Country Club is one of Scott Joplin's sophisticated ragtime works, written with a more delicate, dance-like sensibility than his famous hits. It utilizes complex syncopation against a steady left-hand walking bass.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: Alberti-bass accompaniment kept quiet and even under the melody; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Balance the syncopated right-hand melody against the strict, steady pulse of the left hand.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Country Club 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 Country Club lasts about 4 minutes.
Country Club 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 The Entertainer by Scott Joplin, Binks' Waltz by Scott Joplin, Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.