October 2026 - "Peacherine Rag"

Scott Joplin’s Peacherine Rag, published in 1901 by John Stark & Son, is one of the lesser-known compositions by the composer widely known as the “King of Ragtime.” It appeared only a few years after Maple Leaf Rag had established Joplin as one of the leading composers of the emerging ragtime style. Like Joplin’s other classic rags, Peacherine Rag combines a syncopated melody over a foundation of a steady march-like rhythym. The original sheet music even carries the simple instruction “Not too fast,” a reminder that the music’s rhythmic character depends more on precision and bounce than sheer speed.

Born in Texas to a formerly enslaved father and a mother who encouraged his musical education, Joplin developed into a skilled pianist and studied music and composition. He spent important years in Sedalia, Missouri, where he became part of the city's lively musical community and published many of his best-known compositions, including "Maple Leaf Rag", "The Entertainer", and "The Easy Winners". Joplin aspired to have ragtime recognized as a serious form of American composition and later devoted much of his career to writing longer works, including orchestral works and operas.

Here’s a link to a practice/play-along video of the mountain dulcimer arrangement generated from TablEdit.

Enjoy, and keep on strummin’!

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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