Joplin's The Entertainer

Written for piano in 1902, Scott Joplin's The Entertainer is a popular piece of ragtime, a musical genre whose main characteristic is its syncopated (or "ragged") rhythm, and which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918.

The Entertainer is rated number ten on the list "Songs of the Century". One of the classics of ragtime, it returned to prominence in the 1970s, when it was used as the theme-music for the 1973 Academy Award winning film The Sting. Composer and pianist Marvin Hamlisch's adaptation of The Entertainer was rated number three on the Billboard pop chart in 1974, and number one on the adult contemporary chart that same year.

Scott Joplin (1867/1868 - 1917) was an African American composer and pianist, who belonged to the first post-slavery generation. He achieved fame for his wonderful ragtime pieces ("rags"), and was dubbed the "King of Ragtime". His work had a profound influence on subsequent writers of ragtime.

During his brief career, Joplin wrote forty-four rags, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, The Maple Leaf Rag, became ragtime's first hit.

The popularity of his music diminished after his death. But there was a huge Joplin revival in the early 1970s, spurred by pianist Joshua Rifkin's recordings of Joplin rags, and the Academy Award winning movie The Sting, which featured several Joplin compositions as well as The Entertainer.

Easy Version

• Part 1

• Part 2

• Part 3

• Part 4

• Part 5

Original Version

• At Tempo

• Slow Part 1

• Slow Part 2

Sheetmusic

Easy version

(Jane's tutorial covers page 1 only, and ends with the last measure)

Original Version

• Sheet music

• Download