Ragtime

Famous for its syncopated rhythm, Ragtime achieved its peak popularity between 1895 and 1919.  It was influenced by the music played during cakewalk dances (dance contest on slave plantations in which a cake was awarded as the prize), banjo playing style and the jigs of the British Isles. Although its heyday was short-lived compared to other Black music genres, it had a profound influence on the development of jazz.

The word ragtime is derived from the term “ragged music,” which referred to its syncopated rhythm. Although it has been adapted for other instruments, ragtime is a piano-specific genre. The right hand usually did the complicated rhythm while the left hand kept a steady beat. The popularity and demand for Ragtime boosted the sale of pianos across the United States.

Ragtime differed from the jazz music that followed in that it was played exactly as it was written on the page, a trait it shared with classical music. In fact, Ragtime had a profound influence on European classical composers of the era such as Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky.