A novelty ragtime piece that blends traditional syncopation with modern harmonic flavors. Its primary appeal lies in its infectious, driving rhythmic drive.
Maintain a steady 'two-beat' pulse throughout the syncopated passages.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Bagel Creek Rag is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Bagel Creek Rag lasts about 3 minutes.
Bagel Creek Rag is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Buttery Ivories! by Cameron Lee Simpson, Candy Crush! by Cameron Lee Simpson, 24th Street Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.