The Sources and Resources of Classic Ragtime Music

Abstract

In an earlier study, we explored briefly the long-held assumption that classic ragtime1 emerged from two different musical sources-EuroAmerican social dance music and Afro-American folk dance music (Floyd and Reisser, 1980). At the close of that article, we promised a more detailed study; hence, the current piece. Some scholars have used the theory of syncretism to explain the merging of musical traits from two different cultures and the combining of these into new musical forms. According to this theory, when acculturation occurs between two peoples, the cultural elements that are shared between the two cultures or have similar forms are those elements of the minority culture that will survive and influence the culture as a whole (see Nettl and Behague, 1973, p. 209; Waterman, 1952, p. 212; Nettl, 1956). The theory of syncretism is central to the present investigation and will guide our inquiry into the search for the sources and resources of classic ragtime music. We are ever cognizant of the fact that most of the African slaves in the United States in the nineteenth century had come by way of Latin America where their musical practices were influenced by the various Caribbean cultures. Therefore, as our narrative progresses, we will take a close but necessarily brief look at certain aspects of Latin American music. In the meantime, let us note that, during the nineteenth century, the music of black people was strongly associated with African music all over the Americas. Among the practices that demonstrate this association are the use of pentatonic scales, large leaps in the melodic lines, the use of short phrases in the construction of melody, variation of melodic materials, the prominent position of percussion in the music as a whole, and the use of polymeters. As we progress, our narrative will point to the presence of these traits as retentions in classic ragtime. But before concerning ourselves with African retentions, let us take a