Piano chords · Old-time stride
Maple Leaf Rag: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Scott Joplin
- Ab major
- 2/4
- 90 BPM
- Tricky
Maple Leaf Rag written out as piano music: the I – V7 – I – V7 loop in Ab major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays kangaroo leaps (stride (2/4)), and the right hand sings the tune.
Maple Leaf Rag chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Ab major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ab | I | Ab C Eb |
| 2 | Eb7 | V7 | Eb G Bb Db |
| 3 | Ab | I | Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Eb7 | V7 | Eb G Bb Db |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: kangaroo leaps (stride (2/4)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Ab – Eb7 – Ab – Eb7 chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Maple Leaf Rag
Does the sheet music for Maple Leaf Rag have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
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.