Saturday 15 August 2009
Tune of the Day: Original Rags
Early piano Ragtime by Scott Joplin
“Original Rags” was the first of Scott Joplin's rags to appear in print, in early 1899, preceding his “Maple Leaf Rag” by half a year.
The original cover page showed an old man picking up rags in front of a ramshackle cabin, and has been interpreted as a double pun, first on the activities of a rag (or junk) picker, and second on a slang term for ragtime, “picking the piano”. The piece was given the following credits: “Picked By Scott Joplin, Arranged By Chas. N. Daniels”. However, it is not known whether Charles N. Daniels actually arranged the piece, or merely transcribed it.
The rag is mostly in G major, except for the third section, which is in C major, and the fifth section (marked “Brilliant” in the sheet music), which is in D major.