Practice score with a fingering picture under every note. Press play and the current note shows large at the top. Tap two bar numbers (start → end) to loop that section, or ▶ to start from a bar.
Sax part: C major2/4♩=88152 bars
My sax
Choose bars to practice
Tap a bar number to select it. Drag across numbers to select every bar in between.
The backing is a chord accompaniment made by this site for each song, so there are no copyright issues. Playback sounds at the real pitch of the sax you pick above (alto, tenor, soprano or baritone).
About this song
A 1901 rag by Scott Joplin, composer of The Entertainer. It pictures the winners of a sporting contest and bounces along on syncopated rhythms.
Practice tips
Syncopation is everything in ragtime. Turn on the metronome and listen for which notes land on the beat and which fall between.
The range is wide and there are many sixteenth notes. Learn one strain (about 16 bars) at a time, starting at 50% speed.
The busiest spot is bar 3 (8 notes). Loop just that bar and practice it slowly.
Bars 89, 93, 97 and 101 are the same notes. Learn one and you can play the others with the same fingerings.
Where the octave key goes on and off a lot: bars 36, 38 and 54. Keep your left thumb close to the octave key.
The biggest jump is in bar 36 (↑C → G). Alternate the two fingerings a few times so your fingers learn them first.
High notes that use the palm keys (↑↑D and up) come in bars 7, 15, 16 and 17. Check their pictures on the fingering chart first.
We took only the top line (the melody). Transposed for saxophone (alto part). Repeats are written out as in the original. FingerNola fingering pictures and accompaniment are added to every note.