Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 May 14 - 06:23 PM

The Entertainer; structure Intro AA BB A CC Intro2 DD, according to a Wiki article.

Original sheet music (1902) at Levy Sheet Music (Piano only)

https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/3354

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 May 14 - 04:08 PM

I'm glad you like it. Of course, in the chord names my B is your H. It's the white note after A.

This afternoon I had a thought. 'The Entertainer' is an unusual name for a piece, especially for a rag. Rags had names like 'Maple Leaf Rag, Gladiolus Rag, Black Diamond Rag," etc. Perhaps Scott Joplin wanted us to play every section differently, as if we are entertainers showing off our skills.

Do you know a song "A Wandering Minstrel, I" by Gilbert and Sullivan? Every section of the song is a different kind. Perhaps "the Entertainer" is supposed to be like that.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 14 - 12:24 PM

Thanks both - Q - That's only half of it , but useful

And Leenia - That reinforces what G Force posted , even more useful ! I was defiantly missing the Dm

Its certainly a LOT easier just playing the melody on a whistle

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 May 14 - 11:41 AM

Oops I made a mistake. There are four parts after all. Well, five if you count the introduction.

The 'chords' i gave are for the final part. If you listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmruHc4S9Q

it's the section that starts at 2:53. This piano roll is soulless, but it's accurate.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 May 14 - 11:37 AM

You might take a look at the chords given by GuitarNick. Simplified, but might help.

http://guitarnick.com/the-entertainer-joplin-guitar-tab-chords.html

Subject: Chords Add: THE ENTERTAINER (Scott Joplin)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 May 14 - 11:23 AM

Hello, Leadfingers. Your request is more complicated than it may seem at first. For one thing, is your fourth part the same as my fourth part? Let's try to figure it out.

Go to the Lester Levy site, click Advanced Search and search for Title: Entertainer and Composer:Joplin. That will bring up a PDF of the original piece. (My computer puts it in Downloads.) The piece has the following parts:

A short introduction
Part 1, mostly minor. We play it twice. This is the famous part.
Part 2, mostly major. We play it twice. It's very high.
Part 1 again. Play it twice.
Part 3. Play it twice.

Now, supposing that your fourth part is part 3 from the list, then these are the chords. In this block of chords, each symbol is one measure.

Dm Dm C C
G7 G7 B7 C
Dm Dm C C
=========
Now we have a bass run. The notes are:
F D E F (that's one measure)
=========
Back to chords
C F#m C (that's one measure)
==========
Another bass run. The notes are:
A D G B
======
And to end the piece, the tonic chord:
C

By the way, Leadfingers, this will give you an idea of why we have to go to the written music. That video of Chet Atkins playing? It's only part of the composition. I also downloaded two MIDI's of the piece, and both were unusable.

If you play with a friend, I suggest you both look at the music and study the bass line. Even if you can't play the notes, you can see where it strums, where it 'fingerpicks' and where it rests.

Best of luck.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 May 14 - 04:40 PM

Thanks Tony - I'll have another go

And GUEST - Dropped D doesn't help in C and F , and he doesn't do the modulation to G either !

Bloody we'll played though !!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: GUEST,#
Date: 19 May 14 - 09:26 AM

Atkins playing it on guitar.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: G-Force
Date: 19 May 14 - 08:35 AM

Actually, the fourth strain is in C, not F (starting with a Dm chord). Take it from there and you should be OK.

Subject: Chord Req: The Entertainer - Scott Joplin
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 May 14 - 09:31 PM

I CAN play the melody on Whistle in C and modulate to F , but am struggling with the correct chords for the Fourth movement , in F . Can any one help ? I am a Musical Thicko and CANT read the pigeons on the Telegraph Wires , so the sheet music is not a lot of help , and Tab is a tad confusing .