Keeper's long-lost MIDI files
All arrangements listed
alphabetically
- Affinity Rag by Ron
O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 8 September 1993
For sheet music, send check or money order for $3 to Ron O'Dell,
3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423 (please specify which composition you
want). Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 612K).
- 12 Variations on "Ah! Vous
Dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Level
2 -- 2 September 1992
Also known as "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" or "Baa! Baa!
Black Sheep."
- Ain't Misbehavin'
by Andy Razaf, "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks --
Level 3 -- 7 July 1997
Frankie Carle's conception of the popular tune. I put a lot of
very subtle dynamics into the melody of this one.
- Theme to "Angelina" by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 2 August 2004
NOTE: This is an orchestral/choral file with portamento controls on the voices and so forth
which probably will not play properly on anything but another Yamaha XG SoftSynthesizer,
with which I composed it.
Angelina is a cartoon series concept with a 36-episode
storyline by an extremely talented Italian animator friend of mine, Federica Giulietti.
Between jobs on various TV shows and at graphics arts studios, she has been working
on this concept for close to 10 years, and finished the animated title sequence in 2003.
I decided that it should have an original theme, so I wrote this music. It's my first
attempt at writing for orchestra. You can view the animation matched with the theme
by clicking here then choosing
on the left side which size file to download. Because of the compression, the sound
quality isn't so great. You can hear a clear MP3 of this music the way it should sound
and with most sound effects removed by clicking
here (the laughing voice
is my own!).
- Theme to "Animaniacs"
by Richard Stone (piano four hands) -- Level 3 --
12 January 1997
Lyrics
- Theme to "Animaniacs"
by Richard Stone (orchestra) -- Level 3 -- 11
January 1997
- Ashy Africa by Percy
Wenrich -- Level 1 -- 10 January 1992
- Battle Cry of Freedom
by George F. Root -- Level 1 --
8 August 1991
One of the most popular Union songs from the American Civil War.
Lyrics
- Beautiful Dreamer
by Stephen Foster -- Level 2 --
1 January 1992
This was Stephen Foster's last work, and is one of his most famous.
Lyrics
- Billikin Rag by E.J.
Stark -- Level 2 -- 3 December 1993
- Bird-Bath Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Hand-Played -- 31 May 2004
I was bored, not really in the mood to write music, when I composed this.
It's certainly not close to my best work, but I guess it has its charms.
There was a dead blue jay in my driveway when I was thinking about a name
for this rag, and it reminded me of watching one of them splash around in
a puddle a few days before. That's when I came up with the title.
This marks the first time I have hand-played a MIDI sequence on this site,
though it was done in several takes and only one hand at a time. I had
to quantize the notes to get my poor playing into some semblance of rhythm.
Click here
to view a live performance by Andrew Barrett (YouTube link).
- Blue Goose Rag by
"Raymond Birch" (Charles L. Johnson) -- Level 1 -- 16
December 1990
- Bohemia Rag by Joseph
Lamb -- Level 2 -- 7 June 1994
- Bourrée in A Major
by Georg Philipp Telemann -- Level 2 --
10 October 1990
- Bowery Buck by Tom
Turpin -- Level 1 -- 9 October 1990
- Buffalo Rag by Tom
Turpin -- Level 1 -- 30 April 1991
- Bugler's Dream
by Leo Arnaud -- Level 1 --
10 August 1988
A tune commonly associated with Olympic-type events. This file is
a MIDI conversion of a four-voice Amiga DMCS file I made which was
itself a manual conversion of a three-voice Commodore 64 SID-Player
file by Gary Oglesby.
- Car-Barlick Acid by
Clarence Wiley -- Level 2 -- 15 August 1994
- Canzon
by Johann Jakob Froberger -- Level 2 --
2 March 1991
This canzon is in the Mixylodian mode, meaning the key of G
without an F sharp. Like many baroque pieces, it ends on a
second-inversion chord.
