Ragtime music was written down, not improvised. Scott Joplin was the most famous ragtime composer. When his 'Maple Leaf Rag' was first printed in 1899, it quickly sold a million copies.

Dubbed the ‘King of Ragtime’, Scott Joplin (c.1867-1917) was one of the most important and influential composers at the turn of the 20th century. The champion of ragtime was born in Texas in 1867, or ...