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Piano rolls
This section is dedicated to ragtime piano rolls recorded during the ragtime era. A piano roll contains the full information on how a certain piano piece should be played and inserted in a special player piano it can still today make the piano sound exactly as it did when the roll was new. Piano rolls can be produced by performers playing on a player piano with a recording mechanism or they can be produced by a skilled person manually punching holes matching the music score in the paper roll. Both of these methods can also be mixed which explains why sometimes notes and chords that are impossible (for one person) to play in real life can be heard on piano rolls.
Today we don't even need player pianos to play the rolls. They can be converted to digital form without loss of information and that explains why below you can find a number of piano rolls with outstanding sound quality (in mp3-format). How about listening to Scott Joplin himself playing his own compositions Maple Leaf Rag, Weeping Willow, Something Doing and Magnetic Rag (no kidding)! The list below contains rags composed by all major ragtime composers as well as some representative examples of quality rags by less well-known ones.
Click on the column title to change sort order: Year, Title or Composer. Click on the Play icon to listen to the music. Click again to stop. Click on the Score icon to see or download the piano score in pdf-format. Click on the Download icon to download the mp3-file (or listen to the music if the Play icon does not work for you).
Public domain rags
Year Title
Composer
1899
A Rag-time Skedaddle
Rosey, George
1899
Cotton Picker's Rag
Sutton, Harry O.
1899
Doc Brown's Cake Walk
Johnson, Charles L.
1899
Maple Leaf Rag
Joplin, Scott
1899
Original Rags
Joplin, Scott
1899
The Bowery Buck
Turpin, Tom
1899
Tickled to Death
Hunter, Charles H.
1900
A Tennessee Tantalizer
Hunter, Charles H.
1901
Cotton Bolls
Hunter, Charles H.
1901
Possum and Taters
Hunter, Charles H.
1901
The Easy Winners
Joplin, Scott
1902
A Cotton Patch
Tyler, Chas. A.
1903
Ashy Africa
Wenrich, Percy
1903
Palm Leaf Rag
Joplin, Scott
1903
Something Doing
Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
1903
St Louis Rag
Turpin, Tom
1903
Weeping Willow
Joplin, Scott
1904
Car-Barlick-Acid
Wiley, Clarence
1904
Panama Rag
Seymour, C.
1904
St Louis Tickle
Barney & Seymore
1904
The Amazon Rag
Hahn, Teddy
1904
The Cascades
Joplin, Scott
1904
The Favorite
Joplin, Scott
1904
The Sycamore
Joplin, Scott
1905
Back To Life
Hunter, Charles
1905
Blue Ribbon Rag
Aufderheide, May
1905
Florida Rag
Lowry, Geo.L.
1905
Freckles Rag
Buck, Larry
1905
Peaches and Cream
Wenrich, Percy
1905
The Black Cat Rag
Wooster, Frank & Smith, Ethyl B.
1906
Cole Smoak
St. John, Clarence H.
1906
Dill Pickles Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1906
Frog Legs Rag
Scott, James
1906
Kinklets
Marshall, Arthur
1906
Pickles and Peppers
Shepherd, Adaline
1907
Fluffy Ruffles
Crabb, C. Duane
1907
Ginger Snap Rag
Dugdale, Horace K.
1907
Gladiolus Rag
Joplin, Scott
1907
Kansas City Rag
Scott, James
1907
Lily Queen
Joplin, Scott & Marshall, Arthur
1907
Missouri Rag
Powell, W.C.
1907
Possum Rag
Dobyns, Geraldine
1907
Searchlight Rag
Joplin, Scott
1907
The Nonpareil
Joplin, Scott
1908
A Black Hand
Hoffman, Robert
1908
Black And White Rag
Botsford, George
1908
Honeymoon Rag
Olman, Abe
1908
Pineapple Rag
Joplin, Scott
1908
Poison Ivy
Ingraham, Herbert
1908
Powder Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1908
Sensation - A Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1908
Sunflower Tickle
Wenrich, Percy
1908
The Bolo Rag
Gumble, Albert
1908
Wild Cherries
Snyder, Ted
1909
Bud Rag
Cross, Budd L.
1909
Buzzer Rag
Aufderheide, May
1909
Cheese and Crackers
Denney, Homer
1909
Ethiopia Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1909
Euphonic Sounds
Joplin, Scott
1909
Funny Bones
Woolsey, Calvin Lee
1909
Grace And Beauty
Scott, James
1909
Lemons and Limes
Salisbury, Cora
1909
Live Wires Rag
Shepherd, Adaline
1909
Oh You Devil
Dabney, Ford T.
1909
Pansy Blossoms Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1909
Paragon Rag
Joplin, Scott
1909
Porcupine Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1909
Poverty Rag
Lincoln, Harry J.
1909
Razzle Dazzle Rag
Stokes, Nellie
1909
Sapho Rag
Robinson, J. Russell
1909
Sunburst Rag
Scott, James
1909
Temptation Rag
Lodge, Henry
1909
That Poker Rag
Blake, Charlotte
1909
The Franco-American Rag
Schwartz, Jean
1909
The Ragtime "Betty"
Scott, James
1909
The Wish-Bone Rag
Blake, Charlotte
1909
Wall Street Rag
Joplin, Scott
1909
Vanity Rag
Pratt, Paul
1910
A Certain Party
Kelley, Tom
1910
Alabama Shuffle
Barton, Roy
1910
Anoma Rag
Dabney, Ford
1910
Aviation Rag
Janza, Mark
1910
Barbed Wire Rag
Spencer, Herbert
1910
Black Beauty Rag
Schwartz, Jean
1910
Candle-Stick Rag
Olman, Abe
1910
Chanticleer Rag
Gumble, Albert
1910
Chatterbox Rag
Botsford, George
1910
Clover Blossom Rag
Heltman, Fred
1910
Columbia Rag
Giblin, Irene M.
