Ragtime piano rolls

Piano rolls

This section is dedicated to ragtime piano rolls recorded during the ragtime era. A piano roll contains the full information on how a certain piano piece should be played and inserted in a special player piano it can still today make the piano sound exactly as it did when the roll was new.

Piano rolls can be produced by performers playing on a player piano with a recording mechanism or they can be produced by a skilled person manually punching holes matching the music score in the paper roll. Both of these methods can also be mixed which explains why sometimes notes and chords that are impossible (for one person) to play in real life can be heard on piano rolls.

Today we don't even need player pianos to play the rolls. They can be converted to digital form without loss of information and that explains why below you can find a number of piano rolls with outstanding sound quality (in mp3-format).

The list below contains rags composed by all major ragtime composers as well as some representative examples of quality rags by less well-known ones.

Note: The MIDI files used to make this page can be downloaded here:

1898

Echoes from the Snowball Club

Guy, Harry P.

1899

A Rag-Time Skedaddle

Rosey, George

1899

Cotton Picker's Rag

Sutton, Harry O.

1899

Doc Brown's Cake Walk

Johnson, Charles L.

1899

Maple Leaf Rag

Joplin, Scott

1899

Original Rags

Joplin, Scott

1899

The Bowery Buck

Turpin, Tom

1899

Tickled to Death

Hunter, Charles H.

1900

A Tennessee Tantalizer

Hunter, Charles H.

1901

Cotton Bolls

Hunter, Charles H.

1901

Possum and Taters

Hunter, Charles H.

1901

The Easy Winners

Joplin, Scott

1902

A Cotton Patch

Tyler, Chas. A.

1903

Ashy Africa

Wenrich, Percy

1903

Palm Leaf Rag

Joplin, Scott

1903

Something Doing

Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott

1903

St Louis Rag

Turpin, Tom

1903

Weeping Willow Rag

Joplin, Scott

1904

Car-Barlick-Acid

Wiley, Clarence

1904

Panama Rag

Seymour, C.

1904

St Louis Tickle

Barney & Seymore

1904

The Amazon Rag

Hahn, Teddy

1904

The Cascades

Joplin, Scott

1904

The Favorite

Joplin, Scott

1904

The Sycamore

Joplin, Scott

1904

Whoa You Heiffer

Verges, Al.

1905

Back To Life

Hunter, Charles

1905

Blue Ribbon Rag

Aufderheide, May

1905

Florida Rag

Lowry, Geo.L.

1905

Freckles Rag

Buck, Larry

1905

Peaches and Cream

Wenrich, Percy

1905

The Black Cat Rag

Wooster, Frank & Smith, Ethyl B.

1905

The Cannon Ball

Nothup, Jos.

1906

Cole Smoak

St. John, Clarence H.

1906

Dill Pickles Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1906

Frog Legs Rag

Scott, James

1906

Kinklets

Marshall, Arthur

1906

Pickles and Peppers

Shepherd, Adaline

1907

Fluffy Ruffles

Crabb, C. Duane

1907

Ginger Snap Rag

Dugdale, Horace K.

1907

Gladiolus Rag

Joplin, Scott

1907

Kansas City Rag

Scott, James

1907

Lily Queen

Joplin, Scott & Marshall, Arthur

1907

Missouri Rag

Powell, W.C.

1907

Possum Rag

Dobyns, Geraldine

1907

Searchlight Rag

Joplin, Scott

1907

The Nonpareil

Joplin, Scott

1908

A Black Hand

Hoffman, Robert

1908

Black And White Rag

Botsford, George

1908

Country Club

Joplin, Scott

1908

Fig Leaf Rag

Joplin, Scott

1908

Honeymoon Rag

Olman, Abe

1908

Lightning Rag

Jones, Clarence

1908

Pineapple Rag

Joplin, Scott

1908

Poison Ivy

Ingraham, Herbert

1908

Powder Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1908

Sensation - A Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1908

Sleepy Sidney

Scheu, Archie

1908

Sunflower Tickle

Wenrich, Percy

1908

The Bolo Rag

Gumble, Albert

1908

Wild Cherries

Snyder, Ted

1909

Bud Rag

Cross, Budd L.

