Have you ever looked under the hood of a late model car when it breaks down and try to figure out what part of the on-board computer went wrong, (as opposed to the old days [depending on your age] when you just put clothes pins on the fuel lines, banged on the air filter, tweaked the spark plug wires, or put gum on the little spritz of water coming from the radiator, before continuing on your way)? How about working an iPad or tablet out of the box, or even configuring a Blu-Ray player/recorder or a computer system, all without reading the directions? It works out sometimes if you have some prior knowledge about what you are doing. However, if you are unskilled or unschooled in the topic you are undertaking, it is hard to expect top-grade results without that knowledge. The same applies to doctors, lawyers, even Indian chiefs and ragtime composers. The more you know about what you are doing, the better the end result will be. That is the basis of this guide.

While one might argue that the place to start is with an idea for a composition, that idea still needs to be defined, refined and expanded on in some manner. Is it a title? Is it a melodic snippet? Is it a concept or shape? Even at that, another person might argue that a better launching pad is a background in the music that they are composing. Yet another could postulate that knowledge of the workings of music in general as well as basic composition skills are necessary. All of these are valid. We will take it a step further here and argue that experience in many different forms of music, basic knowledge of the elements of harmony and theory, the ability to notate or exercise some proficiency in notation software, and a broad knowledge of ragtime in general are all good criteria to have when attempting to compose. While varying degrees of each may have little impact on the end product, removal of any of them could potentially have a great deal of difference.

Do these criteria apply just to ragtime composition? Yes and no. For example, let's take jazz. Modern jazz is sometimes absolutely free form in all planes, including harmonic, melodic rhythmic and metric. However, even structured jazz in most cases is much less restrictive than ragtime. It is often more about the chord progression or the rhythmic patterns than about melody, even though the latter is important as the starting point. But modern jazz is also one basic theme or idea that is expanded upon in variations, whether they are applied to the progressions, melodic lines, or through the use of multiple timbres. Much of what is required, or equally not required for jazz composition, would either leave a void in rag composition or simply not apply at all. The same is true for song composition, whether it is rock, rap or rhythm and blues. Writing a song is also very different from writing a rag. In a song there are lyrics to help define and convey the intended ideas, and if married to an effective melody and chord progression those lyrics and the song as a whole will potentially have the maximum desired effect on the listener. But again, this usually entails one or two basic ideas or themes within a structure that varies from that of ragtime.

Piano ragtime, or more broadly, instrumental ragtime, is unique in a way since the very definition of a rag (see my article on What Are Ragtime and Old-Time Music for detailed information) is different in many respects from a song, jazz ensemble piece, blues, sonata, symphony, or even a march. The more that the composer knows about overall structure and, the most appropriate word that could be thought of, the "requirements" of a piano rag, then the more likely that they will be able to compose within those boundaries or expand them into something new without totally collapsing the basic structure. While lesser composers, and particularly unschooled composers, were certainly able to write interesting or noteworthy rags during the heyday of ragtime, two points can be made about this.

First, with no deference to the inherent talents of many, almost everybody was writing and recording disco during the disco craze of the 1970s (including the author to a small degree of success), and since disco sold, their pieces were getting out there even if they would now be considered substandard. The same was true in the ragtime era, especially for smaller publishers who were as eager to cash in on the craze as the larger ones, and would often feature local composers or push vanity runs of pieces that ragtime scholars now consider quaint or at least indicative of the folk roots from which they came.

The second point is that many of these rags made it into print through the efforts of experienced and educated arrangers who were able to take a basic rag that was played for them, apply effective chord changes and syncopation or other points of composition, and create what was in essence often more of a collaboration than a transcription. The work done by Artie Matthews in the 1910s is a good argument to support this point, since his arrangements of the works of many other composers often had great similarities to his own Pastime Rags. So even though the composer may not have felt that they needed, or usually could not obtain the full breadth of experience and education necessary to bring their ideas to fruition without assistance, it was often the arrangers that filled in these gaps, showing that the criteria we have been discussing does help to some point. Also note that Scott Joplin, James Scott, Clarence Woods, Artie Matthews, George L. Cobb and others were formally trained, as the quality of their output certainly indicates, and that even Joe Lamb, who was taught to a degree by his sister, and further by his studies of Etude magazine, had a collective basis in music education that contributed to the brilliant works he turned out. The same applies to many talented women composers, who were often more likely to have been formally trained than men, given society at that time.

