Piano Styles: Ragtime to Boogie-Woogie Chapter 4 Piano Styles: Ragtime to Boogie-Woogie

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved The Birth of Ragtime Ragtime predates jazz Even though rags were not improvised, they had an improvised feel Ragtime had a direct impact on the development of jazz © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Pianists were not used in the first Dixieland bands. They therefore developed a style that would resemble the sound of a full band. Eubie Blake © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Ragtime piano technique involved playing alternating bass notes and chords in the left hand, while playing highly syncopated melodies in the right hand. Refer to Demonstration 1 © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved History of Ragtime The name Ragtime may have come from its intricate syncopation - or ragged time Ragtime began as a piano style applied to existing popular tunes Style became more compositional as rags were published and sold © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Ragtime -continued- First heard at World’s Fairs in Major U.S. cities at the end of the 19th century Tin Pan Alley publishers began to sell rags in the early 20th century Many early ragtime pianists migrated to Sedalia, Missouri © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Ragtime compositions Constructed using a European model of balance and form Each rag had four themes (strains) of equal importance Examples are: “Maple Leaf Rag” “Tiger Rag” © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Scott Joplin (1868-1917) Most prolific composer of rags Over 50 published, but may have written as many as 600 Also wrote a symphony and 2 operas © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

Ferdinand “Jellyroll” Morton (1890-1941) Best known early ragtime pianist Claimed to have invented jazz Had no peer as a soloist Led a string of successful orchestras Pioneered creative arranging techniques © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

“Maple Leaf Rag” compare renditions Scott Joplin (CD 1 track 6) Recording from a piano roll Formal structure Exact repeats Not improvised Jellyroll Morton (CD 1 track 7) Different key Looser rhythmic feel Less attention to form Sounds improvised © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

Ragtime and Dixieland merge Pianists began to play in bands Melodic concept changed Rhythmic stress on alternating beats carried over to jazz Form was abbreviated © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved - Conclusion - The ragtime style, while nostalgic, is still popular today as heard in films, on Broadway, and elsewhere. © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Stride Piano An improvised piano style that followed ragtime Players used popular tunes of the day Faster more intense rhythm feeling The most popular piano style of the 1930s © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

James P. Johnson (1894-1955) “Father of Stride Piano” Composer of “Charleston” Listen to “Carolina Shout” (CD 1 track 8) © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

Thomas “Fats” Waller (1904-1943) Student of James P. Johnson Well known pianist, composer, singer, and entertainer Most famous tunes include: “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Art Tatum (1909-1956) One of the most versatile pianists in jazz history Ahead of his time both technically and harmonically A master of stride Listen to “Elegie” (CD 1 track 9) © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

Boogie-woogie Another piano style dating to the depression era of the 1930s Rhythmic feeling is created by constant 8 notes per 4-beat measure (called 8 over 4) Ostinato - a repeated bass (left hand) riff that holds the piece together Earliest players were mostly self-taught Style later adapted by big bands, rock ‘n roll and other styles Refer to demonstration 8 © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved

© 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved Meade Lux Lewis (1905-1964) Early master of the Boogie-woogie style Listen to “Honky Tonk Train Blues” (CD 1 track 10) © 2009 McGraw-Hill All Rights Reserved