Learn to Play Dave Van Ronk’s Freewheeling Take on “The Entertainer” | AG Patreon Song of the Month

This Song of the Month is an arrangement of Scott Joplin’s ragtime classic “The Entertainer” by the folk icon Dave Van Ronk. Much like Van Ronk himself wasn’t concerned with strict adherence to societal norms, the version doesn’t follow the original chords exactly. “It’s a pretty free extrapolation,” he told contributor Beth C. Fishkind in an interview for Acoustic Guitar‘s November/December 1992 issue. “It sounds close enough, but there are many liberties.”

Van Ronk went on: “I worked out this arrangement the year that it appeared in the movie The Sting. At that point, I felt I had arranged my last classic rag, but two or three students ganged up on me and insisted that I do an arrangement. Once I started working on it, I fell in love with the piece. I knew the tune from when I was a kid, because my grandfather played ragtime piano, so I did my arrangement mostly from memory (and maybe in some places I didn’t remember it quite right!).

“‘The Entertainer’ should not be played up-tempo. Joplin used to call pieces like this his “meditations.” The tempo should be loose but not fast. Bring out as much lyricism as you can.”

The TAB and notation for “The Entertainer” is available to members of the Acoustic Guitar Patreon page at the Supporters tier or higher. Join our community to access live workshops, song transcriptions, exclusive podcast episodes, and more!

Adam PerlmutterAdam Perlmutter holds a bachelor of music degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a master’s degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory. He is the editor of Acoustic Guitar.