What is Ragtime? Ragtime Explained in 2 minutes (Music Theory)

Hey there!
After a while I'm back with a short music theory related video explaining what is ragtime, an amazing musical style today somehow forgotten (or at least not very popular). Hopefully I made it clear and understandable also for those of you who are not musicians or pianists...enjoy! :)
Davide
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[@Dave-Wave]

You can also follow me on Spotify here → bit.ly/DaveWave 😊🎹 🎶🎧

[@sumwun2445]

What song is being played in the vid? I love it 😆

[@dachuckinator8953]

hey dave, do you have any sheet music of that rag? It'd be a great help.

[@CHDean]

Indeed

[@ErikCPianoman]

Excellent summary and editing. Probably the best, most succinct explanation of ragtime I’ve ever seen.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@exonax4188]

Succ

[@aialberto99]

you watch a lot of explanations of ragtime?

[@alexlaverty4592]

My thoughts, but better worded.

[@cestlextase]

i wasn't asked to smash any like buttons or listen to reviews of other videos :)

[@dogloverrenu]

this channel is way underrated

[@nickkohlmann]

supermanoffood It really is!

[@littlechimchim6346]

hot chocolate gfugyftfgd Ghhhhhhhhh Kkkkk Gvggg Ghgggggghhhhhhhhhbhb ttggfff❤️💜

[@finderrio]

@@littlechimchim6346 sedf wsedrf aertg xdfg dfgx xzfgd s dtfh hrt

[@KoreyThatcher]

Amen!

[@apriliahussna4561]

I'm your 600th like and I agree with you👍

[@julianfletcher1912]

1:50 -When you realize you've been tapping your foot for the entire video

[@DaffodilAries]

A Capitalist true xD i've been tapping foot as if its the rhythm and fingers as if im playing the piano.

[@rafamedina4744]

I didn't notice I was tapping my foot until I read this comment😂

[@alf2540]

Julian Fletcher wtf😂

[@artemi7]

I felt SO CALLED OUT that I had been bobbing along to the beat, then that happened I just froze, like a deer in the headlights lol

[@chrisbailey7384]

Try listening to ragtime while driving down the road. You'll be tapping the gas pedal or the brake. No wonder you see so many tire marks all over the road!

[@davidwalter2002]

I was an accomplished pianist by the time The Sting was released, and I fell in love with Ragtime. One of the things I noticed about the various composers of the era was that many of their works were difficult to play because they divided the attention too much. Scott Joplin, on the other hand (no ten inpunded), understood the form to the point where his compositions had sections where the right hand stayed in position while the left moved, or else had the left hand stationary, doing what I call "chop chords" while the right hand could execute an arpeggio or a complicated rhythm that required the pianist's full attention. Unlike many of his contemporaries, and especially modern composers/arrangers who attempt ragtime, Joplin understood piano music and the mechanics of playing. His compositions fit in the hands very well, and he was able to get more melodically and harmonically sophisticated than many others as a result.

[@Nomadic-]

"Do you feel like dancing?" I already am

[@MegiddoProductions]

This video made me a professional tap dancer

[@randomuser5443]

Head beating

[@ebinmenes1698]

I feel disappointed for knowing that i will never play an instrument like this in my whole life... maybe my children will have the chance

[@Bromosomo]

my legs were moving to the song and i didnt even realize it till it said that

[@luxcardell7910]

I feel like dancing even without music

[@SnowblindOtter]

This just makes music like this even more brilliant when you break down exactly WHAT makes it sound so appealing to move to.

[@Dave-Wave]

I'm very glad you found it interesting! Thank you very much for watching :)

[@toasterstrooder8628]

This is an absolutely wonderful explanation, with a wonderful piano performance to accompany it. You did a great job with breaking the style down to its most basic elements.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@corporalcookie5299]

so the entertainer is a ragtime?

