Scott Joplin Ragtime Collection – vol 1 arr. Scott Weatherson

Each volume of this collection contains six of Joplin’s ragtime piano solos, arranged for xylophone solo with marimba accompaniment. The pieces contained in these volumes are intended as duets between the student and teacher, with the student playing the solo part and accompanied by their teacher on marimba.

The xylophone parts have been written in the style of G.H. Green, adding frequent double stops to the melody line to create extra colour and harmony. Some double stops have been notated as optional, and can be played or left out depending on the level of the player. The solo parts work equally well on marimba, especially for the slower tempos, and pieces performed in this way can be played with two players on one marimba.

Two versions of each marimba accompaniment have been included; firstly a version which is playable with only 3 mallets (two in the right hand and one in the left hand) and is suitable for intermediate marimba students; apart from Maple Leaf Rag, these parts have been transposed to fit on a 4.3 octave marimba. The second version is a fuller realization of the accompaniment part utilizing 4 mallet playing, with busier movement in the left hand mimicking the ‘stride’ style of ragtime playing. These parts are all written for a 5 octave instrument.

The pieces contained in each volume are:

Volume 1
1.    Maple Leaf Rag
2.    Original Rags
3.    Heliotrope Bouquet
4.    Scott Joplin’s New Rag
5.    Euphonic Sounds
6.    Peacherine Rag