Rag Goo

Description

From the Epicurious food dictionary:

Ragout [ra-GOO] – A derivative of the French verb ragoûter , meaning “to stimulate the appetite,” ragoût is a thick, rich, well-seasoned stew of meat, poultry or fish that can be made with or without vegetables.

Ragu [ra-GOO, rah-GOO] – A staple of northern Italy’s Bologna, ragu is a meat sauce that is typically served with pasta. Though different than the French RAGOUT, both are derived from the verb ragoûter, which means “to stimulate the appetite.” Ragu usually contains ground beef, tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, white wine and seasonings.

James L. King III’s Rag Goo (awesome pun, right?) is a short piece that introduces the most basic syncopation pattern, quarter-half-quarter, using an etude-style melody in the C major 5-finger position. You’ll want to repeat the piece if you use it in a recital or performance.

Key: C major

Mood: rhythmic and happy

Pedagogy: syncopation, steady tempo, playing in a two-beat feel