Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott Joplin, James Scott and Joseph Lamb. Ragtime pieces are typically composed for and performed on piano, though the genre has been adapted for a variety of instruments and styles.
Cover for "La Pas Ma La" sheet music (1895). Words and Music by Ernest Hogan
Joseph Lamb's 1916 "The Top Liner Rag"
The keys of this player piano from 1885 are controlled by musical information in the center piano roll.
Sheet music cover for "Spaghetti Rag" (1910) by Lyons and Yosco Spaghetti Rag (1910), by Lyons and Yosco
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became the genre's first and most influential hit, later being recognized as the quintessential rag. Joplin considered ragtime to be a form of classical music meant to be played in concert halls and largely disdained the performance of ragtime as honky tonk music most common in saloons.
Joplin in 1903
Scott Joplin House in St. Louis, Missouri
Cover of Scott Joplin's 1905 work "Bethena"; the woman on the cover may be Joplin's second wife, Freddie Alexander.
Front cover of the "Wall Street Rag" (1909) sheet music