- Les Carillons
by Johann Philipp Kirnberger -- Level 1 --
19 December 1990
This will test the high ranges of your sound card, MIDI device
and speakers! I used the celesta sound for this, appropriately
transposing the music two octaves higher than written. I know
that the celesta is a relatively modern instrument, invented in
the late 19th century, but given the title of the piece it makes
a much more appropriate sound than a harpsichord does. I tried
using tubular bells, but they produce a far too thick sound without
any crisp strike tone. If you have a GS-compatible MIDI device, you
might try transposing the music down an octave or two and choosing
the church bell patch to get an authentic carillon sound.
- Cataract Rag by Robert
Hampton -- Level 1 -- 18 December 1990
- The Chevy Chase by
Eubie Blake -- Level 1 -- 19 May 1993
- A Christmas Carol
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
22 December 1990
A pretty basic arrangement of Lehrer's 1954 song (from his
album An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer) celebrating
the true spirit of Christmas...
Lyrics
- Clavier Partie by
Johann Nikolaus Tischer -- Level 1 -- 30 September
1990
- Conversation Pieces by
Ron O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 23 July 1992
For sheet music, send check or money order for $3 to Ron O'Dell,
3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423 (please specify which composition you
want). Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 619K).
- Courante in C Major by
John Blow -- Level 2 -- 5 March 1991
Hear also the prelude, listed below.
- Crimson Rambler Rag by
Harry Austin Tierney -- Level 2 -- 8 June 1994
- That Crotchety Old Rag by
Ron O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 7 December 1992
- Dark Eyes arrangement
by Richard Bender -- Level 2 -- 18 March 1993
- Diplomacy Rag
by Christoph Schmetterer -- Level 3
-- 26 November 2001
This rag was composed in April and June of 2001. Christoph
Schmetterer is a ragtime composer from Vienna, Austria, whom
I met at the 2001 West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento.
He writes some terrific rags in the classic style, and I
promised him I'd fix up some MIDI sequences of them from
the bare Encore files. This is the first effort. I took some
liberties with it on the repeats, as an example of how I might
play it.
- Dixie Blossoms by
Percy Wenrich -- Level 2 -- 21 August 1994
I gave a piano-roll treatment to parts of this arrangement.
- Theme to "Doctor Who"
by Ron Grainer -- Level 3 -- 4 January 1994
Based on the 1980-1984 version by Peter Howell. Piano-roll arrangement,
transcribed by ear.
- Theme to "Doctor Who"
by Ron Grainer -- Level 1 --
26 March 1992
I made this as a four-voice Amiga DMCS file, though limiting it to
three voices so the Amiga could have some echo effect. I transcribed
the original 1963 theme by ear. There are many combinations of
General MIDI instruments which sound cool with this, but I decided
on modest choices, trying to keep it sounding as close to the original
as possible. Of course, these synth instruments vary tremendously from
device to device, so my choices may sound totally different on your
system. DMCS could not do portamento (slides), so this file lacks it.
With a few days of tweaking this could be made really nifty!
- Don't Jazz Me
(I'm Music) by James Scott -- Level 2 --
8 October 1990
It is known that James Scott often did not name his rags; the titles
were given by the publisher, John Stark. This rag, published in 1921,
probably shows Stark's opinion about the new music form that was beginning
to overshadow ragtime. Of course, since jazz was improvisational and
Stark was a sheet-music publisher, I imagine there was a good reason for
him not to like the way popular music was heading. The most interesting
thing about this rag is when the first strain is reprised, its cadence is
replaced with the one from the second strain.
- The Earle of Salisbury
by William Byrd -- Level 2 --
1 August 1991
This pavane is popular among classical guitarists. Here it is
played on a pipe organ.
- The Elements
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
2 January 1991
Sung to the tune of Sir Arthur Sullivan's I Am the Very Model of
a Modern Major General from The Pirates of Penzance, this
song from the album An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer
remains popular today despite being considerably out of date. It was
written in 1958 as an aid to memorizing all the known elements.
It served as inspiration to Randy Rogel when he wrote the wonderful
list songs for the Animaniacs cartoons Yakko's World
and Wakko's America, then later the self-parody, All
the Words in the English Language.
Lyrics
- Euphonic Sounds by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 13 July 1994
- Fantasia in B minor
by Georg Philipp Telemann -- Level 2 --
10 October 1990
- Fantasia in C
by Johann Pachelbel -- Level 2 --
11 October 1990
Yes, Pachelbel wrote more than that Canon in D you hear
everywhere!