It arguably helps that the composer should have some inherent musical talent in the first place. I lack many natural abilities that I don't believe I could learn too well, such as fashion design, hair cutting, stock management, politics, etc. So I try to do what I can with those abilities inherent in me and/or those that have been acquired through education. Some people are well trained in something they have no natural acuity for, and end up destined to be mediocre in this regard, when they have a natural talent in another field [look up The Peter Principle]. Those that discover this natural talent at some point in their life certainly benefit from it, as does the world. Did you know that the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield sold aluminum siding well into his 40s before returning to comedy as a career, something he had failed at two decades prior? Or that Harrison Ford was planning a career as a custom carpenter after sparse movie appearances when he was tapped for Star Wars? I could have continued as a Business and Economics major, but finally went with my instinct to stay with music, achieving a degree of success. So, an honest assessment of your ability and comfort level or confidence that you are also suited to play or compose ragtime is also a prudent exercise that can make a difference, but is not necessarily a requirement.

With all that said, here is a list of suggested items for background or skill sets that may be of immense help when approaching ragtime composition either for the first time or even after having some experience behind you.

Many of the points above can be discussed in other forums, such as the level of training in the classics that is necessary, or the basis in theory and harmony. As we delve into more detail now, the focus will be on various modes of thinking that can be used to help with a composition, and also what to look for and avoid. This will assume basic knowledge of or experience pertaining to most of the suggested criteria above, which will be referred to in general unless a specific example is warranted. Get that education if you can!

How to start? With an idea, of course. This is something that comes from many levels and may be different each time. I have started with a genre, a single motif (a short phrase with a specific rhythmic and/or melodic pattern), a concept, visualization, and most often with a title. I can think up some great titles, and have at least forty right now that have not been composed yet, but are still cool rag names. One that I appropriated (and am still apologizing for) was Blood on the Keys, suggested by friend and ragtime artist/composer Sue Keller. That name just put a certain visualization in my head that quickly evolved into a flexible motif used throughout the piece, then into a specific chord progression, and finally into a pretty decent rag. Another was my Hanon Rag, which started with Hanon piano exercises (a necessity that I deplored at times). I just picked the ones I wanted (many of them worked within the concept), then turned them into a mid-1910s rag novelty. In other cases, I have started with a concept, like my Ragtime Nocturne. In this instance, it was very useful to be well-versed in the Nocturnes of Fredric Chopin, which I emulated to some extent within a ragtime framework. For Buck's Banjo, I was prompted by an event, banjoist Buck Kelly's pending death from cancer, and one of his favorite pieces, Little Rock Getaway. It was played at the life celebration held after his funeral. So you can see that there are multiple inspirational muses that become compositional paths one may take. Sometimes a piece will flow out naturally, as with my Wiener Schnitzel Rag which literally composed itself in my head one night. Others may take a bit of hacking and some deliberate analysis during composing, as with my Necromancer and Pride of the Prairie. Finding other styles, like Novelty (Chinese Checkers) and Stride (Crocodile Stomp) can expand your abilities as well. However you might best start the process, get that start, and then pick a motif or two to work with.

Let us discuss the importance of a good motif and how it can not only help with composition, but also bring unity and coherence to a rag. In greater detail, a motif is a collective idea that encapsulates a specific or general melodic line, a particular rhythmic pattern, or in most cases a combination of both. As a well-known example we will use The Entertainer by Scott Joplin, followed by the Maple Leaf Rag. Knowing how this concept works with these rags can help you apply it to your own.

The point to be made here is that there is that adding even a hint of continuity between sections can spell the difference between a memorable rag that sounds like it was composed all at the same time, and one that sounds like several different ideas cobbled into one awkward and sometimes jarring framework. If you have an idea in your head and work with it, this idea may certainly help influence variations that will give you the continuity you might desire. If this is not your intent, then at least other points of continuity such as tonic key relationships or metrical patterns can also be used to great effect while maintaining the individuality you may be looking for.

