"Weeping Willow" is a 1903
classic piano ragtime composition by
Scott Joplin.
It was one of Joplin's simpler and less famous
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...
scores, written during a transitional period in his life, and one of the few pieces that Joplin cut as a piano roll in a 1916 session.
Music
"Weeping Willow" is sub-titled "A rag time two step", which was a form of
dance popular until about 1911, and a common style among rags written at the time.
Its structure is: Intro A A B B A C C D D
The A and B sections are in the key of
G major
G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor.
The G major scale is:
Notable composi ...
very lofty and highly melodic. The "B" section makes good use of alternating patterns creating interesting melodic shifts. The Trio ("C" section) is in the key of
C major; its chord progression was popular in black folk songs, and was used in
Eddie Miller's ''Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do''. The D section emphasizes another fine melody, and accentuates the variety found between sections.
Publication history
Joplin's recent scuffle with
John Stillwell Stark
John Stillwell Stark (April 11, 1841October 21, 1927) was an American publisher of ragtime music, best known for publishing and promoting the music of Scott Joplin.
Early life and education
Stark was the eleventh of 12 children born to Adin S ...
over the publication of
The Ragtime Dance
"The Ragtime Dance" is a piece of ragtime music by Scott Joplin, first published in 1902.
Publication history
Although the piece was performed in Sedalia, Missouri on November 24, 1899, it wasn't published until 1902. John Stillwell Stark had ...
created a level of animosity between composer and publisher. Weeping Willow became the second of many pieces published by a firm other than Stark's since
Maple Leaf Rag.
The copyright was registered June 6, 1903, and sheet music was published by the Val A. Reis Music Company of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. The piece was also released on Connorized piano rolls.
See also
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List of compositions by Scott Joplin
The following is a complete list of musical compositions by Scott Joplin ( 1867 – April 1, 1917).
Scott Joplin was born in Arkansas in around 1867, just outside Texarkana, and was a street performer before settling in Sedalia, Missouri, St. ...
References
External links
"Perfessor" Bill Edwards plays Joplin with anecdotes and research.
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Compositions for solo piano
1903 compositions
Rags by Scott Joplin
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