1910
Grizzly Bear Rag
Botsford, George
1910
Halley's Comet Rag
Lincoln, Harry J.
1910
Haytian Rag
Dabney, Ford
1910
Hilarity Rag
Scott, James
1910
Ketchup Rag
Giblin, Irene M.
1910
Medic Rag
Woolsey, Calvin Lee
1910
Old Crow Rag
Botsford, George
1910
Ophelia Rag
Scott, James
1910
Oyster Rag
Lyle, Tom
1910
Rag-a-Tag Rag
Brown, Al W.
1910
Red Pepper - A Spicy Rag
Lodge, Henry
1910
Rig-A-Ma-Role Rag
Kendall, Edwin F.
1910
Sneaky Shuffles Rag
Lodge, Henry
1910
The Aviator Rag
Giblin, Irene M.
1910
The Darkey Todalo
Jordan, Joe
1910
The Ragtime Oriole
Scott, James
1910
Waiman Rag
Shannon, J. R.
1911
Angel Food
Marzian, A.F.
1911
April Fool Rag
Schwartz, Jean
1911
Cloud Kisser Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1911
Crimson Rambler Rag
Tierney, Harry A.
1911
Cum Bac - Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1911
Felicity Rag
Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
1911
Haunting Rag
Lenzberg, Julius
1911
Honeysuckle Rag
Botsford, George
1911
Hyacinth Rag
Botsford, George
1911
Oh! You Angel
Dabney, Ford
1911
Klassicle Rag
Crabb, C. Duane
1911
Peanuts
Earnist, Ethel
1911
Quality Rag
Scott, James
1911
Ramshackle Rag
Snyder, Ted
1911
Royal Flush
Botsford, George
1911
Sunflower Rag
Wenrich, Percy
1911
Tar Babies
Johnson, Charles L.
1911
That Corrugated Rag
Mellinger, Edw.J.
1911
The Fiddler's Rag
Trovato and Manning, A. C.
1911
The Minstrel Man
Robinson, J.Russel
1911
Whirl Wind Rag
Robinson, J.Russel
1912
A Bag Of Rags
McKanlass, W. R.
1912
Black Diamond Rag
Lodge, Henry
1912
Dockstader Rag
Copeland, Les
1912
Ham Bones
Denney, Homer
1912
Jamaica Jinjer
van Alstyne, Egbert
1912
Mutt & Jeff Rag
Eubank, Philip E.
1912
Piccalilli Rag
Reeg, George A.
1912
Ragtime Jim
Phillips, A. Fred
1912
Red Onion Rag
Olman, Abe
1912
Scott Joplin's New Rag
Joplin, Scott
1912
That Demon Rag
Smith, Russell
1912
The Entertainer's Rag
Roberts, Jay
1912
The Winter Garden Rag
Olman, Abe
1912
Turkish Towel Rag
Allen, Thomas S.
1913
Alabama Jigger
Claypoole, Edward B.
1913
American Beauty Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1913
Banana Peel Rag
Winkler, Gus
1913
Crazy Bone Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1913
Dynamite
Klickmann, F.Henri & Biese, Paul
1913
Good Gravy Rag
Belding, Harry
1913
Gulbransen Rag
Willet, Herbert W.
1913
Junk Man Rag
Roberts, Luckey
1913
Kismet Rag
Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
1913
Pastime Rag No 1
Matthews, Artie
1913
Pastime Rag No 2
Matthews, Artie
1913
Pork and Beans
Roberts, Luckey
1913
The Incandescent Rag
Botsford, George
1913
Whipped Cream Rag
Wenrich, Percy
1914
Black And Blue Rag
Nichols, Hal G.
1914
Blame It On The Blues
Cooke, Chas L.
1914
Caprice Rag
Johnson, James P.
1914
Climax Rag
Scott, James
1914
Colonial Rag
Lenzberg, Julius & Ball, Ernest R.
1914
Hot House Rag
Pratt, Paul
1914
Magnetic Rag
Joplin, Scott
1914
Motor Bus
Houston, Annie
1914
Peek-A-Boo Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1914
Shine or Polish Rag
Heltman, Fred
1914
Tango Rag
Olman, Abe
1914
The Chevy Chase
Blake, Eubie
1914
The Lily Rag
Thompson, Chas.
1914
The Music Box Rag
Roberts, Luckey
1915
12th Street Rag
Bowman, Euday
1915
Agitation Rag
Hampton, Robert
1915
Cleopatra Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1915
Evergreen Rag
Scott, James
1915
Kentucky Rag
Willis, Floyd H.
1915
Ragtime Nightingale
Lamb, Joseph F.
1915
Reindeer Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1916
Bantam Step
Jentes, Harry
1916
Blue Goose Rag
Johnson, Charles L.
1916
Daintiness Rag
Johnson, James P.
1916
Harmony Rag
Nichols, Hal G.
1916
Honey Moon Rag
Scott, James
1916
Patricia Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1916
Prosperity Rag
Scott, James
1916
The Cactus Rag
Gibson, Lucien Porter
1916
Pastime Rag No 3
Matthews, Artie
1916
Top Liner Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1916
Wild Flower Rag
Williams, Clarence
1917
Charleston Rag
Blake, Eubie
1917
Reflection Rag
Joplin, Scott
1918
Dixie Dimples
Scott, James
1918
Muslin Rag
Kaufman, Mel B.
1918
Sleepy Hollow Rag
Woods, Clarence
1919
Bohemia Rag
Lamb, Joseph F.
1921
Victory Rag
Scott, James
1922
Deuces Wild Rag
Bauersachs, Hubert
1922
The Melrose Rag
Bauersachs, Hubert
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