the entertainer

[piersb]

Hi everyone,

I try to play The Entertainer of Scott Joplin, and my question is similar as the one about Chopin etude n.4 in a previous post.... In the mesure 56 and later, there's a chord you are suppose to hold all the mesure while your playing the rest of the melody... Are we suppose to hit it like a 8th note and play it holding the pedal (but i like to play that song without the pedal), or there's an other way... also, I would like to know how you guys are using the pedal do you press it only with with your toes with your heel always on the floor, or you almost never put your foot on the floor...

thanks to answer!
PiersB

PS.: sorry for my english, I'm french but i did my best  ..

[gyzzzmo]

The entertainer isnt an etude, so i'd play it the way its easiest.

[allthumbs]

The entertainer isnt an etude, so i'd play it the way its easiest.

Also, it isn't a 'song' but a 'piece' and don't play too fast. Joplin himself often put this direction on his music that 'Ragtime should never be played fast.'

allthumbs

[eboyd]

Hi everyone,

I try to play The Entertainer of Scott Joplin, and my question is similar as the one about Chopin etude n.4 in a previous post.... In the mesure 56 and later, there's a chord you are suppose to hold all the mesure while your playing the rest of the melody... Are we suppose to hit it like a 8th note and play it holding the pedal (but i like to play that song without the pedal), or there's an other way... also, I would like to know how you guys are using the pedal do you press it only with with your toes with your heel always on the floor, or you almost never put your foot on the floor...

thanks to answer!
PiersB

PS.: sorry for my english, I'm french but i did my best  ..

[eboyd]

Well the thing about the pedal is, when you put your toes on the pedal, and keep your heel on the ground your basically just tapping your foot to a song your either playing or listening to. But there are people that just lift there entire foot but in my opinion its a lil exhausting, especially for a piece that has up to 6-8 pages on it.  :/

[andrewpitt]

The entertainer has to be updated always so then only will be able to entertain. It's a uncomparable and hard working job.






standby generators

[piano_vs_science]

did you know that The Entertainer has lyrics?
very few people know that

[black_keys]

For the mesure 56 chord you should use the middle pedal if you are playing in a grand piano it sustains only notes that where held when you press it , otherwise you should use the normal sustain pedal you dont have other choise .

[piano_vs_science]

really???
how does it work???

[black_keys]

really???
how does it work???

play any chord or notes and press the middle pedal before you depress the notes , the notes will be sustained ( you can depress them now) and you can plays other notes staccato while that chord is sustained

[natalyaturetskii]

play any chord or notes and press the middle pedal before you depress the notes , the notes will be sustained ( you can depress them now) and you can plays other notes staccato while that chord is sustained

Yes, I'd do that for this piece. It's quite a clever trick that works really effectively. My teacher showed me this technique today for Rachmaninoff's Prélude Op.3 no.2 and it really brings the piece to life and makes such a huge difference. It was a mush before but now, it just sounds epic...

Natalya

[49410enrique]

Yes, I'd do that for this piece. It's quite a clever trick that works really effectively. My teacher showed me this technique today for Rachmaninoff's Prélude Op.3 no.2 and it really brings the piece to life and makes such a huge difference. It was a mush before but now, it just sounds epic...

Natalya

i agree, not enough folks takes advantage of clever use of the sostenuto pedal, it is sometimes my 'third arm' and you can get some very nice 'orchestral' effects out of it.

same thing with the 'una corda' pedal, so many folks think it's a 'soft pedal' but thought you do lose some total volume with the shift and loss of a string, i tend to use that one more for color/tonal/textue variety not 'volume' control, but i digress...