- Fast Cat Rag by Ron
O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 5 January 1994
For sheet music, send $3 to Ron O'Dell, 3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423.
Please specify which tune you're ordering.
- Felicity Rag by Scott
Joplin and Scott Hayden -- Level 2 -- 6 July 1994
- Fiancée Rag
by Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3
-- 9 July 2003
I had been working on this a little bit at a time over the course
of a year. I wanted to write something for my girlfriend, Linda,
and by the time I finished this, she wasn't my girlfriend
anymore. That's where I got the title from. It has some highly
unusual things in the second half.
- Fido Followed Felix
by Harry Tilsley -- Level 3 -- 25
June 1997
A 1924 tune about Felix the Cat meeting with a dog called Fido
(perhaps the Ken-L Ration mascot? anyone know when that started?).
Lyrics -- This sequence is a
reworking of one by David Gerstein, and appears with permission.
Visit his
Classic Felix the Cat Page.
- Fig Leaf Rag by Scott
Joplin -- Level 2 -- 18 July 1994
- Fly-Swatter Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 6 February 2007
The title came to me in an instant when pianist Andrew Barrett accidentally blew
his sheet music right off the piano while trying to shoo away a fly during a
performance at the 2006 Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival. Realizing that there was
no known rag by this name, I knew I had to write one.
- Frivolity Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 2 May 2004
A day after composing Priority Rag, I wrote this, still determined to give
up my usual frivolous activities in order to write music! Click
here for live performance by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 573K).
- Fugue in C
by Johann Pachelbel -- Level 2 --
13 November 1990
This is probably the shortest four-voice fugue I've ever
heard.
- Fugue in C Major
by Johann Sebastian Bach -- Level 2 --
24 March 1993
I don't know where this fugue came from so can't identify it any
more than that. This was probably the last DMCS arrangement I ever
made that was intended to be played by the Amiga's own sound chip.
But here it is converted to MIDI. It is performed by a trio of
horns.
- The Garden Walk by
Tom Brier -- Level 3 -- 7 November 1997
A 1996 composition by one of the most prolific ragtime composers ever,
arranged with permission. I added some personal flash to the end.
Sheet music for this and other rags of his is available directly from
the composer for $3 each, to Tom Brier, 2618 Stonecreek Drive #289,
Sacramento, CA 95833.
- Gavotte
from "Les Petits Riens"
(K. 10)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Level 2 --
8 March 1991
- La Gemissante
by Jean François Dandrieu -- Level 2 --
1 August 1991
Another one that sounds great on the celesta despite the anachronism.
It sounds good on a harpsichord too (try it by transposing down two
octaves, removing the chorus effect and reducing the reverb), but the
celesta adds to the tranquil and sad nature of tune. In the third strain,
the score has a few different types of trill markings and appoggiature
on trill notes that most people who make MIDI files probably would not
know how to execute properly (let's face it: most people who make MIDI
files would mistake an appoggiatura for a grace note).
- Gladiolus Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 13 July 1994
- Good Gravy Rag by
Harry Belding -- Level 2 -- 30 April 1991
- Les Grâces Naturèles
by François Couperin -- Level 3 -- 10
February 1993
To be more authentic, listen to this harpsichord
version.
- Greasy Spoon Rag by
Ron O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 15 July 1994
- Happy Birthday ragtime
arrangement by Ron O'Dell -- Level 3 -- December 1996
- Heart and Soul
arrangement by Jerry Roth -- Level 2 --
20 June 1988
The less-annoying of the two tunes that every child somehow learns
to play on the piano, in a treatment originally done in a three-voice
Commodore 64 SID-Player file by Jerry "Dr. J" Roth, which I
then hand ported into a four-voice Amiga DMCS file, and now have
converted to MIDI.
- Hello! Ma Baby by
Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard -- Level 3 -- 20
March 1997
The song immortalized by Michigan J. Frog in the Chuck Jones cartoon
One Froggy Evening. I added a lot of personal touches to this,
most notable of which is a flashy one-step arrangement at the end,
typical of piano performances of songs from the period.