[@williamwong2706]

Yeah, definitely. Scott Joplin's music

[@gamatastica3478]

Yep

[@mccookies3664]

Yeah basically all of Joplin’s music is basically the definition of ragtime

[@jaredfieseler6654]

North West perfect explanation right there

[@FilipinoFurry]

yes it is

[@apple11117]

Great explanation! It's sad that people don't realize just how difficult music like this is. It sounds simple enough but in being that the left-hand jumps nonstop, it is almost impossible to look at sheet music or your right hand. I just finished learning Easy winners (Scott Joplin) and it is killer (plus your left arm goes through a workout everytime you play it...)

[@TylerInTraining]

Ragtime is one of the best demonstrations of the difference between "simple" and "easy". In terms of theory and harmony it's quite simple, but it's one of the hardest styles to master in terms of actually being able to play it.

[@Noob64]

Yeah, I always look at my left hand, I just hope my right hand plays the correct notes

[@cornelmasson4610]

Yep, I only look at my left hand.

[@Bacopa68]

@@TylerInTraining As shown on The Simpsons when Reverend Lovejoy couldn't do it.

[@woomy8971]

I've always wondered what gave ragtime such a distinct sound, this video helped so much!

[@lemboshauser4700]

You wondered? It's pretty straight forward.

[@woomy8971]

@@lemboshauser4700 i was 14 when i made this comment don't judge :(

[@lemboshauser4700]

@@woomy8971 it's alright :)

[@ruthcarrillo749]

I love ragtime! I'm a middle schooler and people think I'm lame because I like old music... but who cares, I still love it!

[@even2ez266]

Don't get why people don't like most old music lol

[@lilysthapit2222]

@@even2ez266 exactly! I rather play classical pieces by Chopin and other great composers than pop but people say pop is better. It's like comparing an old painting to a picture caught by a camera.

[@losgatossonmuychidos]

Yeah! I personally love some songs from all eras and genres! exceptcountrylol...

[@peace-qe4ig]

@@losgatossonmuychidos yeah we all agree country is trash

[@GoldenFreddy-py7kz]

@@peace-qe4ig Country is pretty good dude, the hecc.

[@photoallergic]

It's not just how you master the keys - many do! It's how you break down a style to its essence with your editing. Never seen anything like it! Your "... explained in two minutes" videos are pieces of art. My graduate project from high school in art (we have those in Germany) was "Visual complementation of music", and you deliver what I couldn't come up with back then. Accept my heartfelt hug!

[@KolaTheGamer]

For anyone wondering what composition this is its kismet rag - Scott joplin, last part of it

[@dominiquefruchtman7987]

Thank you! I was dying to know what it was, and I was searching here in the hopes of finding exactly this.

[@Thomas-wm5ev]

this duede was just a fucking legend

[@oguzhansimsek1169]

I heard ragtime thanks to you and now it is my favorite kind of music. Hoping for more ragtime covers from you.

[@tom_mac]

Your presentation style is unmatched, absolutely masterful. A video like this has no buisness being so well done, it's actually perfect. Kudos.

[@maeghanmacdougall5999]

What a find! I am doing "Baroque to Boogie-woogie" for our homeschool curriculum this year and this works perfectly: short (two teenagers and a pre-teen), concise, and the graphics make everything crystal clear. You have just made a big part of my year easier, thank you!

[@mrcube-eb9hv]

ragtime is the best music, i wish i could play it

[@thatrecord5313]

And you can!

[@cranque__7737]

That Record; it’s really hard.

[@pianohelper8873]

Just practice 40 hours a day and you might get as good as Tom Brier.

[@koifish4276]

same *laughs in cant even play chopin proficiently cause i can’t reach the notes*

[@MrTehRave]

What a perfect video. Clear and concise as can be, and very professional feeling. Nice!

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@modelllichtsysteme]

Great video!

[@chinmustache6420]

I personally love playing ragtime, so I should get back to practicing the Joplin songs I already learned. Thank you for the best explanation I’ve seen!

