Italian music and mandolins go together like peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, biscuits and gravy, corned beef and cabbage, I don't see any in the table of contents. OK, I'll go back to the newbie corner and shut up Happy New year everyone
There have been several Italian tunes proposed as tunes of the week, but they never rangled enough votes. If you check the Table of Contents for Other Tunes though, I think there are a few. Off the top of my head, I remember Eddie doing a cool version of Funiculi Funicula You should definitely put some in the pole tune suggestions thread, then (and you didn't hear this from me) maybe offer an enticing under-the-table bribe or two to potential voters.
There is an "Italian Mandolin Music" forum here that I joined a while back. Give that one a look. ***Disregard - I just noticed that you are already a member of the group.
You didn't look very hard Lou. O Sole Mio, Santa Lucia, Funiculi funicula, Theme from the Godfather in the SOW... Speranze Perdute on the main board...Tarantella on the Main Board...
If E. Morricone is Italian enough - there was a thread on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly some time ago. I remember Eddie posting this one... There's one pair missing in your cuisine list of perfect matches: cheesecake and ketchup.
We do have a number of Italian "other tunes", but no official tune of the week. Here are the discussions on "other": Godfather Funiculi Funicula Santa Lucia & O Sole Mio I record loads of Italian tunes, but tend not to post them here as the majority here plays in the Irish, British, old-time and bluegrass genres. If you're interested, check out my Youtube channel (link), where I have about 150 Italian tunes, in three playlists: Neapolitan Songs Ballo liscio tunes Italian folk dances Martin
Ok, Thanks, I did see 3 or 4 out of the many. I did put in plenty of smileys. I was just breaking your shoes as they say and I was hoping to get some of the talent here to put some more up. Thanks Martin I will check it out.
I have been working on “Torna a Surriento” for a long time , but I'm just not good enough yet. My grandfather came from there, he would get emotional whenever he heard it. I am trying to get it together and recorded for my father.
Hey Martin, I just played your Bailo liscio tunes for my 87 year old Mom during our Friday night pizza and muscles in red sauce dinner. Great, it put a smile on moms' face. Thank you!
Sounds like you're just the guy to be an unofficial Italian tune authority around here. Hope you post that one you're working on soon.
No Marcelyn, not even unofficial I am thinking about your suggestion about bribery though. As an ex chef I could come up with some tasty things to offer. I am stumbling through Spacelhill now. I keep bouncing off “Torna a Surriento” as soon as it is close I will put it up.
I can definitely be bought with Italian food. Send some of those muscles and red sauce this way. If Bertram offered me his cheese cake and catsup combo though, I'd vote against whatever tune he wanted just for spite.
Lou, hope this does not offend your grandfather:
Or how about some Carnival in Venice
Thanks Manfred, very nice. Oh, I don't think you can offend my grandmother
That is Carnival in Venice? I know this as "Mein Hut der hat drei Ecken"...
Lou, if you will go to this discussion and list some tunes (Italian or not) you would like to see considered for the Tune of the Week Poll, I'll be sure to add them to the list, and sprinkle some in the poll!
I know I've heard it as "My hat it Has Three Corners" but also in a Biergarten setting...
Thanks Barbara. I appreciate the suggestion. I was just getting going with my practice again and I really like the group. The thing is an old injury has stopped me dead in my tracks . My left arm and fingers go numb after a few minutes practice. I don't have medical coverage so I will not be able to participate. Thanks again for the hospitality.
Lou, I hope you have a speedy recovery. I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. If I don't do anything that irritates it, I can usually play my instruments without pain & numbness. However, if, in my 'other life', I do anything that makes it flare up (like painting, gardening, scrubbing, etc), then my left hand goes numb within minutes of starting to play. That's when I dig out my hand splints, and sleep in them, and when really severe, wear them all day, take ibuprophen, and give my hands a break. I've been working on cleaning and renovating a 100+ year old farmhouse, and it's been HELL on my hands!
