The Entertainer Joplin Analysis

Scott Joplin’s, "The Entertainer", is a quintessential example of ragtime piano, a genre of jazz that swept the country around the turn of the century. Perhaps the greatest composer of rag, Joplin incorporates the fundamental characteristics of ragtime his piece, specifically the technique of syncopation, a repeating left hand pattern and a catchy melody. While listening to the recording, the melody of "The Entertainer" caught my ear immediately, seemingly very familiar. Some of you may recognize the catchy tune of the song from the 1973 Oscar winning-film, The Sting, or perhaps from attending a piano recital, which is where I was first exposed to the piece.

The Entertainer, specifically focusing on the beginning to 2:16, contains three different,