Italian popular mandolin

**eness** · Apr-17-2008, 1:13pm

I am living in Italy and have found very little material. Maybe it would be easier in Napoli but I am north of Rome. It took me forever to find tab or mando music for O sole mio and Nino Rota's great film tune for the Godfather. Does anyone have any ideas for finding mando music and tab and learning material for italian style popular music and folk tunes? I am also interested in technique but mostly music.

**billkilpatrick** · Apr-17-2008, 2:01pm

north of rome? ... where?

- bill (chiusi/chianciano area)

ps - italian style popular music sites for the mandolin abound but i'm due to go out now - will write as soon as i can.

**Plamen Ivanov** · Apr-17-2008, 2:14pm

Look at this old topic. You will find what you need.

Good luck!
Plamen

**billkilpatrick** · Apr-17-2008, 3:56pm

the inestimable plamen has supplied you with all that i could and much more ...

if you're within driving distance of southern tuscany (prov. di siena) and feel like a jam ... i'm your man - i'll even play guitar accompaniment to your mandolin (how's that!)

- bill

**eness** · Apr-25-2008, 1:06pm

Hey awesome! I am in Norcia, nestled among the Sibillini mountains.

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I dont think I recieved an email.

**Jim Garber** · Apr-25-2008, 1:22pm

Originally Posted by (eness @ April 25 2008, 14:06)

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I dont think I recieved an email.

Did you click the "Track This Topic" link at the top or bottom of this page? That way you are notified when anyone posts to this thread.

**mandocrucian** · Apr-25-2008, 6:34pm

http://www.italianfolkmusic.com/grplinks.html

**eness** · May-02-2008, 7:05am

thanks, jgarber. I wasnt doin that. thanks mandocrucian will check it out! What do yall think of Piscatore e Pusilleco? I kind a like it.

**eness** · May-02-2008, 7:10am

great resource, crucian.

**eness** · May-04-2008, 6:57pm

Can anyone give me a breakdown of the different styles of italian mandolin? I have realized that in my ignorance, I had a neolithic neapolitan understanding of the italian mandolin, and that from the schmaltzy popular perspective (like Parla piu piano). Any suggestions on relative merits of the different styles would be helpful too!

**Jim Garber** · May-04-2008, 7:13pm

Originally Posted by (eness @ May 04 2008, 19:57)

Can anyone give me a breakdown of the different styles of italian mandolin?

Are you interested in the different styles of instrument or the different styles of music? I am a little unclear what you are asking.

**250sc** · May-05-2008, 6:32am

Heading to Rome and Naples on Wednesday. Am I likely to hear mandolin music in those areas? (I hope)

**eness** · May-05-2008, 2:55pm

good question garber. i think it gets at a fundamental dilemna: do you play transcriptions or music written for the instrument. so far the italian music i have learned are transcriptions, not authentic mandoin music, just italian tunes set to the mandolin.

i actually would like to know what the authentic italian mandolin tradion(s) are!? That is what kind or kinds of music have italians traditionally played on their mandolins?

250, in rome youre not going to see jack, in the way of a mandolin. to be honest. but go to piazza navona if you want to hear some romananian/gypsy musicians. theres an accordion player by the name of Giovanni that I like.

**Jim Garber** · May-05-2008, 4:06pm

Beppe Gambetta's wife published a lovely book on traditional Italian dances from various regions. Beppe and Carlo Aonzo and some other excellent musicians played the music on an accompanying CD. Maybe contact Beppe to see if you can get that.

I know that there are some serious folk traditions in Italy but many of them use bagpipes.

**eness** · May-18-2008, 6:51pm

thanks, garber. I just ordered his disc with grisman of italian american tunes, traversata. i cant wait to enjoy it!

**Jim Garber** · May-18-2008, 8:38pm

You can also check out this thread on Sicilian music.

**250sc** · May-19-2008, 6:50am

I just got back from Rome and Sorrento last night. I didn't hear any mandolin players but had any amazing time.

**eness** · May-23-2008, 7:19am

thanks garber!
i am thinking of heading to Napoli. i know this is a long shot, but does anybody have any suggestions for absorbing the mandolin culture there?

**250sc** · May-23-2008, 9:36am

I was in Naples last week and the garbage situation is pretty sad. Everywere I went in Italy was beutiful but Naples has garbage stacked up on every street I saw.

**Jim Garber** · May-23-2008, 11:36am

Originally Posted by (eness @ May 23 2008, 08:19)

thanks garber!
i am thinking of heading to Napoli. i know this is a long shot, but does anybody have any suggestions for absorbing the mandolin culture there?

I have never been to Naples but I heard it is still a tough town. I know of Carlo Mazzacarra who is a luthier there. If anyone knows what is going on in Italian music, I would think he would. I know he places ads in the Cafe classified but I never knew him to post on the board, tho he may read it.

He also has a page in his site devoted to Mauro Squillante, a mandolin player who, I assume, is from there.

I know of other musicians in other parts of Italy but not too much in Napoli.

**RsmySC** · Apr-28-2012, 11:22am

What about Calabria and Sicily? I found a lot of tarantellas and folk music on YouTube from those areas. My parents were born in Calabria and we grew up listening to that all the time.

**August Watters** · Apr-28-2012, 5:20pm

Interesting so many Italian connections here! I have also spent time there, and will be in Padua most of this summer. Hope to connect with some of you over there!

Carlo Aonzo has a new book on northern Italian and Ticino (southern Switzerland) mandolin styles. There's also a Mel Bay book by John LaBarbera on southern Italian styles. It's helpful to remember that before 1860-65, there was no unified Italy -- just a bunch of regions with a long history of conquering and being conquered. Northern Italy in particular shows a pan-European influence, having been conquered at various times by the Austrians, French, Germans, and of course, Rome. So there are regional mandolin traditions in many parts of Italy, although like in the US, the public doesn't recognize or know them. Say "mandolin" and most Italians think of Neapolitan folk songs.

The big divide, I think, is between these regional folk traditions on the one hand, and the concert music tradition on the other. Ugo Orlandi (Carlo Aonzo's teacher) is the patriarch of classical mandolin in northern Italy, having devoted his career to furthering appreciation of the classical mandolin tradition, which was particularly strong in baroque and romantic eras. There's much information on the Federmandolino.it website, although I don't think there's any English there. The reference books that explain are "The Early Mandolin" by James Tyler and Paul Sparks and "The Classical Mandolin" by Paul Sparks.