Sometimes spelled rag-time or rag time, ragtime music is a syncopated piano-driven style that flourished in the United States from the 1890s to the 1910s, profoundly shaping jazz and American popular music.
Ragtime is defined by its syncopated (ragged) rhythms set against a steady, march-like bass line. Typically composed for the piano, ragtime pieces are lively, jaunty, and formally structured, often in multi-strain forms (AABBACCDD) similar to marches. In ragtime piano playing, typically the left hand maintains a steady beat while the right hand plays syncopated melodies, creating tension and swing.
Ragtime emerged in African-American communities of the Midwest and South in the 1890s. Its influences included cakewalk dances, minstrel shows, banjo styles, and European classical forms. Ragtime was first published in sheet music form in the mid-1890s and quickly spread nationwide.
Ragtime's heyday was from 1899 to 1917, when it dominated American popular music. Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag (1899) became the genre's most iconic piece, selling millions of copies. Ragtime boosted piano sales and the recording industry, becoming a cultural phenomenon. However, by the 1920s, ragtime gave way to stride piano and jazz, although its influence remained strong.
Ragtime experienced revivals in the 1940s and 1950s, led by scholars and performers like Rudi Blesh and Eubie Blake. A major resurgence occurred in the 1970s, sparked by the film The Sting (1973), which featured Joplin's The Entertainer. Today, ragtime festivals and societies keep the tradition alive, celebrating its role as a precursor to jazz.
Ragtime reflected both African American creativity and the racial stereotypes of its era, such as cakewalk imagery. It bridged folk traditions and formal composition, symbolizing the cultural blending of post-Reconstruction America. Ragtime's syncopation challenged European musical norms, paving the way for jazz and blues.
The characteristics and musical form of ragtime include its syncopation, off-beat accents against a steady bass. Its form is multi-strain, often four sections, each 16 measures. The piano is the primary instrument used in ragtime, but it has also been adapted for bands and orchestras. The mood is lively, playful, yet often sophisticated in harmony and structure.
Related forms include stride piano, novelty piano, jazz, honky-tonk, and boogie-woogie, which helped to carry ragtime's rhythm into later popular music.
Influential ragtime composers and performers include Scott Joplin, James Scott, Joseph Lamb, Tom Turpin, Eubie Blake, Jelly Roll Morton, Irving Berlin, Ben Harney, Ernest Hogan, Louis Chauvin, Artie Matthews, Arthur Marshall, James Reese Europe, Tony Jackson, Mike Bernard, Zez Confrey, Blind Jake, William Bolcom, Winifred Atwell, John Arpin, Jo Ann Castle, Dick Hyman, Johnny Maddox, Sue Keller, and William Albright.
Ragtime was a turning point in American music. Its syncopated rhythms reshaped American music, laying the groundwork for jazz and modern popular styles.
Recommended Resources
Kansas City Ragtime and Beyond
KCRB is a non-profit dedicated to preserving ragtime and early jazz through concerts, virtual events, newsletters, and membership activities. Affiliated with Kansas City Ragtime Revelry (KCRR), the KCRB website maintains event listings to support performances and community outreach activities. The organization encourages visitors to start or renew membership and to join their email list for updates. Links to related resources are included, along with contact details.
https://www.kcragtime.org/
Created and maintained by Ragnar Hellspong Krusenberg in Sweden, and positioned as a public-domain and historical resource for ragtime scholars, performers, and listeners who want authentic recordings and full scores, Rag's Rag focuses on high-quality ragtime material, hosting authentic ragtime piano rolls converted to MP3, many sequenced by early-era arrangers and a few hand-played by composers such as Scott Joplin. The site also features a Virtual Piano collection of 103 rags.
https://ragsrag.com/
RagPiano is a long-running ragtime resource run by Bill Edwards that offers restored sheet-music art, ragtime recordings (now full MP3s), composer pages, and research links for ragtime fans. Online since the late 1990s, the website focuses on archival material, recordings, and visual restorations of sheet music, with an emphasis on nostalgia and as a research resource for ragtime enthusiasts and collectors. Biographies and article pages trace publication dates and alternate titles.
https://www.ragpiano.com/
Ragtime returns to Broadway in a revival that moved from New York City Center to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. The Broadway revival stars Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, and Brandon Uranowitz, with performances listed through mid-June 2026. Schedules and ticket sales are available online through third-party sellers not affiliated with the show of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. A seating chart is included, along with a description of what to expect from the show.
https://www.ragtimeonbroadway.com/
R4 is a professional non-profit ragtime orchestra based in Lenawee County, Michigan, dedicated to performing, preserving, and teaching America's original popular music. The R4 brings early American popular music (ragtime) to life through historically informed programs that blend ragtime, early jazz, and related styles. It presents concerts at major venues, community festivals, and schools. Upcoming live performances and programs are featured, along with an online store.
https://www.ragtimeband.org/
Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival, The
Honoring Scott Joplin and ragtime music, the annual celebration takes place in Sedalia, Missouri. The festival features free outdoor concerts, ticketed evening concerts, symposia, historic tours, and themed events, drawing performers, historians, and ragtime fans to Sedalia each spring. The event mixes free downtown performances with ticketed concerts, educational sessions, and period-themed experiences that highlight ragtime's cultural legacy. Schedules and an online store are available.
https://www.scottjoplin.org/
The documentary-focused website tells the story of ragtime as America's first original popular music, tracing its roots and influence, and features performances by modern artists like Wynton Marsalis and Terry Waldo. The site presents historical context, composer profiles, and recreated performances to show how ragtime shaped later genres. The site emphasizes both the historical composers who created its repertoire and the modern interpreters who revive it. Contacts are included.
https://thisisragtime.com/
WCRS is a non-profit that preserves and promotes ragtime music through an annual festival, regular concerts, classes, and a members' newsletter. Their website lists upcoming events, membership details, ticketing, and volunteer opportunities for the Bay Area and wider West Coast ragtime community. The WCRS organizes the annual West Coast Ragtime Festival and year-round programming to support ragtime performances and youth participation. Membership information is provided.
https://westcoastragtime.com/
