VIDEO: improvisation on a grand piano using the old keys as percussion tools

[dcstudio]

can you hear the "percussion" effect?




any  suggestions or comments are welcome..   the piano is perfect for this kind of music IMO..it's got this kinda neat rhythm effect sound I can get by punching the keys just right...  it's starts continuously at about 45  seconds in ... can you hear it? it gives it this really cool percussive sound which makes up for the fact that it's so out of tune it hurts..

also if someone could show me how to make my video show up -- I can't get the YT button to work..

[ted]

Well done you for being able to improvise ragtime, I have never been able to. I have written many rags but cannot improvise it to my satisfaction. I think you might have an unusual ability there, as at least two very good composers of it, David Roberts and Reginald Robinson, told me they couldn't do it satisfactorily either. John Gill could, I think, and some of those ones who play at ragtime festivals probably can, but the improvising of coherent, classical ragtime is not common. It is usually considered a composer's music. Out of curiosity, do you write rags ?

Sorry, I could not hear any special effect.

[dcstudio]

Well done you for being able to improvise ragtime, I have never been able to. I have written many rags but cannot improvise it to my satisfaction. I think you might have an unusual ability there, as at least two very good composers of it, David Roberts and Reginald Robinson, told me they couldn't do it satisfactorily either. John Gill could, I think, and some of those ones who play at ragtime festivals probably can, but the improvising of coherent, classical ragtime is not common. It is usually considered a composer's music. Out of curiosity, do you write rags ?

Sorry, I could not hear any special effect.

well who cares what you heard... lol... you think I 'm special--wow... 

well, I could write rags I guess...  I have quite a few forms that I improvise over pretty regularly.. I could easily put one together--and I can notate music very well.  No problems with that end of it.     i have some themes I use to suggest a verse and melody plus some intro and transition elements--then I just improvise over the form a couple of times and play the theme (if I can remember which one I used) again and use one of the endings I have ready.  Scott Joplin was really one of the first composers who just got in my head and wouldn't get out...lol.  I was 13 when The Sting came out...    Ragtime was always one of my strong suits...for some reason I could stride well.

also my husband, who is a jazz guitar Berklee dude with a huge ego --told me one day that if I could improvise and stride at the same time... THEN I would be a "great pianist"  lol...  I have been able to do it for a while now...  he is still not impressed.      

BUT--there is a cultural center here in town and I have a meeting with them on Teus to discuss doing a ragtime concert.   I live in the deep south where ragtime started...  just an hour east of new orleans...Jelly Roll Morton lived here for a while...  the state has this "blues road" curriculum going right now so there is money set aside to pay for a ragtime pianist to give a demonstration. It could turn into more...  and I will get to be on TV if I get this gig... 

so if I write you a rag --or put together one --will you play it?

[ted]

so if I write you a rag --or put together one --will you play it?

I'll try, although I wouldn't guarantee the results, I haven't learned any new pieces of any sort for ages; I haven't written any rags for a long time either. I like James Scott's rags and used to play most of them but have only kept up about a dozen of them, same with Joplin. No excuses really, just lazy. Rather odd I like ragtime, living in a country remote from its origin and influence. I entered the attached rag in the Sedalia competition once just for fun and it drew favourable comments, but I don't take myself seriously enough to persist.



 

[dcstudio]

cool