Black Cat Rag is a characteristic example of contemporary ragtime piano composition. It features the classic multi-strain form and syncopated melodies that define the genre's structural style.
Focus on the precise rhythmic placement of syncopated notes against a strict, metronomic left-hand accompaniment.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Black Cat 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 Black Cat Rag lasts about 3 minutes.
Black Cat 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 24th Street Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson, Bullseye Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson, Banana Pepper Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.