Difference Between Ragtime and Blues

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The emergence of jazz formed as social state of affairs between the black and white populations in late 19th century. The white wanted to keep the black slavery under control while the African-Americans propelled to develop and maintain their own culture and traditions. Jazz, as a unique genre of music, represented their traditions and experiences and passed down through generations. These included ragtime, an upbeat primarily piano-based style, and the blues, rooted in the work songs of the Southern plantation and sharecropping tradition. The difference between these two styles involves artists, major composition and influence. Through these three areas, the development of ragtime and blues greatly affect the revolution of jazz. The individual experience of artists can both affect and reflect the main characteristics of a music style. Ragtime dominated American popular music for nearly two decade from 1890s to 1910s. During this period, Scott Joplin, noticed as the most influential pianist to ragtime, was born into a typical Africa-American family in Northeast Texas, whose father had been a slave. Playing piano since seven-year-old, Joplin received his most music education from a local professor called Julius Weiss. Weiss introduced him folk and classical music. As a result, the style of a combination of Black American folk music and classical music in later Joplin’s performance not only formed the characteristics of ragtime music but served as ideas for future jazz development. During Joplin’s life time, his completed his most achievement in the city call Sedalia in Missouri, “It was a town in which Joplin could hear a vast amount of music making, a town that offered opportunities for him to work as a performer and composer, a town where he could find congenial colleagues and appreciation” (Berlin 23). Therefore Sedalia is known as the adopted home of ragtime

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