There are other parts of the rag framework to consider as well, some of which can have either a desired or negative impact on your composition depending on how they are used. These are outlined below:

The most subjective part of the composition is, of course, the melodic and harmonic content. Since this is the part that usually comes from inspiration either within or around the composer, the actual content cannot really be discussed since there are nearly infinite variations on it. However, there are still some points that can be highlighted which will apply to many ragtime compositions.

It cannot be emphasized enough that even though much of what is presented here is a collection or consensus of opinion based on correspondence and interviews the author has had with his peers, there are many other valid points of view to be respected as well. However, since ragtime piano compositions do fall within a classification that can be well defined to a great extent, many of the guidelines here should help you create a piece that falls within that classification and can be truly called a piano rag. The other more subjective guidelines will also offer you some criteria to help you determine by yourself, or with another "sounding board," where improvements may be made to a piece, and what works well on its own. If you stray outside of these guidelines then your creation may not be a piano rag any longer, but it still may be quite valid as something within its own unique genre or category.

One question that has been asked of me personally, and also posted on discussion groups and Facebook in recent years, is as follows: Should players improvise music, or should they stick to the printed page? The answer to this seems obvious to both me and many of my colleagues, but not to all. In relation to certain classical works, such as those of Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, they are so well transcribed or well textured that improvisation of the notes is really not necessary, leaving translation differences to tempos, rubatos, dynamics and touch. In ragtime piano, improvisation or variation is encouraged and embraced by composers and players, since it exploits the possibilities of the genre and allows each performer to give individual identity to their performance. However, the big picture answer to this question should be that improvisation is essential. After all, improvisation is creation in a sense, and without improvisation and creation, composition would be impossible. Think about this — musical styles have evolved through time, particularly over the last four centuries in Western music. This evolution is the result of musicians building on or altering musical concepts that already exist, and refining them to a new level or even new a paradigm for music. Ragtime itself is an improvised conglomeration of several musical heritages, ranging from widely accepted classical conventions and the structure of marches and polkas to the rough-hewn yet rhythmically complex songs passed down through Black heritage. Somebody, or more rightly a collection of somebodies, improvised on these forms to create a new one. Yes, improvisation is a necessary component of composition and musical evolution.

So if you are just starting to compose ragtime, reevaluating or building on your composition base, or even creating a new paradigm for composition, realize that your input is certainly equal to that of all those who contributed to music in general over the centuries. But also know that those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. It can be argued that new ideas are not as fresh when the person creating them is building on an existing template of old ideas without incorporating some new ones. I would argue, and this is where I state my opinion <climbing up on the soap box> that the more knowledge you have not only about the genre you are composing in but about a wide spectrum of musical genres, the more sources of inspiration and style you will have to draw upon to create something familiar, unique, easy, complex, identifiable, hard to categorize, and thoroughly individualistic. While it is most certainly possible to create a viable and enjoyable ragtime composition with minimal experience (and history does support this), the more you explore the topic and the more points of view that you seek out, the easier it may become to get your ideas down in a way that will expand upon that little tune that's been bugging you for quite some time </descending from the soap box>.

In the end, one of the best barometers you can use to gauge your own composition is to listen to other ragtime compositions in a sub-genre similar to that in which you either intend or believe you have composed in, be it classic rag, folk, contemporary, etc. If something still does not sound right to you, it may not be right, and if you can't discern the problem, seek out somebody who may be able to assist you in this regard. Again, you can use the existing ragtime liturgy to help analyze such problems as well. The more you listen both within and outside of the genre, the more diversity you potentially may gain. The more you write, the better you may potentially get. The potential in this case also depends on personal attitude and confidence, which is usually accumulative. There will likely be falls and fails. Something may not work. One of my favorite sayings is, "If at first you don't succeed, try something different." At some point you may discover new things about yourself. If one of those things is that you don't have the potential to be a ragtime composer, it may be because you are better suited for jazz, new age, hip hop, or even a career as a politician. But do not deny yourself the experience of trying if you have felt the urge to do so. It is an exploration that is part of the human experience, and if you are successful in your venture, you will also add to the experience of humanity. Isn't that worth a try?