Elite Syncopations is a Scott Joplin rag written in 1902 and issued by John Stark & Son, the publisher who had already brought out Maple Leaf Rag. The cover of the first edition shows a smartly dressed couple sitting on a staff, watched by a cherub holding a cymbal in each hand: the whole elegance of an American parlor around 1900.
⏱4:55 with repeats♪2239 notes🎚Intermediate🎼F major♩60 per quarter🎹A#1 → D6🦶pedal marks
The file is 2238 notes over 4:56: a left hand that leaps from bass note to chord, a right hand that shifts its accents onto the off-beats. Joplin kept saying a rag should never be played fast, and it's good advice here: clean beats speed. If you're new to the style, start with The Entertainer.
The left-hand leap from bass note to chord, steady as a metronome
The right-hand syncopation, off the beat without losing the pulse
The change of key between sections
A measured tempo, no rushing, so the rhythm swings
The tricky passages
Bar 19 : the left hand shifts position by 18 semitones compared with the previous bar
Bar 56 : a leap of 17 semitones in the right hand, in under half a second
Playing Elite Syncopations on piano with Pianovera
In Pianovera, loop the left hand alone on the first 8 bars with the metronome at 60%: the leap has to land without you looking. Then add the right hand theme by theme, in Wait mode.
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About this piece
How long is Elite Syncopations?
The MIDI file lasts 4:55, with every repeat played in full: 88 bars in 2/4 (148 played with the repeats), 2239 notes, at 60 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 8:12.
What level do you need to play Elite Syncopations?
We rate it intermediate in F major, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 12 semitones (an octave) and the right hand up to 12 semitones (an octave), across 52 semitones of keyboard (A#1 to D6), at 7.6 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: the left-hand leap from bass note to chord, steady as a metronome.
What is the hardest passage in Elite Syncopations?
It is bar 56: a leap of 17 semitones in the right hand, in under half a second.
What tempo should a beginner practice Elite Syncopations at?
Aim for 35 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (60).
Is there sheet music for Elite Syncopations with fingering?
Yes: 1063 fingerings, 88 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
