White Street Pier

Description

This medium slow ragtime piece is named after the White Street Pier, one of the landmarks in Key West. It is one of the best places to view the Atlantic sunrise.

The subtitle A Syncopated Recreation is a throwback to the early days of ragtime publishing, where these subtitles helped musicians quickly find dance music or light parlor music. “Recreation,” in this sense, means a light, casual piece. (Not unlike the bagatelles or “musical trifles” found in classical music.)

This miniature uses a more modern, yet famous chord progression called the rhythm changes for its AABA form, with a short tag ending. (The name comes from the George Gershwin tune I Got Rhythm, which used a variation of those changes.)

Intermediate students will enjoy this piece, which, because of its slower tempo, is easier to master than some other ragtime-styled pieces.

Key: C major

Mood: lazy, relaxed, content.

Pedagogy: rhythm changes, stride left hand, dynamics, syncopation, fingering