Check out: Ragtime MIDI's

Subject: RE: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 06:04 AM

Mine pauses as it opens a mid file with a message that says "Loading and Guessing ... ."

Well I think it is doing a little more than but I like it!

Out of curiosity, what program is it?

Subject: RE: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 05:54 AM

leenia -

When I import the mid for Joplin's Solace into my notation program it does look pretty ratty, but the sidebar data appears to indicate that this is recorded from a performance by someone, and the player was quite obviously having difficulties. The performer also appears to have been trying to "impart feeling" with some schmaltzy fermata effects (or maybe she was just looking for the next few keys?) - completely out of character for ragtime.

Played back at about 1.4x the recorded speed it sounds a lot more "ragtime" since the tempo swings are not so glaring.

All of the other mids that I've played on the site appear to have been transcribed from sheetmusic, and they import into my notation program pretty cleanly. (Note that I've only played a little over a half dozen and only looked at the score xlation for fewer.)

Most of the midis at the site look remarkably clean.

The notation you get from a midi does depend very much on the program used and in some cases how you set it up. Mine pauses as it opens a mid file with a message that says "Loading and Guessing ... ."

John

Subject: RE: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 05:44 AM

The bad news is that the MIDI I downloaded (Solace) is not useable as piano music. The times are all whopperjawed. The MIDI's are probably all that way.

The problem could be that if the MIDIs were written to exact music notation times. they might not sound as good. It's also possible that the MIDI's were "recorded" using a real human piano player.

I've said this before but MIDI is not really a notation format - one could say it is a "performance" format, capable of representing the timings real players might use (including the fact we are not usualy spot on accurate to a note) when interpeting a score rather more accurately than sheet music can.

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A couple more links to Ragtime MIDI sites.

John Roache's Ragtime MIDI

Warren Trachtman's Ragtime Piano MIDI files.

Subject: RE: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: Scoville
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 11:05 AM

Sorry about that. I don't normally download stuff so I was just playing them off the site. However, since I'm one of those dorks who can't play anything until she's heard it a few times, I did think it was helpful for that.

I also liked that it had composers other than Scott Joplin. I mean, I love Scott Joplin, but there's more to the story than that.

Subject: RE: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 11:01 AM

The good news is that the site is there so one can hear what the music is like. The bad news is that the MIDI I downloaded (Solace) is not useable as piano music. The times are all whopperjawed. The MIDI's are probably all that way.

Last Saturday I attended a ragtime concert with Brian Holland at the piano. He did a special number which combined Solace with the newer tune Blue Bayou. The tunes fit well together.

Thanks for posting the link. I hope more people listen and get to know the greatness of true ragtime.

Subject: Check out: Ragtime MIDI's
From: Scoville
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 10:19 AM

I ran across this site a while back and, while I don't think electronic renditions are exactly pleasant, it's actually a really fun site just for playing the MIDI's and hearing the tunes.