The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a friend who frequents local thrift shops and gives me a heads up when she sees something that she thinks I might find interesting. Based on one of her alerts I picked up a batch of 78s yesterday. Among other things they included a nice Paul Whiteman “Old Man River” with Paul Robeson.

There was one record in the batch from a series that I had not seen before, a 12” blue label Columbia recording of the Blue Danube Waltz with the piano part missing. It was accompanied by sheet music for the piano part, noting that it was for use with “Columbia Add-A-Part Records" and copyrighted in 1939.

Clay

I have not seen those, but there is a company called "Music Minus One" that has been making records like that for many years, mostly classical pieces missing the soloist so you can play along.

That's quite interesting! I've seen similar things with piano rolls- in one case a 4 hand arrangement where the pianist was expected to alternate between playing the 1st and 2nd part.

I had a small company make me a roll of a simple Stravinsky duet, but I've vet to master playing along with it- and it is a children's piece!

FloridaClay wrote:I have a friend who frequents local thrift shops and gives me a heads up when she sees something that she thinks I might find interesting. Based on one of her alerts I picked up a batch of 78s yesterday. Among other things they included a nice Paul Whiteman “Old Man River” with Paul Robeson.

There was one record in the batch from a series that I had not seen before, a 12” blue label Columbia recording of the Blue Danube Waltz with the piano part missing. It was accompanied by sheet music for the piano part, noting that it was for use with “Columbia Add-A-Part Records" and copyrighted in 1939.

Clay

I have this as well, only without the sheet music. Both sides have a tuning track at the start of the side ending in a locked groove. Side 2 of my copy is a dubbing; side 1 is pressed from the original matrix (the recording comes from Telefunken).

Hmm, it'd be interesting to get my player piano and Victrola working together...

I well remember Music Minus One. The big problem with these discs is to get - and stay - in tune. My piano was in the living room and the music set there was running slightly fast, so there was about a half tone difference between the music and my piano.