1909

Bumble Bee Rag

Keithley, E. Clinton

1909

Buzzer Rag

Aufderheide, May

1909

Cheese and Crackers

Denney, Homer

1909

Ethiopia Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1909

Euphonic Sounds

Joplin, Scott

1909

Funny Bones

Woolsey, Calvin Lee

1909

Grace And Beauty

Scott, James

1909

Honey Rag

van Alstyne, Egbert

1909

Lemons and Limes

Salisbury, Cora

1909

Live Wires Rag

Shepherd, Adaline

1909

Oh You Devil

Dabney, Ford T.

1909

Pansy Blossoms Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1909

Paragon Rag

Joplin, Scott

1909

Pleasant Moments

Joplin, Scott

1909

Porcupine Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1909

Poverty Rag

Lincoln, Harry J.

1909

Razzle Dazzle Rag

Stokes, Nellie

1909

Sapho Rag

Robinson, J. Russell

1909

Sunburst Rag

Scott, James

1909

Temptation Rag

Lodge, Henry

1909

That Poker Rag

Blake, Charlotte

1909

The Franco-American Rag

Schwartz, Jean

1909

The Ragtime "Betty"

Scott, James

1909

The Wish-Bone Rag

Blake, Charlotte

1909

Wall Street Rag

Joplin, Scott

1909

Vanity Rag

Pratt, Paul

1910

A Certain Party

Kelley, Tom

1910

Anoma Rag

Dabney, Ford

1910

Aviation Rag

Janza, Mark

1910

Barbed Wire Rag

Spencer, Herbert

1910

Black Beauty Rag

Schwartz, Jean

1910

Candle-Stick Rag

Olman, Abe

1910

Clover Blossom Rag

Heltman, Fred

1910

Columbia Rag

Giblin, Irene M.

1910

Grizzly Bear Rag

Botsford, George

1910

Halley's Comet Rag

Lincoln, Harry J.

1910

Haytian Rag

Dabney, Ford

1910

Hilarity Rag

Scott, James

1910

Ketchup Rag

Giblin, Irene M.

1910

Medic Rag

Woolsey, Calvin Lee

1910

Old Crow Rag

Botsford, George

1910

Ophelia Rag

Scott, James

1910

Oyster Rag

Lyle, Tom

1910

Rag-a-Tag Rag

Brown, Al W.

1910

Red Pepper - A Spicy Rag

Lodge, Henry

1910

Rig-A-Ma-Role Rag

Kendall, Edwin F.

1910

Sneaky Shuffles Rag

Lodge, Henry

1910

The Aviator Rag

Giblin, Irene M.

1910

The Darkey Todalo

Jordan, Joe

1910

The Ragtime Oriole

Scott, James

1910

Waiman Rag

Shannon, J. R.

1911

Angel Food

Marzian, A.F.

1911

April Fool Rag

Schwartz, Jean

1911

Cloud Kisser Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1911

Crimson Rambler Rag

Tierney, Harry A.

1911

Cum Bac - Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1911

Felicity Rag

Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott

1911

Haunting Rag

Lenzberg, Julius

1911

Honeysuckle Rag

Botsford, George

1911

Hyacinth Rag

Botsford, George

1911

Oh! You Angel

Dabney, Ford

1911

Klassicle Rag

Crabb, C. Duane

1911

Peanuts

Earnist, Ethel

1911

Quality Rag

Scott, James

1911

Ramshackle Rag

Snyder, Ted

1911

Royal Flush

Botsford, George

1911

Scarecrow Rag

Morrison, Will B.

1911

Sunflower Rag

Wenrich, Percy

1911

Tar Babies

Johnson, Charles L.

1911

That Corrugated Rag

Mellinger, Edw.J.

1911

The Fiddler's Rag

Trovato and Manning, A. C.

1911

The Minstrel Man

Robinson, J.Russel

1911

Whirl Wind Rag

Robinson, J.Russel

1911

William's Wedding

Tierney, Harry A.

1911

Will O' The Wisp

Haasz, Richard

1912

A Bag Of Rags

McKanlass, W. R.