[@MikeeLord]

Thank you Scott Joplin, you made me fall in love with ragtime :).

[@MikeeLord]

By the way. Great video Dave.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@user-ng5mh3oi5d]

Don't stop your 2 minutes lesson video series! It's so easy to understand ever I seen on youtube. Keep going, please!

[@thirdiecaduyac1579]

This has been released 2 years ago and ive come back to rewatch the entire series over and over again. This gives me more info about music than my teacher used to do :3. Work is truly splendid, m'dude.

[@unkn0wn528]

Me: ugh music lessons are always boring in quarantine- Me now: 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼

[@felixkoenigproductions7644]

This video is insane! Wow! Only two minutes long and soooo much knowledge I gained! Thank you very much! It's helping me for school as well!

[@Crogoch16]

damnnn!!!! what a way to explain!! in shuch a short!, compreehensive and totally great edited video! thank you soooo much!!

[@greenjoebean5567]

Ragtime makes me so happy. Entertainer was the song of my childhood and when I started playing the piano when I got older, I never knew it’s name but just knew it made me happy then it came on the Felix advert and it was the first real song I played on the piano

[@django-unchained]

Came here looking for Ragtime thinking it was something new I never heard, but turns out it's terminology for Wild West Piano playing :) Great explanation in detail.

[@joachimbastin3706]

Editing 10/10, not overboard Very concise and straight to the point explains everything very well, and shortly Definitely amazing, even if i'm 5 years late !

[@kingjimmycraftofcalderonia2017]

Watching this video made me astonished on how similar Ragtime is to some Latin American genres. The part where the right hand moves from the notes A-#A-B, or basically the increase of notes by two semitones, is very common in a lot of salsa and merengue music.

[@lulukinia7059]

My teacher couldn't explain this in 45 minutes

[@PanduPoluan]

This. Is. Really. AWESOME!! Thanks for explaining it so well, especially the part where you highlight each "part" individually so I can hear what's going on. Well done! 👍👍👍

[@langleybryant8641]

Can we have the whole video of you playing this piece? It’s one of my favorite rags

[@drdiane4814]

My bookclub just read Ragtime, now we’re watching this video. Thanks, great explanation!

[@olivernural682]

Wooo! Great video (as always) and super interesting :) really loved the clean separation of hands and rhythms Also I joined your Patreon for the Tetris sheet music, but I can only find the first page :( Are you going to be releasing it soon?

[@Dave-Wave]

Yes, I will release it soon, feel free to write to me on Patreon. Anyway thank you very much for watching and for your support on Patreon! :)

[@totallymady42069]

This makes me want to dance, modern music just doesn't make me want to move. Love the style of this video, it's a very nice way of showing the viewer what's going on. Subbed

[@TitaniumSubscriber]

Holy shit this explains a lot and the good editing makes it even better, and yeah the jumping left hand is hard subbed

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@obsidianflight2758]

after stumbling upon this accidentally, i can say that i finally figured out what that type of music ive been trying to figure out how to make for so long is! (completely failed every time, but now i might have a winning chance)

[@queruba.]

I've just recently discovered this channel it's *A-MA-ZING!*

[@SUNKINGME]

This is THE most succinct explanation I have ever seen. Just ZERO fat!

[@SarahedenDadoun]

I usually never write comments on youtube but I must say this is very smart of you to explain ragtime this way! perfectly clear my dear! You are very talented!

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@christianloper9483]

WONDERFUL! I taught myself the piano from age 11 eleven, and it was very difficult. When my grandma gave me an old book of Joplin rags when I was fourteen, I discovered a genre of music that was complex, entertaining, yet fun and practicable. It made me feel like a virtuoso, because I was able to access Maple Leaf Rag, Palm Leaf Rag, and Elite Syncopations. I fell in love with rag, and it will always lift my heart.

