Music Minus One
Product Overview and Frequently Asked Questions
Product Overview
Founded in 1950 and the “original karaoke” concept, but for classical and jazz music, Music Minus One (MMO) is the sister company of Pocket Songs Karaoke. MMO’s products include instrumental sheet music along with a CD that includes the accompaniment music minus the soloist. Similar to karaoke production, MMO hires full orchestras, pianists, and bands to play the accompaniment music to the instrumental solo part, and our 900-title catalog includes extensive repertoire for 28 instruments as well as voice. Because it allows performers to practice with world-class musicians in the privacy of their own home, our books are very popular with teachers and performers of all abilities. Customers use Music Minus One for:
- Practice/rehearsal
- Performance
- Competition and Contest solos (for schools, regional/all-state, etc)
- Auditions (school, college, etc)
Frequently Asked Questions:
What comes with an MMO book?
Each MMO contains:
- Sheet music for the solo instrument
- CD with the appropriate (orchestra, piano, duet) music background
For easy navigation, all sheet music includes markings to match the CD tracks. Many MMO’s also include a complete “guide track” of a professional musician playing the solo part. Even many of the vocal MMO’s are CD+G, to use in a karaoke machine. Also, many of the more difficult MMO’s have a “slow-version” of the music on CD, so consumers can practice hard music slowly at first, before they play it at the harder, faster speed of the original music.
MMO’s are packaged in book form, with the CD cases glued inside the cover. MMO dimensions are 9”wide by 12” tall.
If the music is a duet, or with piano accompaniment, is the other instrument’s sheet music included?
No, the only sheet music is for the solo instrument. There are musical “cues” occasionally noted to help the soloist follow the music, but that’s it.
What instruments does MMO make books for?
MMO’s are available for:
Vocal:
- Soprano (female high voice)
- Mezzo-soprano (female middle)
- Alto (female low)
- Tenor (male high)
- Baritone (male middle)
- Bass (male low)
Instruments:
- Alto Saxophone
- Banjo
- Bari Saxophone
- Baritone horn
- Bass
- Bassoon
- ‘cello
- Clarinet
- Drums/percussion
- Electric bass
- English Horn
- Flute
- French horn
- Guitar
- Harp
- Oboe
- Piano
- Recorder
- Soprano Saxophone
- Tenor Saxophone
- Trombone
- Trumpet
- Tuba/Bass Trombone
- Vibes
- Viola
- Violin
Who uses MMO’s?
Any musician or vocalists who performs classical and jazz music loves MMO’s. There are MMO’s for people of every musical ability, from absolute beginner to teachers and professional musicians. They’re used for:
- Practice/rehearsal
- Performance
- Competition and Contest solos (for schools, regional/all-state, etc)
- Auditions (school, college, etc)
Who offers similar products, and why is MMO better?
Other music publishing companies like Hal Leonard, Warner Brothers and Alfred offer the MMO concept (sheet music with CD). The biggest difference is that MMO offers much more classical and contest/audition material than the competition, and that MMO uses actual orchestras for accompaniment, not synthesizers. MMO has been the gold standard for sheet music with recorded accompaniment for over 55 years.
What is a good store & market for MMO?
Stores that sell Broadway karaoke well, generally offers vocal MMO’s most successfully, and then expands to other popular instruments (piano, guitar, flute, etc).
A good store for MMO is one that:
- Sells to school (or schools send students to them)
- Has a strong public school music program
- Sells instruments
- Sells Broadway karaoke well
- Has in-house instructors or teachers
- Has a nearby college with a music/theater dept.
- Customers looking for auditions, contest solo music, etc
Where do I put MMO’s in my store?
- With other sheet music
- With instruments
- With Broadway karaoke
- On a countertop with free display (suggested sign: “classical karaoke for instruments and voice!”)
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