Let the Cat Out of the Rag

Description

This short etude is designed to help students master syncopation. It does so in a form similar to Scott Joplin’s School of Ragtime by starting off with a non-syncopated passage, and then tying notes together. All syncopated passages are marked in the music, so discussion can form around the passages that are not syncopated and why they are not syncopated.

The title is a pun on the English expression “let the cat out of the bag” (meaning to accidentally reveal a secret) and there are plenty of “meows” in this piece to delight any cat lover that learns this piece. It’s substantial enough for a recital, but a bit short, so teachers and students are free to repeat or extend passages as desired for performances.

Key: C major

Mood: playful, light-hearted

Pedagogy: syncopation, fingering, slight hand position changes.