"What is Ragtime Music?" It's basically DunDuns on the left hand and Doodlydoos on the right hand.

Jonny is so great at ragtime. I could listen to him play for hours.

The two personalities work so well together on screen! I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after watching!

I am a stickler for "not fast" ragtime, but I love hearing Jonny play ragtime fast. I think the whole "not fast" thing to me is an appeal for musical nuance not to be lost. Ragtime demands all sorts of nuanced patterns of force, dynamics, note values, etc, which get lost when played fast. But Jonny is able to maintain all that wonderful musicality while playing fast, so between the nuances of musicality, and the excitement of the high tempo, it's a real joy to listen to Jonny playing ragtime fast.

Wow the speed of Jonny's Maple-leaf Rag is simply crazy cool! I love it!

My two favorite pianists on KZfaq in one video!

My two favorite people in one video!

I LOVE this channel Mr. Estrin. Don't ever stop doing what you're doing. I hope that business is going well for you and you will always be able to have the time to do this!

Why have i found this video this late? Jonny May on LivingPianos!!!!! I could watch you two talking all day long.

Would love to see loads more of these videos. You'll are amazing!

I love to see Jonny do rock music and turn it into rag.

Two people from two of my favourite piano channels together. Great!

2:50 I like this guys suggestion here. I think its a good way to demonstrate the ragtime structure so a noob with strong interest in music (me) can understand.

Great talent, love it and could listen all day. Thanks Joney.

Jonny is absolutely adorable! So much fun to watch.

Fantastic! I'm going to look up Jonny May. I used to play a bunch of the Joplin rags, but you really have to practice them daily to keep in shape.

Great Great! I'm new to piano and I have to tell you that I love your videos. Thx guys. Great interview to learn about Ragtime!

This is inspiring me to learn ragtime.

Love it! Robert has to do more interviews like this!!!! Encore! Encore!

So informative, thanks Jonny and Robert!

This video is very informative and interesting! I would like to see more interviews with experts from different styles of music giving away some tips and impression. Really great!

This video is brilliant! Thanks!

Well, that touched on enough things for a whole series. Thank you, gentlemen.

great interview. thanks so much. I am trying to perfect my ragtime playing. this helps.

Thanks so much for this video!

Rag-a-fying it! Love it!

Awesome interview

If you change the playback speed to .75x it actually does sound quite a bit better played slower.

nice video with 2 great pianists :)

Thank you for this , I’m definitely going to apply this ❤

hey this is a great video, thanks for the illuminating discourse bruh!

Wow! Thanks for the knowledge, I'm a drummer & wished I learned the piano as a child. Such a beautiful, versatile instrument!

I just saw my entire piano playing lifetime flash before my eyes. Thanks!

Incredible!

This budd Jonny May is something man .

Loved it! I'd like to learn ragtime sometime.

"Ragtime should never be played fast" That laugh from Jonny sums up his thoughts on it, feel free to see some of his videos for doublecheck. I also love seeing that he is this all excited, like a 4yo child who can't wait to lay his hands on some chocolate, but Jonny is like "Come on Robert, let me play already!"

Nice to see a reunion with you two playing together

Very interesting video! An eye opener!

Thanks for the post.

Nice!Johny May!

A lot of people say you shouldn't play rags with swing, but I think the maple leaf rag, for example, sounds better when played with swing and I only play it with swing and I play it at a fairly fast pace. Like Jonny said, you should play what you feel sounds best

Very enjoyable video. I do agree with Scott Joplin that ragtime sounds better when it's not "rushed" sounding. A little slower tempo allows the music to breathe. And of course life itself was more leisurely back then as well. But that's just my personal preference and as Jonny said, play it as you feel it.

We love Jonny May.

i love the pieces jonny plays in this video. they are the only two sheet musics ive ever bought. his rag version of wake me up and old to joy

great video guys

You guys seemed like you had a really good time

Oh, man, your pianos are tuned so gorgeously well, they give me _eargasms!_

Thanx, Gentlemen🌹🌹🌹

Maple leaf rag is great but elite syncopations is amazing!

I like it fast. Such a fun style.

well done guys. awesome video. I've always been puzzled too by Joplin saying 'play slow'. I like playing it fast, but also very rhythmic (not swung at all). However, I'm fairly sure if we could hear Joplin's interpretation, we would understand what he meant.

In other words you can take a 1 line melody and add rhythm with the left that is off the beat to give a syncopated effect.