Lyrics
- Hornpipe in G minor
by Jean Baptiste Loeillet -- Level 2 --
10 October 1990
I chose to do this one because of the constant syncopation in the
right hand, which seemed so unusual for such old music.
- Hungarian Rag by
Julius Lenzberg -- Level 2 -- 1 May 1993
- I Hold Your Hand in Mine
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
11 September 1992
This love song written in 1953, featured on the album
Songs by Tom Lehrer, was most often requested
at his performances ... requested not to play, that is.
Lyrics
- Infernally Unnamable Rag (tentative
title) by Ron O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 10 December
1993
For sheet music, send check or money order for $3 to Ron O'Dell,
3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423 (please specify which composition you
want). Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 474K).
- Intonazione
by Giovanni Gabrieli -- Level 2 --
13 December 1990
This is a very old piece of music, composed in 1593, and as such
is built on very long held chords reminiscent of monasterial
chants.
- Kitten on the Keys by
Zez Confrey -- Level 3 -- 2 September 1993
- Komm, Lieber Mai
(K. 596)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Level 2 --
28 June 1991
This is one of Mozart's last pieces. It is a song, but I
do not have the lyrics. The title means Come, Sweet
May, but that month never came again for him.
- Lucky Number Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 2 -- 10 March 2008
I have often had ideas for strains in 7/8 time signature in my head, but never
sat down to write anything, and had given up on the idea. One day, I had the first
strain of this rag in my head, thinking it was in 2/4, but only when writing it
down did I realize it was in 7/4. I added an extra beat to make it 2/4, but then
had to come up with a title. Seeing that the tempo was set to 88, which is my lucky
number, I decided on this title. Then I realized that 7 is a lucky number for
many people, so re-wrote the first strain back in 7/4 time. A couple of normal
2/4 strains followed, but then I decided it had to end in 7/8.
- Mad Scientist Rag
by Ron O'Dell -- Level 3
-- 6 September 2001
I came up with the title while lying in bed after waking up
one day. This rag has some interesting things in it. While
the first strain is decidedly in E minor, the second strain
starts like it might continue in that key, but then quickly
switches to the relative G Major, only to fall back into
minor chords. Then it begins to modulate again and -- this
is the strange part -- it ends on a G minor chord, though
it works as a transition back to the beginning, rather than
feeling like an ending. The C strain is really a pair of
8-bar ideas which lead into the D strain. The first of
these utilizes diminished and augmented chords to evoke
the scene of the mad scientist's laboratory, like Dr
Frankenstein's with big electrical arcs and such. The second
has a series of tremelos in the left hand with a lot of
diminished chords, meant to evoke the evil experiment
coming to life, and that life is represented by the more
traditional, lighter D strain which spends its time
definitively in C Major until the cadence which ends it
in A Major (really A minor -- lots of baroque music in
minor keys end on the parallel major; I'm doing the same
thing here). Then it goes back to repeat the A strain one
last time. That strain ends on a root-position chord with
a 4-3 suspension, so the last note played is the third degree
of the chord -- again typical of baroque music, and very
effective for the mood here. If all the musical terminology
doesn't make sense to you, it's no matter; the music sounds
just fine without all the analysis! To order the sheet music,
send $3 to Ron O'Dell, 3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423.
Please specify which tune you want.
Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 611K).
- Maple Leaf Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 3 -- 23 March 1997
Presented the way I play it, this was modified from a straight arrangement
by Warren Trachtman, with permission.
- Marching Through Georgia
by Henry C. Work -- Level 1 --
5 September 1991
Today, the campaign of General Sherman during the American Civil War
is known to have been a terrible campaign of mass destruction, but
for many years it was considered only for the decisive victory that
it was. This song was written to celebrate it, though its lyrics
certainly give no reference to the true nature of the events.
Lyrics
- March Majestic
by Scott Joplin -- Level 2 --
4 May 1993
This probably is the second-most popular of Joplin's three
6/8-time marches.
- Medic Rag by C.L.
Woolsey -- Level 3 -- 29 January 1997
I improved on the written score, to add variety to the repeats and give
the rag a more robust ending.
- Military March, 16th century
composer unknown -- Level 1 --
1 January 1992
The British military still plays this tune, probably because
in the 19th century it was given lyrics called The
British Grenadiers. A century earlier, it had been
given lyrics during the American Revolution, called Free
America. If you're curious as to the full lyrics to
either, let me know and I can include them.
