Week 2 Listening Blog Post

MUSC 30R                                                                                                                               Ally Wright

"Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin


            I chose the song "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin (1899) and listened to it critically three times. This is a beautiful song! This song was one of his earliest works and is the most famous of all ragtime works. This song does not have lyrics, it consists of only the piano. It reminds me of the jazz/ragtime music you hear while walking down main street of Disneyland...so I felt cheerful while listening to this song. While listening to this song, I noticed that some parts and chords of the song reminded me of the piano piece, "The Entertainer." I did some research and found that Scott Joplin wrote "The Entertainer!" That's why they sounded similar.

    "Maple Leaf Rag" starts off with a riff on the piano, repeating the same measures of notes twice. I also observed that there were examples of syncopation in this song. Throughout the whole song, Joplin plays the notes off- beat melodies to create simultaneous sounds. My favorite part of the song starts at minute 1:20 because there starts a mix of major and minor sounds, mixing together to sound exciting and engaging to the listeners! Joplin plays the notes and seventh chords very fast. There is much repetition in this song as well, this song has a steady bass that is supported by many melodies. He shifts from melody to melody to create different sounds, and since there is only one instrument in this song, transferring from melody to melody is very important. I enjoyed listening to this song! The piano is my favorite instrument. 


                                                                                            💚🎝♭♮♯🎜💚



Comments

  1. Jordan HansenSeptember 16, 2020 at 3:44 PM

    I like Scott Joplin a lot. He wrote some awesome songs. Dont quote me on it but I think some where along the line I heard that rock music orginated from ragtime music like this, but Im not a 100% sure about that. Definetly one of my favorite artists from back then.

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  2. Baylie WhiteakerSeptember 19, 2020 at 3:52 PM

    I loved listening to this as well, it also makes me feel cheerful! That's cool that you had heard an earlier song he did and made that connection. Now I'll have to listen to "The Entertainer" as well! I learned something new, since I hadn't heard (or in this case seen) the word syncopation until now.

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  3. Dane FarrellSeptember 21, 2020 at 9:11 AM

    I went and listened to the song and I am glad I did! The jumping of melodies on the piano was captivating and made it a fun listen. I as well went to listen to the entertainer and found myself tapping my feet throughout it. I agree that the transferring of melodies is very important as it avoids the song from being to repetitive. I will definitely check out more of Scott Joplin.

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  4. Kobe LandrySeptember 21, 2020 at 11:39 AM

    This song is a very great choice and I liked very much as well. The beat is very uplifting and energetic which just makes me want to get out of my chair and dance around the room. The fast piano playing really draws the attention and probably made a lot of people start joining in and dancing around the room as well. I personally find the song to be fun and exciting to listen to and can always get someones spirits up.

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