[@mr.nugget8412]

I KNEW IT. I knew it was possible to teach yourself piano! I currently don't have a teacher, and it's gonna take a while for my lessons to actually start so I tried teaching myself but I really don't know how!

[@iamsushi1056]

My day is always marked to get better when I see “Do you feel like dancing? :)” Always a good day when dave uploads.

[@Lireoec]

I love 'Elite Syncopation', it does accentuate the bass elements and makes you think about music differently. Ragtime!

[@TeleClassy2]

if i had to guess i'd say youtube's algorithms are doing you a favor right now :) love your videos, earned my sub

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

Just a possative note . I don't play but have some Freinds that do. Ragtime at my age still a wet behind the ears 55 has always made my day more cheerful. I Thank anyone who can play it for keeping it alive. Hearing it is like Ice cream on a hot day . Good stuff no matter your age.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

As a youngin' of 22, I can't agree more that age is no limiting factor on the enjoyment of the USA's very own classical music! It's essentially timeless, no matter what some may say.

[@Enkiev666]

Very impressive video, such an efficient way to break it down to its key elements yet without taking away its charm, that's a good job !

[@DeclanBurger]

I dont play piano but this video is amazing man, Love the way you separate the key strokes with the explanation. very well played man love it

[@nolanrudolph5463]

What an excellent freaking tutorial. See if this was what our education was like, with this level of enthrallment and explanation, learning would be so much easier.

[@DiegoGomiero]

that was the best damn explainer video I've ever seen on YT... what a beautiful editing, both visual and audio wise...

[@artsiesteph]

Oh my goodness. Thank you SO MUCH for making this. I love music, took music theory and whatnot in highschool, music appreciation in college, but I could never really break down what made those styles so specific. And thank to you NOW I CAN!! :D :D :D

[@bradnewsbear]

When "Do you feel like dancing?" came up on screen I realized my head was bobbing and feet were moving, some music just makes you dance whether you think you want to or not :D

[@miketackabery7521]

Thank you for this! Though I've always loved ragtime I've never understood what it is: what I'm actually listening to. This was terrifically clear. And you know... ragtime wasn't just very popular: for more than twenty years it was hugely popular ALL OVER THE WORLD, and it was the first. Long before Jazz, long before Rock and Roll.

[@domingolaraespinoza6106]

i love ragtime, the sound of it is just, wonderful

[@elenmora1366]

I wish I had the sheet music of this arragement... so cool !!!

[@kfitz2711]

I’ve never seen a video like this that so concisely breaks down a particular style. Super interesting! Thanks for putting it together.

[@awen7767]

Awesome explanation! It's hella clear and goes straight to the point plus it provides detailed information. I'm impressed... Tysm!!!

[@nic0ler0cks98]

This video has been in my recommended for a week, finally watched it, i learned something new, and had a good time watching :)

[@tarynplayspiano]

I clicked right away! great video, I enjoyed the editing and great explanation :D

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@felixrivera895]

You learn something new everyday. 2 minutes and 7 seconds ago I would have told you it was just a classic jaunty jig that is very enjoyable.

[@Stefano--]

I know nothing about music (making it), but this is beautiful, bravo ! :)

[@57thorns]

And here I come again... tend to get back to this video once in a while. It short, nice to listen to and worth watching again once in a while.

[@everettwhite9874]

♥️ The only thing I know about music is that love listening to it-almost any kind of music. This was a really informative video. It helped me learn something new today. Thanks.

[@jimslancio]

One quick additional note: ragtime pieces are written in the melodic form ABACD.

[@shiNIN42]

Wow. I've learned something (almost everything I know about ragtime right now) in 2 minutes while listening to nice music... Thanks :)

[@Gonin049]

I’ve got to say, ragtime is probably my favorite genre of music, and this video helped me discover that.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you found it interesting :)

[@FlavourlessLife]

I love the way you broke this down... well done.