Ragamuffin style! 😊 nice video

Great fun! Thanks!! I still think Joplin should be played slower. The audience is on an emotional journey; composers and performers take note! (sorry, my comment is four years late!)

Ragtime is a form of music much like that of Jazz, and like jazz, sometimes classified as sub-classical; that is, until someone classically trained takes an interest or is a composure like Scott Joplin -- then the art form, complexity, and accuracy all of a sudden takes on a seriousness nature. Like was mentioned, the syncopated rhythm is so beguiling, one cannot be encompassed in its enchantment. The one thing that really intrigues me, is the technical accuracy in which ragtime players present their music. You don't even have to see their fingers, but while listening, one can visualize the complexity as the two hands seem to at time fight against one another for the control of the piano and the listeners attention between the rhythm and the melody. Loved the playing of Mr. May, a very talented performer; HOWEVER, lacking in character and personal grace.

ooooooo sheer class

Looks like Jonny washes down two adderall with two monster energy drinks before playing.

Sweet

To answer the question about the left hand, watch some of Ed Clute's videos on KZfaq. He is a great stride piano player who has been blind from birth.

Thank you so much for this video. I am currently trying the swing, the octave jumps, and fiding it extremely difficult to land right without looking. Not looking at the keyboard for classical piece is a bit easier than not looking for a rag. Thanks.

Oh, wow, I love ragtime but don't think I knew of Jonny May. I love what he does with songs to "ragify" them. Any sheet music to be had?

Excellent. How do you play " trills " like Jo Ann Castle?

Robert is such a good host.

I was the only kid I knew that loved ragtime. People used to thing I was weird, I used to play lots of it on the piano. Then I had a past life regression and found out I lived during the turn of the 1900s in a past life.

You should do an interview with Mac Morin from Cape Bretton.

If he slowed down the syncopation it really would sound better.

Johnny May is the Scott Joplin of our time!

I'm pretty sure what Joplin meant by "it is never right to play ragtime fast" and "slow march tempo" He didn't mean to play it extremely slowly, at like 40 BPM. Fig leaf rag literally says to play it at 100 BPM.

I used to think Ragtime got its name from the idea of "putting on your glad rags" (festive clothes worn while dancing)...

Are Ragtime pianos "Tuned" differently??? That is the center string on concert pitch but the top string 10 above and lower string 10 beats below concert pitch.

Looks easy.

i like it when Ragtime is played fast

who is that jonney? so awesome! so talented! i would like him to be my teacher! cous my teacher dont teach ragiey time😯😯

👍🏼

What is the difference between ragtime, jazz, swing, and boogie-woogie?

What is the name of the music at 6:22?

Best

Did they share an 8 ball before starting filming?

I hated it everytime he stopped playing Could listen to him playing all day

I have a theory that ragtime and its successors (jazz, swing, etc.) contributed to the demise of the reed organ. From ragtime through jazz, swing, rock, etc. popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries are dominated by rhythm. And what are the two names for a reed organ? HARMONIUM and MELODEON.

The interviewer looks like Gene Roddenberry...

I always wondered. What is the difference between the old gospel music my mother played for church and ragtime? Always could play very poorly compared to her and I just never got better.

Wow that guy really looks and sounds like Mark Hamill

why do they look like they hated each other? hahahaha.

Next could you do one with a classical pianist

Music is meant to be played at the tempo set. You would never speed up Chopin, Beethoven ect. Why speed up Scott Joplin?

He said Turd of the 20th century haha

it is never right to play ragtime fast. scott Joplin wrote that because he enjoyed the intricate harmonics and melodies between and among the base notes and right hand notes.

I think it's more to be careful not to play too fast. I can see on saloons they could get a bit out of hand,.especially in "cutting competitions".

Am I the only one that stopped because I thought Jonny was teaching Luke Skywalker some tunes?

Jonny, you are " semi-retired"? What does that mean?

is ragtime jazz?

I've been trying to do this shit "complete" and you've been cutting corners till hell wouldn't have it... YOU SONS OF BITCHES!!! (LOLZ)... guess I just learned something. ;o)

Jazz is all by preference I'd rather play ragtime slow beat

He looks like Ben Savage.

Do not play fast, he said... and then...

These two guys have way too much energy for men lol

Ragifying😎

I don't think Joplin was silly to think he was writing classical music. His stuff has been compared to Bach. I think he will be more popular in 100 or 200 years than he is now.