Couple questions

[Nukey]

First Question: How hard is Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin ???

second: What is everyones opinion on Rick Wakeman, and Kieth Emerson compared to Jordan?

[Last Viking]

First answer: Too hard for me

Really, it's not too easy because of those "ragtime jumps" on left hand.
Of course if you have played for a long time, it's easier. :lol:

[Last Viking]

Second answer: I think you'd better start own thread for this question.
But, i cannot compare them, they are all legends, in different "styles", but legends still.

[Ael]

Maple Leaf Rag is difficult at like a middle school level of playing, but all in all, it's just patterns, once you get that you're set, the leaps are usually the same distance all the time, so you can get by with those, the hard part was the syncopation for me.

[Taurus]

People can play it like a morron and say 'i can play mapple leaf rag like Emerson' though if you let a neutral qualified teacher check it out its often far from being performed perfect, syncopation is indeed a strong point and it simply needs to be done RIGHT.
So I guess it depends on when you're satisfied playing a piece... if you can barely play the notes without all the accentuation and perfectness, or, if a teacher can prove that your performing it the way it should be (totally perfect, and you can perform it like that twice in a row even!...).
I just feel more satisfaction when I -master- a piece perfectly, even though it might be 'simpler'.
Mapple Leaf Rag has been performed a lot Live by Keith Emerson, and theres a reason that he choses this piece, and you'll get an idea that its not just a mid-school piece if you wanna do it right.

To answer your question: try the mapple leaf rag, it's a fun piece, though if you get problems with the jumping of the left hand, go see your teacher and ask him about it before you're gonna rush and totally screw up your chances of learning it the right way... If you learn it wrong it can often take months of not playing the piece before you can correctly study it again.

oh btw, i like Emerson a lot, i dig Pirates from ELP, its a classic. Rick Wakeman i dont like much, not my style of playing.

[Ael]

People can play it like a morron and say 'Ooohh i can play mapple leaf rag' though if you let a neutral qualified teacher check it out its often far from being performed perfect, syncopation is indeed a strong point and it simply needs to be done RIGHT.
So I guess it depends on when you're satisfied playing a piece... if you can barely play the notes without all the accentuation and perfectness, or, if a teacher can prove that your performing it the way it should be (totally perfect, and you can perform it like that twice in a row even!...).
I just feel more satisfaction when I -master- a piece perfectly, even though it might be 'simpler'.
Mapple Leaf Rag has been performed a lot Live by Keith Emerson, compare to that, and you'll get an idea that its not just a mid-school piece if you wanna do it right.

To answer your question: try the mapple leaf rag, it's a fun piece, though if you get problems with the jumping of the left hand, go see your teacher and ask him about it before you're gonna rush and totally screw up your chances of learning it the right way... If you learn it wrong it can often take months of not playing the piece before you can correctly study it again.

By saying "middle school piece", I meant I played it in 8th grade, and even though I played it right, it was a challenge for me at that age. But yeah, def. try the piece out, it's worth it. I still play it 5 years later.

[88Keyboard]

for a frist time keyboardist should i try it? I have no teacher but I'm in the process of getting one. I came across that tune and like it.

[kevmo_fan]

How long have you been teaching yourself for? You might want to start with your teacher first and actually get a feel for techniques that he/she will teach you before you tackle the Maple Leaf Rag...

[Dylan Burnett]

Not too hard, my brother played it and hes only been playing 5 years, I did Maple leaf years ago, pretty easy stuff.

[Tigerfolly]

second: What is everyones opinion on Rick Wakeman, and Kieth Emerson compared to Jordan?

Rick Wakeman: Incredible right hand.
Keith Emerson: Incredible left hand.

Jordan Rudess: Incredible hands.

All three: Incredible minds, incredible players.

:D