayed counterparts

[@emaytee]

@bhavvv oh, i thought he was a homeless man who broke into that nice home.

[@1nv1nc1b1e]

@Thunkful2 yeah, but its way too much.

[@NiggaTubeDotCom]

Excellent playing, dumb hat

[@Zagginair]

Not too impressed with how you slowed down at transitions or endings. And you cut out some random notes from the original score which is a little disappointing. Not super terrible though!

[@1nv1nc1b1e]

too much rubato. i played this piece myself. u use too much pedal and the notes must be more detached. it's not that legato

[@careyeOhkey]

Nice job kid ! Work on that intro, it's te attention getter.

[@akoljrkdsf]

lets see u doing better then! get a life, complaining on others piano playing is really low