The Easy Winners

Spiderwebs Above Your Bed is a whimsically macabre ragtime solo in D minor by Stacy Fahrion that’s tailor-made for Halloween recitals! The delicate, eerie opening quickly spins into the main spiderweb theme, complete with spine-tingling arpeggios. Perfect for intermediate pianists, this piece isn’t just fun—it’s also a sneaky way to prep students for tackling Joplin’s iconic rags.

The Sliding Thumbs Rag, composed by Lisa Shoemaker, is an upbeat ragtime-style solo for early intermediates. This piece is part of the Musical Mosaics songbook.

Elite Syncopations by Scott Joplin arranged for intermediates by Jennifer Eklund.

Every pianist needs Happy Birthday in their repertoire, and this ragtime version by Chrissy Ricker is a fresh take on the familiar classic! Perfect for early intermediates of all ages.

Rag Doll, composed by Jenny Walker, serves as a jovial introduction to the ragtime style. Mainly played on white keys, it is a cheeky piece that will delight intermediate pianists of all ages!

Minuet in Gee! is a light-hearted ragtime spin on Beethoven’s classic Minuet in G. This solo, composed by Ron Levy, is ideal for intermediates of all ages. Cover photo is an original painting entitled “Dancers” by Carol Julien.

Debbie Center’s exciting ragtime piece which came to her in a dream about fun times with her family on her Minnesota lake, Fifth Crow Wing. This playful, upbeat showcase will delight intermediates of all ages.

Chromatic Rag, composed by Joanne Griffiths, is an exciting cacophony of contrary motion chromatic scales, tamed into a jaunty pastiche of Joplin. It is based on popular left-hand patterns, interspersed with symmetrical chromatic runs, and therefore suitable for an intermediate player.

Toccata Rag by Rick Robertson is an intermediate level ragtime showcase solo. It is based on J.S. Bach’s famous Toccata in D Minor for organ. This has the potential to “bring down the house” on a recital program, and could also serve as a light-hearted addition to a Halloween program, or even an “encore”.

Whip-poor-will Dance is a slow ragtime-style solo written in 1921 by Joe Jordan and featured in Season 2 of the HBO® series “Boardwalk Empire.” This simplified elegant arrangement by Jennifer Eklund is ideal for intermediates of all ages.

Roker Park Rag is a jaunty, early intermediate piano solo by British composer Joanne Griffiths. It is a fun character piece with chromaticism, staccato octave jumps, and lots of opportunity for comedic expression.

July is a ragtime solo for intermediate pianists composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien.It is ideal study material for those who would enjoy historical rags but need a more manageable arrangement and hand span than those typically offer. There is syncopation throughout all of the three principle melodies with a steady quarter note accompaniment in the left hand for the majority of the piece.

Skedaddle Rag by Rick Robertson is an intermediate level showcase solo in a Ragtime style. It has major “hit potential” as a recital or festival selection.

Double Takes is a set of seven pairs of Rags and Blues, composed by Joanne Griffiths, and inspired by J.S.Bach’s Preludes and Fugues. Each pair is a study in contrasting styles, mood, rhythm, tempo, articulation, dynamic range and textures.

The collection progresses up the keyboard, through a range of keys beginning on C and ending with B, and covers many pedagogical techniques for an intermediate pianist whilst still remaining engaging and fun.

The Entertainer, composed by Scott Joplin, presented in an easily accessible, hand-friendly version arranged for early intermediates Jennifer Eklund. Part of the Songs I Love to Play Volume 1 songbook.

The Entertainer, Scott Joplin’s iconic ragtime tune, arranged for intermediates by Jennifer Eklund. This piece is part of Piano Pronto: Movement 3 and includes a teacher duet part.

Maple Leaf Rag, composed by Scott Joplin presented in an easily accessible, hand-friendly version arranged for intermediates by Jennifer Eklund. Part of the Songs I Love to Play Volume 2 songbook.

While the ragtime genre really did not exist during the California Gold Rush, this collection of evocative ragtime solos by Barbara Becker, offers a musical glimpse into that wild time as San Francisco appeared and then boomed with activity. Picture a gentle dance late at night in a saloon; the joyous hope and the frequent disappointment associated with prospecting for gold; Lola Montez’s moaning about some so-and-so who did her wrong; “Mr. Moneybags” John Sutter preening in the city; and tired miners drowning their sorrows on Saturday night, then shuffling off to bed. These fun pieces fit right in with the period’s expectations of instant wealth, juxtaposed against the back-breaking work, often for little return.