- Minuet in A Major
by Luigi Boccherini -- Level 2 --
24 January 1990
A very well-known piece by this little-known composer. Remember that
when I arranged these "long-lost" files, the only MIDI
device I had was a piano sound module, so I put dynamics into the
file. However, because the piano hadn't been invented when this was
composed, I use the harpsichord sound in this MIDI file, but of
course harpsichords can't play dynamics. For a harpsichord purist
this will sound strange with the instrument getting louder and softer.
If you are such, either change the sound to a piano or ask me to make
a harpsichord version with the dynamics removed (like I did for Les
Grâces Naturèles). I can do this quite easily.
- Morgan Hill Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Hand-played -- 25 October 2007
This was one of the few occasions when I completed a tune without having a title in mind. Finally,
I realized that the town I was living in had celebrated its centenary a year earlier.
Since 1906 was right in the middle of the ragtime era, I decided to name this rag after
the town. Click here
to view a live performance by Tom Brier (YouTube link).
- The Musical Snuff-box by
Anatol Liadov -- Level 2 -- 9 July 1991
Although it was written as a piano piece about a music box, try loading
this one into your sequencer and changing the instrument to Music Box for
kicks. It sounds great!
- The Nonpareil by Scott
Joplin -- Level 2 -- 13 July 1994
- The Oceana Roll by
Lucien Denni -- Level 2 -- 9 August 1994
Lyrics
- Operatic Rag by Julius
Lenzberg -- Level 2 -- 23 February 1994
- Osawatomie by
Ron O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 23 January 2007
This is in the "Indian Intermezzo" style that also was popular during the ragtime era.
The style was created accidentally in 1901 by Charles N. Daniels' tune "Hiawatha"
(using one of his pseudonyms, Neil Moret). That tune was supposed to be about a train ride to
the town of Hiawatha, Kansas, but through misunderstanding its sound became recognized as
"Native" American music. Many other tunes in this style were written, and
several also were named after towns in Kansas. Most of my ragtime friends have composed
an Indian Intermezzo, so I thought should give it a try. When I saw the town name of
Osawatomie, I thought it was perfect for my situation, because it sounds similar
to saying, "Oh, so what o' me?" The town's claim to fame is being where
John Brown's abolitionist uprising began. I actually composed this in 2006.
- Excerpts from Passacaglia in
D minor by Christian Friedrich Witt -- Level 2 -- 27
June 1991
- Pastime Rag No. 1
by Artie Matthews -- Level 2 --
20 December 1991
The first from a set of five rags (published over about six years,
and not in order of their numeration) from the famous blues composer,
each in a very different style.
- The Peach by Arthur
Marshall -- Level 2 -- 23 February 1994
- Le Petit Nègre by
Claude Debussy -- Level 2 -- 28 May 1991
- A Picture of Her Face by
Scott Joplin -- Level 1 -- 11 April 1993
Lyrics
- Pineapple Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 19 July 1994
- The Pippin by Arthur
Marshall -- Level 2 -- 23 February 1994
- Les Plaintes d'une Poupée
by César Franck -- Level 2 --
29 May 1991
- Poisoning Pigeons
in the Park
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
27 December 1990
One of his more popular songs, from the album An Evening
Wasted with Tom Lehrer.
Lyrics
- Poison Rag by C.L.
Woolsey -- Level 2 -- 9 June 1994
- Pollution
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
22 April 1993
This originally was designed to be played by the Amiga's own
four-voice sound chip, but here it is converted to MIDI. This
calypso tune, played here with steel drums and marimba, is
Lehrer's version of a song to play on a Come to America travel
advertisement in another country. He originally wrote it for
the television program That Was the Week That Was
in 1965, and appears on his album of songs from that show,
titled That Was the Year that Was. While many of Lehrer's
topical songs have become dated, this one is just as poignant
today as it was then, if not more so.