Hi Lou. Sorry to hear about your problems. Hope they lessen with time and rest. Barbara. Put your left arm in a sling when you go to work on something. Saving your left hand for the all important mandolin playing. You can always tape a pick to your right hand. Just kidding of course. Hope your reno is complete soon. We haven't seen you enough lately. I actually started playing mandolin for therapy. I busted up my left hand at work pretty good. I thought this would be a simple and inexpensive way to exercise my hand. [I didn't figure in the cost of MAS] So, after a few years I've solved all my problems, but a couple of stiff knuckles and a weak little finger. [I hate the 7th fret] So, the mandolin can be a fickle mistress. Causing problems and solving others. As a side note. My friends thought I should be seeking another type of therapy. Gary
Thanks Barbara and GK. The numbness is actually coming from my vertebrae a little below the base of my neck. When I press on the tender spots there The numbness goes shooting down my arm and into my hand.I eat Advil like candy. My mandolin is already on it's way to a lucky guy. I'm thinking the only therapy that would help would involve a strong rope and a step stool.
Ouch. You have my sympathy and best wishes -- these things are so debilitating when they pop up, but they can disappear again quite quickly. Hope yours does! In the meantime, at least I can add a (pseudo-) Italian tune to the Group: I've just recorded the Dean Martin song "Innamorata" on my 1890s Ceccherini bowlback, and have put the video in a separate thread: Link. Martin
Sorry to hear you can no longer practice Lou. I'm afraid I have no medical advice but perhaps this tune will give you some cheer. It is from John Barbera's book of Southern Italian tunes and he describes it as a Sicilian mazurka. Apparently the title means "Who told you I don't love you?"
I really like the LaBarbera book -- lots of great tunes that are fun on your own or with a guitarist. I've recently tried out the only mandolin duet in the book, "Ricciulina" (a song from the Commedia del'Arte in Naples). Played on my Embergher bowlback (double-tracked in left and right channel) with tenor guitar backing: Martin
Very nice of you guys. Thanks
Tarantella is one of my favorite Italian songs. Here's wishing I had a bowlback. Lou, hope you can work your arm issue.
Thanks Chris, You sure got my foot tapping this morning. That was fun.
"La lanterna magica" (a tune by Riccardo Tesi) from "Il ballo della lepre" cd. ciao ciao
Nice stuff, guys. You know Lu, Chris' comment about the bowlback got me thinking. Their low tension strings and extra-short scale might be just what the doctor ordered in your case. Plus, you could try one for cheap, and if it didn't work, at least it was a shot.
That's a nice tune, Pierpaolo. I've had the ABC for "Laterna Magica" for a while, but haven't got around to playing it: X: 1 T:Laterna magica C:R. Tesi: Il ballo della lepre 8b M:6/8 L:1/8 K:G dc|BBB BcA|GGG GBd|cAc BGB|AAA ABc|\ ddd dec|BBB BcA|GFE DEF|GGG G:| |:zB|~d2B ~d2B|eee e3|~c2A ~c2A|ddd d3|\ BBB BAG|EFG ABc|BAG DEF|GGG G:| Ricardo Tesi is great, and it's good fun trying out his tunes on mandolin. As they were written for accordion/fisarmonica, the phrasing tends to remain accordion-like even if transferred to mandolin. I play another of his tunes, simply titled "Valzer": X:63 T:Valzer C:Riccardo Tesi M:3/4 L:1/4 K:G G B|d3|B c/B/ A/B/|c>d c-|cDD|c>d c-|cDD|B>dB-|BGB| d3|B c/B/ A/B/|c>d c-|cDD|c>d c-|cEF|G>G G|G:| K:C |:GF|E3|E F/E/ D/E/|F>E D-|Ddc|1 B2G-|\ GBA|G2E-|E:|2 B2G|GA-A/B/|c2c|c2G|| |:A2B|c2d|ec-c/G/|1G2c|BA-A/D/-|D2B|AG-G/E/|\ EFG:|2G3|BA-A/E/|GF-F/B,/|C>CC-|C|| Martin
Nice work Chris Pierpaolo and Martin. Here is another from the La Barbera book.The title refers to a Tammorra which seems to be an oversize tambourine. Played on a Gremlin with open D and G strings.
I have been working on some Italian mandolin music lately... .
