Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Maple Leaf Rag on piano
By Scott Joplin
- Ab major
- 2/4
- 90 BPM
- Tricky
Learn Maple Leaf Rag in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Eb7 – Ab – Eb7
Maple Leaf Rag sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIEb7V7AbIEb7V7- AbAb · C · Eb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Kangaroo leaps
Bass, high chord, bass, high chord, fast: the hand leaps like a kangaroo. Musicians call it stride (2/4) (stride & boom-chick), a tricky pattern heard in 107 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 90 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Ab – Eb7 – Ab
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbEb7Ab
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Questions about Maple Leaf Rag
What chords are in Maple Leaf Rag?
The loop is Ab – Eb7 – Ab – Eb7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is Maple Leaf Rag in?
Ab major, at about 90 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Maple Leaf Rag?
Kangaroo leaps: stride (2/4), a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Maple Leaf Rag easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Maple Leaf Rag?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.