Lyrics
- Prelude in B-flat minor
(Op. 28, No. 16)
by Frédéric François Chopin -- Level 2 --
19 March 1993
In DMCS it was not possible to include the damper pedal commands,
so this arrangement is a bit of a D-I-Y. If you're using an external
MIDI device and have the sheet music handy, you can add the sustain
pedal motions while you listen to this sequence. (If anyone saves a
version with pedaling, please send it to me! I don't have an external
MIDI device, most of my music books are packed away where I won't be
able to get to them until I move again, and the non-synchronous clocks
between the Amiga and the PC make these "long-lost"
sequences very difficult to hand-edit anyway because you can so easily
lose your bearings.) I'm not sure I did the arpeggi correctly; Chopin
being a later composer, they might be better off performed before the
beat. I've never heard a performance of this to judge by, either,
which is true for most of the "long-lost" stuff
actually.
- Prelude in C Major by
John Blow -- Level 3 -- 5 March 1991
Hear also the courante, listed above.
- Priority Rag
by Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3
-- 1 May 2004
Usually, I spend what little free time I have driving racing simulations instead of writing music.
On the evening of April 30, 2004, I'd just acquired a new long-awaited simulation, but instead
of installing it, I decided to write down the tune that was going through my head. Music is
always being made up inside my head, but I usually do other things (like play racing games)
instead of write music. Writing music should have a higher priority than simple entertainment.
Because for once in my life I got my priorities straight, I named this piece
Priority Rag. Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 593K).
- Puppy Dog Rag by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 8 June 2004
I was definitely back on form when composing this. After finishing the first
strain, I said out loud, "OK, let's save this puppy," then stared at
the screen for several minutes wondering what to name it. The fact that I called
it a puppy and spoke it out loud struck me. To obtain the sheet music, send $3 to
Ron O'Dell, 3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423. Please specify which tune
you're ordering. View
the first page (PDF file).
Click here for
live performance by Tom Brier (MP3 sound file, 783K).
- Rags and Tatters by
Edward Clark, Jr. -- Level 2 -- 22 February 1994
- A Rag-Time Hullabaloo by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 6 August 2008
After Lucky Number Rag, which I wasn't sure
I'd even show to anyone, I decided I needed to write a more traditional rag,
so once I came up with this title, it was off to the races. I stopped after two
strains and four measures of the third strain, stuck. Several months later,
I finally found a way through and completed this. I even made a cover so it
can be sold as an individual sheet.
- Ragtime Nightingale by
Joseph Lamb -- Level 1 -- 4 September 1992
- Rialto Ripples by
George Gershwin and Will Donaldson -- Level 3 -- 3
August 1994
- Ricercata
by Giovanni Maria Trabacci -- Level 2 --
5 September 1991
This music is in the Mixylodian mode, which is to say
the key of G without an F sharp. The third part of this
ricercata is the most interesting, with a descending
chromatic motive. If someone can get me a more specific
title to use, such as a larger collection of works it was
originally a part of, I'd appreciate it.
- Rose Leaf Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 19 July 1994
- Sarabande and Gigue by
Domenico Zipoli -- Level 2-- 6 May 1992
From his Suite in G minor.
- Sa Taille
by Erik Satie -- Level 2 --
1 January 1992
The first of Les Trois Valses Distinguées du Précieux
Dégoûté, dated 21 July 1914. These odd little
pieces each tell a story as they go along, though no direction is
given to perform the lines. Each of these also has a quotation on
the top of the score. It seems as though these were not intended
to be performed for an audience. They are to be enjoyed by a pianist.
Nevertheless, I arranged this one. The
accompanying text and story
is available as well.
- School of Ragtime exercises
by Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 6 July 1994
- The Scorcher by Ron
O'Dell -- Level 2 -- 28 December 1994
For sheet music, send check or money order for $3 to Ron O'Dell,
3340 Dog Leg Dr, Minden, NV 89423 (please specify which composition you
want). Click here for live performance by Tom
Brier (streaming MP3 sound file, 571K).