1912

Black Diamond Rag

Lodge, Henry

1912

Dockstader Rag

Copeland, Les

1912

Ham Bones

Denney, Homer

1912

Jamaica Jinjer

van Alstyne, Egbert

1912

Mutt & Jeff Rag

Eubank, Philip E.

1912

Piccalilli Rag

Reeg, George A.

1912

Ragtime Jim

Phillips, A. Fred

1912

Red Onion Rag

Olman, Abe

1912

Scott Joplin's New Rag

Joplin, Scott

1912

That Demon Rag

Smith, Russell

1912

The Entertainer's Rag

Roberts, Jay

1912

The Maurice Rag

Penn, William H

1912

The Winter Garden Rag

Olman, Abe

1912

Turkish Towel Rag

Allen, Thomas S.

1912

Variety Rag

Tierney, Harry A.

1913

Alabama Jigger

Claypoole, Edward B.

1913

American Beauty Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1913

Banana Peel Rag

Winkler, Gus

1913

Crazy Bone Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1913

Dynamite

Klickmann, F.Henri & Biese, Paul

1913

Gold Dust Twins Rag

Johnson, Nat

1913

Good Gravy Rag

Belding, Harry

1913

Gulbransen Rag

Willet, Herbert W.

1913

Junk Man Rag

Roberts, Luckey

1913

Kismet Rag

Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott

1913

Pastime Rag No 1

Matthews, Artie

1913

Pastime Rag No 2

Matthews, Artie

1913

Pork and Beans

Roberts, Luckey

1913

The Incandescent Rag

Botsford, George

1913

Universal Rag

Botsford, George

1913

Whipped Cream Rag

Wenrich, Percy

1914

Black And Blue Rag

Nichols, Hal G.

1914

Blame It On The Blues

Cooke, Chas L.

1914

Calico Rag

Johnson, Nat

1914

Caprice Rag

Johnson, James P.

1914

Climax Rag

Scott, James

1914

Colonial Rag

Lenzberg, Julius & Ball, Ernest R.

1914

Hot House Rag

Pratt, Paul

1914

Magnetic Rag

Joplin, Scott

1914

Motor Bus

Houston, Annie

1914

Peek-A-Boo Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1914

Shine or Polish Rag

Heltman, Fred

1914

Tango Rag

Olman, Abe

1914

The Chevy Chase

Blake, Eubie

1914

The Lily Rag

Thompson, Chas.

1914

The Music Box Rag

Roberts, Luckey

1915

12th Street Rag

Bowman, Euday

1915

Agitation Rag

Hampton, Robert

1915

Cleopatra Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1915

Esther

Reichstein, David

1915

Evergreen Rag

Scott, James

1915

Kentucky Rag

Willis, Floyd H.

1915

Ragtime Nightingale

Lamb, Joseph F.

1915

Reindeer Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1916

Bantam Step

Jentes, Harry

1916

Blue Goose Rag

Johnson, Charles L.

1916

Daintiness Rag

Johnson, James P.

1916

Harmony Rag

Nichols, Hal G.

1916

Honey Moon Rag

Scott, James

1916

Patricia Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1916

Prosperity Rag

Scott, James

1916

The Cactus Rag

Gibson, Lucien Porter

1916

Pastime Rag No 3

Matthews, Artie

1916

The Two-Key Rag

Hollander, Joe

1916

Top Liner Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1916

Wild Flower Rag

Williams, Clarence

1917

Charleston Rag

Blake, Eubie

1917

Harlem Strut

Johnson, James P.

1917

Rialto Ripples

Gershwin, George & Donaldson, Will

1917

Reflection Rag

Joplin, Scott

1918

Dixie Dimples

Scott, James

1918

Muslin Rag

Kaufman, Mel B.

1918

Sleepy Hollow Rag

Woods, Clarence

1919

Bohemia Rag

Lamb, Joseph F.

1919

New Era Rag

Scott, James

1919

Peace and Plenty Rag

Scott, James

1921

Victory Rag

Scott, James

1922

Deuces Wild Rag

Bauersachs, Hubert

1922

The Melrose Rag

Bauersachs, Hubert

1923

The New Russian Rag

Cobb, George L.