Same here…though I love blues piano just as much.
I THINK with ragtime, the left hand plays mostly octaves in time with the chord changes.
Right handed part…no clue.
I thought this was hilarious
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It happens to be quite similar in arrangement to travis picking guitar. You play boom chuck rhythm in the left hand, and whatever super complicated melody in your right hand (on piano) on guitar your thumb takes care of boom chuck duty, while your fingers play melody, all whilst syncing perfectly with your left hand. That’s about as complex as I can make that. Clear as mud right?
A bit clearer, but no worries, cause I won’t be attempting it anytime in the near future.
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“Blessed Assurance” would sound phenomenal in Ragtime.
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Jack,
I agree with you (octaves) and @Dragonslayer - Gunnar … With his Boom-chuck but I also think there is a brilliant but sophisticated element because the off-beat “Chuck” syncopations are commonly chord progression and chord transitional elements move the song down it’s melodic path.
The boom-chuch support rhythmically and harmonically or… more specifically… Chord progressions. Having tried to learn Joplin ( I am a BASIC and very UNaccomplished piano student), the chords often introduce a lead-in element to where the chords are going and, in some cases, signal where the melodic line will land in the succeeding measure. I know that gifted players in guitar and Mandolin do this also - where the “Chuck” sound is percussive in basic playing become intentional chord structures in the hands of gifted players.
Considering this… I wonder if the very origin of this accoustic playing has a direct lineage to Ragtime. While @BanjoBen has mentioned his classical keyboard training (in the past)… and his knowledge of Bluegrass… maybe he can share in the musical connection is real historically or just in our music appreciation for Ragtime… which pre-dates the emergence of Monroe-style Bluegrass… but may very well co-exist with turn-of-the-Century (1900’s) parlor music.
Maybe @Archie also can chime in on - if there is any known linkages to Celtic and European Accoustic styles… Linked to Ragtime.
Are they two distinct styles… Distant cousins… or is there some larger connection… I am not sure.
Boom Chuck Chuck
Here’s a wee twist on an Old Cowboy Tune by two of Scotland’s most renowned folk singers . Can you hear the Boom Chuck…
See if you can make sense of the lyrics.
Yep, sure do…and I love his accent.
Will, that’s a lot to digest, but it did lead me to google ragtime progression, and I discovered that “Salty Dog” is actually rooted in ragtime. So is “Alice’s Restaurant”. Remember Arlo’s guitar walks?
Good Ear! 
By the way. I’d love to hear you play some piano. It would be a great addition to this site.
Sadly Roy Williamson is no longer with us but his lyrics still inspire a nation to sing Scotland’s NEW National Anthem. Flower of Scotland
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No Jack… posting my piano playing wouldn’t augment the site in any way, trust me! 
Still, you flatter me with those kind words, my friend.
My comments were more from reading the sheet music and TRYING to learn the Entertainer as I took Music Theory in High School.
So many years ago… I was just a rocker kid who never dreamed of linking onto Bluegrass or Acoustic music…
I guess I just wasn’t ready… 
These observations surfaced much more recently as I “connect the dots” with these genres and discussions.
Ya know Archie, when I watch your video’s of you playing, I never hear your voice, and don’t think of the Scottish accent I assume you have.
It would be a shock for just a second to hear a Scottish accent coming out of you. Then my brain would register it.
Hi Jack, As requested here is a video I recorded way back in 2014 where do some talking. Looking back at this the banjo pickin sounds terrible lots of bum notes and I seem to be in a hurry to get it over and done with.
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Awesome! 
I love Scottish accents, I can do a decent one if I’ve heard one recently, but it’s not quite like hearing a real Scott
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Wow, what speed of the piano guy’s fingers! I do have a heart for ragtime piano, but my teacher could never instill a love for classical in me. Too sweet for my likes and I miss the country twang! I’ve played piano for 8 1/2 years now and still can’t go quite so fast! Plus sight reading is a no-no for me.
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Well, at least your heart is in the right place as a fan of Ragtime!
I especially love fast-paced songs that make your head spin! I played “Give Me Strength” for a recital one year and was only 20 away from him on my metronome. Google it and I think y’all will like it!
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Wow, that was really pretty and fast at the same time! Such tunes are not super common. And you can play that!?!? 
Wow! That’s really impressive. Both hands are doing so much.
I have amazing muscle-memory which comes in handy while playin’ guitar. It is one of the many gifts that God has blessed me with so that I can serve Him better. I also played another song for recital by the same artist titled “Wolves and Lions.” Can’t seem to add a link so y’all will have to google that one yourselves.
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