- Scott Joplin's New Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 14 July 1994
- Page 2 of lost
Scott Joplin song -- Level 3 --
4 December 1998
In 1947, Lottie Joplin had a photograph sent to Brun Campbell,
titled Joplin's Piano. Whether or not the piano in
the picture actually was one of Scott Joplin's has never been
determined, but in 1997, Reginald Robinson noticed that a page
of handwritten manuscript on the piano in the photograph was a tune
almost certainly composed by Scott Joplin, but which nobody had
ever heard before! No one in the 50 years previous had ever
bothered to look at closely enough at the photo to discover this
lost Joplin tune, even though it is fairly readable (I even noticed
a wrong note in a recently printed version, just by looking at a
mere reproduction of the photograph)! It is marked as page 2, and
is a song, though most of its lyrics are too blurry in the photo
to decipher. So here is a mere 23 seconds of late Scott Joplin
music -- the end of one strain and the beginning of another.
From the style, this very well could be from even later than
his last known work, Magnetic Rag.
- Searchlight Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 15 July 1994
- Silver Swan Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 8 July 1994
- Skunk in the Parlor by
Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 15 November 2004
The Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival is known for having rags inspired by it, and in 2004,
I was encouraged to add an effort of my own. All the obvious titles were taken, so I had
to think of something original. Myself and other composers stay the weekend in a Victorian
house fondly nicknamed "Skunk Hollow" in the parlor of which is a piano which
gets played late into the night and early in the morning. Of course, Skunk Hollow already
has a rag named after it. But I thought about the parlor piano, and came up with the link
between skunks and piano keys -- both are black and white! So then, what if a skunk wandered
into the parlor, attracted to the piano? Thus I came up with the title, and began writing
music to match.
- Slippery Elm Rag by
Clarence Woods -- Level 3 -- 31 March 1997
- So Long, Mom
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
27 December 1990
The first and second world wars produced some of the
most memorable and catchy songs in history, and in
1965 with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Lehrer
postulated that if there were to be any songs about
World War III, they'd have to be written ahead of time.
This appears on his album That Was the Year that
Was.
Lyrics
- Sonata in G
by Giovanni Pergolesi -- Level 2 --
7 March 1991
For baroque music, this really rocks! Again, this was originally
done with a piano sound, so there are dynamics which make the
harpsichord sound fade and grow like a harpsichord can't really
do, but at least it's a correct period instrument (and sounds
better on it than on a piano).
- Sonatina in C Major by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Level 3 -- 31 August 1992
- Sonatina in E Major
(L. 375, No. 3)
by Domenico Scarlatti -- Level 1 --
21 November 1990
Originally made as a piano arrangement since that's all I had in
those days, this is now played with a correct period instrument,
the harpsichord. However, the dynamics remain, so it's some kind
of magical harpsichord capable of playing at different volume levels.
If this upsets you I can remove the dynamics easily. Just ask.
- Spontaneity Rag by
Ron O'Dell -- Level 1 -- 25 February 1992
- Theme from "Star
Trek" by Alexander Courage -- Level 1 --
9 June 1988
This is a MIDI conversion of a four-voice Amiga DMCS file
I made which itself was a manual conversion I did of a three-voice
Commodore 64 SID-Player file by Brian Szepatowski.
- Stoptime Rag by Scott
Joplin -- Level 2 -- 7 July 1994
- Sugar Cane by Scott
Joplin -- Level 2 -- 6 July 1994
- Sumthin' Doin' by
F.H. Losey -- Level 2 -- 11 June 1992
- Tattle-Tale Rag
by Ron "Keeper" O'Dell -- Level 2
-- 9 July 2003
I had come up with the title a while ago, and a notion of some
kind of descending chromatic figure in the first strain. As soon
as I had completed my Fiancée Rag, I began to
experiment with the notion. Five hours later, this entire
composition was complete. Chromatic figures ended up being
used throughout, providing a cohesiveness while also making this
something of a show-stopper.
Click here for live performance
by Tom Brier recorded at the Sutter Creek Ice Cream Emporium
in Sutter Creek, California (streaming MP3 sound file, 551K).
- Temptation Rag by
Henry Lodge -- Level 3 -- 10 August 1994
One of the most popular rags during the ragtime era.
- That's A Plenty
by Lew Pollack -- Level 3 -- 24 June
1997
NOTE: Your MIDI device must be able to adjust the pitchbend
range to 12 semitones (I use the Data Entry MSB control in the
sequence), or the slides will sound awful. This sequence
is a reworking of one by Ryan McDowell, and appears with
permission.
