ISSUES IN JAZZ: A LISTENING AND STUDY CHART
TITLE OF PIECE Maple Leaf Rag COMPOSER LEADER IMPORTANT SOLOISTS: Scott Joplin
TRACK FORM: TIMINGS/ NUMBERS INTRO
OFTEN SET BY THE FORM HEAD BRIDGE SOLOS SOLI TUTTI-SHOUT OUT-CODA
STYLE/S: Ragtime
FUNCTION OR PURPOSE: DANCE LIVE Listening Recording CONCERT
HARMONY:
MAJOR MINOR MODAL BLUES RHYTHM CHANGES
IMPORTANT DATE/S Published in 1899, recorded in 1916
MEDIUM:
TIMBRE/S
TEMPO
EMOTIONAL MELODY:
SENTIMENT
RHYTHM:
DIXIE SWING BOP SHUFFLE FUNKY FREE LATIN ROCK LAID-BACK VIRTUOSIC
TEXTURE:
COMMUNICATION INTERACTION BACKGROUNDS POLYPHONIC HOMOPHONIC POLY/CROSS RHYTHMS (HETEROPHONY
PHYSICAL
INTENT
INSTRUMENTATION
DYNAMICS
AND
RANGE PHRASING CONTOUR IMPROVISATION MELODIC VS ARPEGIATTED VOCAL VS INSTRUMENTAL IDEAS
UNIQUE TRAITS:
PERSONAL, IDENTIFIABLE OR PECULIAR MANNERS OF PLAYING
OTHER MUSICAL ISSUES:
IMPORTANT SEMINAL DEVELOPMENTS
SOCIETAL/ CULTURAL ISSUES:
RACIAL ETHNIC POLITICAL ECONOMIC RELIGIOUS NATIONALISTIC WORLD/GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
CHORDS:
VOICINGS IMPRESSIONISTIC EXTENSIONS SUBSTITUTIONS
ORCHESTRATION
LISTENER REACTION
#3
AA BB A Solo Piano CC DD – A, B and D in the tonic, and C in the subdominant
Moderato Tempo – Dynamics vary – but are mostly medium
Simple Ragtime feel – reminds me of a silent movie, or old saloon
Range is pretty wide – left hand skips around a lot, accompaniment is improvised on occasion moving between bass notes
Harmony is all tonal and major, chords are voiced in both hands – but particularly on beats 2 and 4 in the left hand
Left hand rhythm is quite steady, while the right is the syncopated ragtime rhythm
Texture is thin as far as instrumentation – only piano, however, the chords are thick at times
This recording was made when Scott Joplin was quite old, and he adds lots of nice melodic embellishments, especially in the left hand
One of the most famous ragtime songs of all
Affected several other ragtime composers