Skip to the piano
ragtime.A LITTLE HISTORY. A LITTLE MUSIC. A LOT OF YOU.
A painted portrait of composer Scott Joplin, surrounded by flowers
Scott JoplinCOMPOSER & PIANIST

COME ON IN. THERE’S A SEAT FOR YOU.

A little piano.
A big adventure.

Meet Scott Joplin. He made music that danced.
Now it’s your turn. Let’s see what these old keys can do.

YOUR PIANOA little crooked. Full of possibility.
Free play
An old, hand-painted piano with wonderfully crooked keys

Getting your piano ready…

Tap a key. Click a key. Make a little music.

No wrong notes here. Just try.

Piano sound starts when you play.
SMALL NOTES. BIG POSSIBILITIES.A musical story in three little parts 01

A little more about Scott

Choose a question. These short, edited answers work even without an internet connection.

Ask your own question

An AI storybook guide can answer from our short history notes. Keep names and other personal details out of your question.

Scott is a dramatized storybook guide.

A little real history, for curious minds

Piano recordings: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm, Yamaha C5. CC BY 3.0. Sample source. Notes between recordings are pitch shifted; playback uses a release fade.

Scott Joplin was a pianist and composer. His Maple Leaf Rag was published in 1899. This story’s C–D–E activity is a beginner exercise, not a Joplin composition. Our storybook guide is imagined; the history is real. Explore the Library of Congress

A little help to get playing.

Tap or click any piano key to hear a note, or play with the computer keys A to K. You can also press Tab to reach a key, then use Enter or Space to play it.

Choose Make a little melody and play the glowing keys: C, D, E. Take as long as you like.

On a small screen, slide the piano sideways to explore more keys. If you can’t hear it, turn sound on at the top of the page and check your device volume.