- Toccata in C minor
by Leonardo Leo -- Level 2 --
9 January 1992
- Toccata in D minor by
Pietro Domenico Paradisi -- Level 3 -- 24 June 1992
From his Sonata in D Major.
- To the Nines
by Ron O'Dell -- Level 3 -- 6
November 1999
The title of this novelty is an expression for being
dressed in fancy clothes ("dressed to the nines").
However, in this case the music is a tribute to the year
1999. The music in this composition is Y2K compliant!
- Träumerei
(four-hand arrangement)
by Robert Schumann -- Level 2 --
11 June 1992
- From the opera "Treemonisha" by Scott Joplin:
- Trombone Johnsen by
E.J. Stark -- Level 2 -- 1 March 1994
- Trouble Rag by Morrison
& Crabb -- Level 1 -- 31 August 1992
- Twelfth Street Rag by
Euday L. Bowman -- Level 3 -- 2 March 1994
One of the most popular rags. It's mostly comprised of a single strain
played in variations.
- Two-Part Invention No. 12
by Johann Sebastian Bach -- Level 2 --
7 August 1991
After the ending, this sequence will back up a few measures
and play the ending again, incorporating the differences found
in the Spohr and Hoffmeister manuscripts.
- Wakko's Two-Note Song
ragtime arrangement by Ron "Keeper" O'Dell --
Level 3 -- 24 April 1997
In an Animaniacs cartoon, the character of Wakko proved
that his two-note melody was indeed a song that could be played in
many styles. Ragtime wasn't one of the examples, so I've filled the
void. The slow tempo is done to match the original. Think of it as
a slow drag. Note the subtle swing added, to sound more natural (in
fact, it's how I play this).
- Wall Street Rag by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 8 July 1994
Each strain has its own description: 1. Panic in Wall Street. Brokers feeling
melancholy. -- 2. Good times coming. -- 3. Good times have come. --
4. Listening to the strains of genuine Negro ragtime, brokers forget their
cares.
- Weeping Willow by
Scott Joplin -- Level 2 -- 6 June 1994
On the repeat of the fourth strain, I added a left-hand variation used
by Joplin in his own performance.
- Weeping Willow Rag by
H.A. Fischler -- Level 2 -- 6 June 1994
- From "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2"
by Johann Sebastian Bach:
- Wernher von Braun
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
28 December 1990
From 1965 and featured on the album That Was the
Year that Was, this song pokes fun somewhat bitterly
at the changed allegiance of the man who invented the V-1
rocket bomb for Germany then went to work for the U.S.
space program.
Lyrics
- When Johnny Comes
Marching Home
by Louis Lambert -- Level 1 --
6 September 1991
Probably the most recognizable tune to come from the
American Civil War.
Lyrics
- Whoa! Nellie! by
George Gould -- Level 2 -- 28 February 1990
At the final stoptime pause, one is supposed to shout "Whoa!
Nellie!" before the final two chords play.
- Who's Next?
by Tom Lehrer -- Level 1 --
17 December 1991
This was written in 1965 and takes a light-hearted look
at the fear setting in as nuclear weapons proliferated
around the world. It appears on the album That Was
the Year that Was. Lyrics on the album are slightly
different than these, from the songbook Too Many
Songs by Tom Lehrer.
Lyrics
- Yakko's World (traditional;
arranged by Randy Rogel) -- Level 3 -- 7 December 2007
This arrangement of the Mexican Hat Dance appeared in the second episode of
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs in 1993, as the character of
Yakko Warner sang a rhyme of countries and territories around the world.
I was asked to make this by an anime cosplay group in Ohio who wanted to do
a musical sketch with the tune, but could find no recording of it without
Yakko's singing (because no such recording existed). I transcribed the
arrangement by ear.
- The Yankee Hustler by
Eugene E. Schmitz -- Level 3 -- 12 January 1998
A "Tribute to American Progress" composed in 1902 by the mayor
of San Francisco. Rather simple, but charming.
- Yellow Dog Blues by
W.C. Handy -- Level 2 -- 4 May 1993
- You've Been a Good Old Wagon
But You Done Broke Down
by Harney & Biller --
Level 2 -- 15 August 1994
Lyrics
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