The Entertainer is Scott Joplin’s ragtime classic, and syncopation is far easier to grasp with the interactive player below: slow it to half speed, watch the notes and keys light up exactly when they sound, and drag the score to loop the tricky spots. Sheet music, fingering, and a free printable PDF follow.
Learn it with the interactive player
- Slow it down: x0.5 or x0.75 while you learn the notes, back to x1 once they flow.
- Pause anywhere: the current keys stay lit so you can find them on your own piano.
- Drag the score left or right, or use the 15s buttons, to replay a phrase.
The sheet music, section by section
Put the player on x0.5 before touching Section A: the famous D-E-C hook lands between the beats, and half speed is where that off-beat placement becomes audible. Count and-1, and-2 until the swing feels natural.
Section B develops the theme with wider intervals over the same steady alternating bass. Master four measures at a time and resist every urge to rush.
The full score
Joplin marked his rags Not fast, and he meant it: play the full score at the 100 BPM marked in our score and let the groove come from steadiness, not speed.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: C4, D4, E4, G4, A4 - all inside one C position.
- Left hand: F2, G2, A2, B2, C3, E3, A3 - single notes, mostly C3 and E3 taking turns.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 (Middle C) | One ledger line below treble staff | White key left of two black keys, center | RH Thumb (1) |
| D4 | Just below bottom line of treble staff | Between the two black keys | RH Index (2) |
| E4 | On the bottom line of treble staff | Right of two black keys | RH Middle (3) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | Between first two of three black keys | RH Ring (4) |
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | Between last two of three black keys | RH Pinky (5) |
| F2 | Space below the bass staff | Left of three black keys, two octaves below F4 | LH Pinky (5) |
| G2 | Bottom line of bass staff | Between first two of three black keys | LH Pinky (5) |
| A2 | First space of bass staff | Between last two of three black keys | LH Pinky (5) |
| B2 | Second line of bass staff | Right of three black keys | LH Thumb (1) |
| C3 | Second space of bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Pinky (5) or Middle (3) |
| E3 | Third space of bass staff | Right of two black keys | LH Thumb (1) |
| A3 | Top line of bass staff | Between last two of three black keys, just below middle C | LH Thumb (1) |
Prefer a video? Watch the keys light up
Same color code as the player: green marks the right hand, blue the left hand, with the score and keyboard in one vertical video.
The story behind The Entertainer
Scott Joplin published The Entertainer in 1902, subtitled A Rag Time Two Step, at the height of the ragtime craze he had helped ignite with the Maple Leaf Rag three years earlier. Joplin, born to a formerly enslaved father in Texas, raised ragtime from saloon improvisation to carefully notated art, and he printed warnings on his scores that ragtime should never be played fast. The piece found an extraordinary second life in 1973, when Marvin Hamlisch's arrangement for the film The Sting climbed to number three on the American pop charts. Ever since, The Entertainer has been the doorway through which young pianists first meet syncopation.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of The Entertainer - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Level 5 pack together with four other advanced beginner favorites.
An alternating bass asks the left hand to jump accurately, which is much easier from a stable seat like the Adjustable Piano Bench with Back Support, set so your elbows float level with the keys.
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FAQ
How hard is The Entertainer on piano?
The full Joplin rag is an intermediate to advanced piece; this simplified version sits in our Level 5 pack. Every note is a white key in C major, but placing the syncopated right hand against the steady alternating bass is a genuine coordination challenge - the trickiest rhythm in our beginner collection.
How long does it take to learn The Entertainer?
Expect three to six weeks. The famous D-E-C hook comes quickly, but locking the off-beat melody against an on-the-beat bass takes patient slow practice - start hands together around 40 BPM and grow toward the 100 BPM target.
What level is The Entertainer?
The original is commonly graded 6 or higher on exam scales. Our easy arrangement belongs to Level 5, the advanced beginner tier of the free collection, where syncopation, wider hand spans, and style pieces like ragtime first appear.
What are the notes for The Entertainer?
The right hand opens with the syncopated D-E-C, D-E-C hook and stays between middle C and A4. The left hand plays single notes, mostly C3 and E3 taking turns, dropping to F2 and G2 as the harmony moves - no chords. The complete note-by-note table is above.