Ragtime

Question 1

when was this style ‘born’ ?

Answer 1

-1890s

Question 2

name some composers of this styles

Answer 2

Scott Joplin, James Scott, Joseph Lamb

Question 3

what are some key features of this style?

Answer 3

-largely piano based
-syncopated (like european polkas)
-harmonic sophistication with chord progressions and key changes.

Question 4

explain the origins of ragtime

Answer 4

-it comes from New Orleans - a major port city home to various nationalities and musical styles
-influenced by opera, blues, military marching bands, church music and african drumming

Question 5

name and describe an early ragtime band

Answer 5

-Joe ‘King’ Oliver, a cornet player, formed his jazz band in the early 1900s
-he had a piano, a trombone, a banjo, a cornet and a clarinet

Question 6

what is the typical structure of a ragtime song?

Answer 6

-theyre multithematic
-made up of 3 or more 16 bar phrases usually containing a contrasting trio/C section

Question 7

describe the use of instruments in ragtime music

Answer 7

the use of instrumentation is flexible meaning there is no rule on how instruments should be used or a set number of instruments

Question 8

what did the piano part usually sound like in ragtime?

Answer 8

striding- they would play a single note followed by a chord. it is a virtuosic piano style

Question 9

why did ragtime eventually come to and end?

Answer 9

-it was too restrictive in terms of harmony, melody and rhythms
-it was replaced by Dixieland which was more colourful and improvisatory