Maple Leaf Rag

Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag is one of the most famous and influential works in the history of ragtime. Published in 1899 and named after the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, Missouri, the piece helped establish Joplin as the leading composer of the genre and became a model for countless later piano rags. Its syncopated melodies, firm marching bass, and sharply defined formal structure capture the distinctive energy and sophistication of classic ragtime.

The work is organized into several contrasting strains, each combining a steady left-hand accompaniment with highly syncopated melodic writing in the right hand. Although often associated with popular entertainment, the piece demands considerable rhythmic control, coordination, and clarity from the pianist. Its infectious momentum, elegant construction, and brilliant keyboard style have made Maple Leaf Rag an enduring landmark of American music and one of the most recognizable piano works ever written.