Cannon Ball is a notable ragtime piece by Joseph Northup known for its rhythmic drive and energetic flair. It effectively utilizes the full range of the keyboard to create a vibrant sound.
The primary challenge is the consistent left-hand jump technique required to maintain the steady ragtime pulse.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Cannon Ball is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 Cannon Ball lasts about 3 minutes.
Cannon Ball 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 Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin, 'S Wonderful by George Gershwin, Solfegetto in C minor, H 220 by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.