The Ragtime And The Blues - 1184 Words

Both ragtime and the blues were essential and influential in their contributions to the development of jazz. Together, they served as the primary predecessors to the later, more complicated genre. Key elements from each brand are incorporated and mixed to create jazz. Without the creative geniuses of ragtime such as Scott Jopin and James Reese Europe and Blues propagators W.C. Hady and Robert Johnson, the distinctive genre of jazz would not have emerged. Ragtime and blues are both unique in their respective styles and means of development, yet they also share some similarities despite their clearly outlined differences. Jasen and Tichenor argue that although ragtime â€Å"constitutes a concrete musical idiom†¦ its distinguishing musical characteristics were lost upon its early promoters and contemporary listening audience, and†¦ remain muddled to this day† (1). However, there are key elements of ragtime that make it unique and recognizable. Ragtime is a sound that is played—typically on the piano—in â€Å"ragged time,† or in other words, syncopation—a rhythmic technique in which emphasis is placed on notes that are played off the beat (Haskins 36). Another element of ragtime is its association with dance; ragtime music would play and references would be made to â€Å"‘ragging’ being a style of dancing† (Berlin 13). Ragtime developed through a combination of influences such as the call-and-response pattern of slave and Negro work songs (Haskins 37) and the tenacious ensembles of AmericanShow MoreRelatedMusic, Blues And Ragtime1337 Words   |  6 Pageswell. Two of the styles of music which added to the development and birth of jazz were the blues and ragtime. I argue that Jazz as a genre was a coalition between two popular forms of music, blues and ragtime. These two genres created jazz together through their origins, musical characteristics, and large number of performers. Ragtime’s origins can be seen as a major reason towards its development of jazz. Ragtime is an art form which came from, â€Å"African spirituals, minstrel songs and marches† (JazzRead MoreThe Ragtime Vs. The Blues1616 Words   |  7 Pages ¬Ragtime vs. The Blues In the city of New Orleans emerged one of the most influential music genres in U.S. history. At the time, New Orleans was known for being a melting pot of people or rather, a region where people from all over the world came together in one place. This city served as a key seaport in the U.S. allowing for goods to be imported and exported. The purpose of this city was not only strategic to the growth of the country, but also, the atmosphere allowed for the incredible mixingRead MoreEssay on Ragtime and Blues Influence on Jazz1377 Words   |  6 PagesAra Cho Ethno 50A 803-672-412 October 14, 2011 Seeing Ragtime and Blues as Parents of Jazz Jazz is a music genre that has complex characteristics and history of development and thus many musicians and scholars face troubles in defining what jazz is. In general, jazz is believed to have born in New Orleans. Jazz developed for the pleasure of the social dancers. According to the â€Å"Understanding Jazz: What Is Jazz?† of John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, Jazz was created mainlyRead MoreRagtime And Blues : The History And Their Influence On Jazz1581 Words   |  7 PagesRagtime and Blues: The History and Their Influence on Jazz In the city of New Orleans, from parades to clubs and from weddings to funerals, one element usually remained constant throughout all these events: the music that permeated the air. At most of these occasions, a band often performed as entertainment, providing many opportunities for musicians in the area to work. By the early 20th century, due to various factors such as mix of ethnicities and cultures with syncopated musical styles influencedRead More Ragtime Essay examples850 Words   |  4 Pages Ragtime was a very influential part of the development of jazz. Ragtime became very popular in the late 1800’s. Ragtime’s distinct style set it apart from the other genres. Syncopation is what defines this art form. This is when the loud accents fall in between the beats. Anything that is syncopated is basically ragtime. One of the most important ragtime composers was Scott Joplin. Like all great artists, Joplin did not restrict himself to this favored art form. Both before the advent of ragtimeRead MoreThe City Of New Orleans1471 Words   |  6 Pagesstyles that jazz consisted of were ragtime and the blues. Both ragtime and the blues had their beginnings in African-American communities. While both of these music styles strongly contributed to the creation of jazz and have a lot of similarities, they do have their differences. These differences lie within their origins, their elements that make up their styles and how these elements influenced jazz, and their artists and composers. First of all, ragtime and the blues are similar in that they bothRead MoreAnalysis Of Scott Joplin s Maple Leaf Rag 858 Words   |  4 Pageswas a composer and pianist of ragtime who was born in the late 1860s near the border of Texas. He learned to play the piano as a young adult and started to travel with his amazing talent while he was young. He is known as the king of ragtime during his generation. He is famous for writing 44 ragtime pieces during his lifetime. He wrote one ballet and two operas as well, and one of his pieces called â€Å"Maple Leaf Rag†, eventually was one of the most well-known ragtime pieces of the time. Joplin movedRead MoreHistory and Legacy of Jazz Music Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom gospel hymns, blues, and ragtime, yet was completely different in its own way. The sound, with its new techniques that gave it a raw uniqueness, was able to capture Americas curiousness, and make many fall head over heels for the new infectious sound. It dr ew in people from any age, race, and social status. This new genre was called jazz, and it became so popular that an era was named after it. Jazz is a blend of African American spiritual folk songs and faster upbeat Ragtime that uses a varietyRead MoreThe Entertainer Analysis Essay752 Words   |  4 PagesJazz compositions and was known as the â€Å"King of Ragtime. During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his most well known and popular pieces today is The entertainer which has gone down as one of the all time classics of ragtime and indeed in Jazz. The entertainer was written in 1902 while Scott Joplin was in St Louis and was intended as a moderately paced dance tune. Although ragtime wasn’t particularly popular at the time the entertainerRead MoreEssay on History of African American Music1267 Words   |  6 Pagesobvious styles: ragtime, blues, and jazz. Starting this new era was ragtime. As pianos became common in saloons, clubs, brothels and middle-class homes (Woog 22), ragtime became very popular. Pianos were one of the main instruments, although a piano could have also been accompanied by bongo drums or an acoustic guitar. The ambiance of this genre is generally expressed in a fluent and joyful way. Another type of music of this exquisite age was blues and it wasn’t a secret. Blue and Naden agree