[@jimbojimbo8]

The great video thank you so much I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Watching this reminded me of my player piano my grandma's house and I was a kid and we had the entertainer on a scroll. When pushing those pedals you can it watch the piano keys play ragtime live time. It was awesome. thank you

[@jacobfarriester2536]

The first video I saw made me subscribe. This one made me hit the bell. Love your stuff!

[@mrminer071166]

Fitbit on the left hand indicates the a distance of 3.4 miles was covered in the course of that video.

[@thirdiecadz6361]

WHY HIS MUSIC SOOO GUUUUDDD *so moist234x* it really is good music..and video editing really is splendid..he should have way more subs than he has right now in my opinion...

[@MysticFrequencies]

I LOVE Ragtime, i have been playing Ragtime since I was a kid, love it to this day, great video! :)

[@danielrabinovitz478]

Informative and succinct, and with great video editing ;)

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@shantiglam]

Such an amazing video !!!!!! The format is awesomely clever

[@vvladgfhjkm]

How do you hit that keys so fast and precise so far from each other . Impressive.

[@_DN-xp4ro]

i saw one "what is *insert piano music type here*" and i binged the whole series im not even musically inclined. i just enjoy it so much

[@cmorellato]

YES!

[@bombdatacenters]

Wow! The way my jazz textbook explained it didn't get through, but this made me get it instantly! Thanks so much!

[@zefypissaki8524]

Love this presentation style! Woaah what a channel

[@speedyanimatez7276]

Whoever this dude is, his explanation and editing are both really good 💪

[@zell189]

I WANT MOAR btw nice explanation there

[@dotz5143]

dude you videos are insane man crazy.. entertaining and everything necessary is contained in only 2 minutes... hands down great work

[@eclipsa1203]

You should upgrade more often! I love these vids!

[@stevehaite9306]

Absolutely bloody brilliant - the music, the text, the presentation, the fonts, the pace - less is more!

[@giveme30dollars]

Amazing. Also like your Tetris Ragtime cover.

[@wherecanyoubemylove]

I dont know all these songs your videos are hitting me with but i like em

[@reginnna]

"Do you feel like dancing?" *is already dancing*

[@bonjovi1612]

Thanks, by separating the sounds of the hands I can clearly tell the difference and how the music is created.

[@sound_soup]

Underrated channel

[@shawn576]

I know nothing about piano but it still feels like I learned something.

[@WillemiumWhite]

Great Video, great Style and Skill :D Go on!

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@ZipplyZane]

I sometimes do a cheated version of stride where I either keep the left hand pattern within a tenth, so I can avoid moving my hand, or I can grab some of the notes with my right hand. with m

[@benillich790]

Last 3 videos have been phenomenal. Are there any sheets to these parts?

[@RockSpoon123]

Kismit Rag!

[@rafioli3928]

This channel needs a lot more attention

[@nickarteaga175]

Good example of ragtime is and you chose a good rag to demonstrate.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)

[@halorocks3036]

Dave Wave what's the name of the piece?

[@nickarteaga175]

The fourth strain of Kismet Rag by Scott Hayden and Scott Joplin.

[@lunaticsolis]

that bassline gives me ptsd to a certain song popular in christmas concerts for high school bands

[@Keeper1st]

"Hence the name 'ragtime' " is an assumption that was held for many years but is known now to be incorrect. The word derives from the "rag balls" of the middle 19th century.

[@Pretinho-yx3nz]

Keeper1st you here!! How cool

[@jpc4803]

rag balls...

[@shiningarmor2838]

Keeper1st Ahhh, if it isn’t the home of Tom Brier’s videos.

[@hagenaaker7576]

ok

[@Ronan266]

Legends

[@wegner7036]

Simultaneously my favorite genre and the one I feel least like dancing to.

[@kenjiteramoto9087]

How didn't I know this channel? Just found it and I'm already in love.

[@Dave-Wave]

Thank you very much! :)