Drop Box is now available for Italian 'ballo liscio' sheet music.

Hey, I got a wedding gig and developed a need for Sheri's book. I went through it and eyeballed 42 tunes that I either knew or looked interesting, and then sat down with my guitarist pal to start playing through them. Not a bad one in the bunch! — Sheri's arrangements are thoughtful and pretty easy to follow. Well worth the $.

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Originally Posted by mrmando

Sheri's arrangements are thoughtful and pretty easy to follow. Well worth the $.

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Being late to the party is no matter...still means you're at the party. ;)

As SRV said "If the house is rocking, don't bother knocking...."

But this party has been going on for a looooong time, with no sign of letting up.

Mille grazie a Sheri!

Mick

Does anyone think this discussion belongs in a different area, like the one dedicated to Italian music? European folk seems like a pretty big category when there's a specific sub forum entitled Orchestral, Classical, Italian, Medieval, Renaissance .

Yes, it probably does. OTOH, I wanted to evangelize those not already engaged in playing Italian born composers. Fine with me to move it. I think I've made a deep inroad and attracted many who never ventured into the Italian realm. Thx, Sheri

We will find you and this thread wherever you go, Sheri!

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Originally Posted by Mandophile

..... I think I've made a deep inroad and attracted many who never ventured into the Italian realm. Thx, Sheri

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That's what I know..

And made things ever more delightful for those of us who have already been viaggiando lungo quella strada.

Mick

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Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe

Does anyone think this discussion belongs in a different area, like the one dedicated to Italian music? European folk seems like a pretty big category when there's a specific sub forum entitled Orchestral, Classical, Italian, Medieval, Renaissance .

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Maybe just post the links to all the Dropbox folders on the other thread?

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Originally Posted by DavidKOS

Maybe just post the links to all the Dropbox folders on the other thread?

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good idea! when I get more time!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g2slmtau8...8U_0uC-Ba?dl=0

for all those Mando nerds, here's a link to download the Italian music catalogs, listings, and title pages.
Today, I jfinally got around to adding the complete "O. Pagani Mandolin Trio" music catalog (in two parts). It was published sometime in the 1950s under Theresa Costello's reign as owner/publisher of Pagani sheet music.

Again, any trouble downloading any PDFs, let me know. Have fun, Sheri

Hello Sheri, I've tried to open the links to your dropbox but they won't open. I also went onto your facebook page but there is no link to make a friend request
so I was wondering if the dropbox stuff still exists.
Kind regards
Dot

Don't use links that were posted before 2018, many, if not most, are expired.

If you go to Post #408, April 22, 2018, I believe everyone of those links take you to a specific Italian publisher. All of them are working for me.

Of course, you must have the Index downloaded first so that you can browse according to title and see what appears with which publisher. The nice thing about the Index as a PDF is that you can choose how you want to organize your sheet music (by composer, by title, by publihser)

I've attached the Index just in case you haven't downloaded one. This August index is the most recent.

Happy Holidays! Sheri

Hello I would be grateful for suggestions for beginner/early intermediate Ballo-Liscio or Bal-Musette tunes for mandolin or tenor banjo - I'm a fan of Frank Fazio and Giovanni Gioviale but the pieces are probably too difficult for me right now! Thanks

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Originally Posted by ukcarrie

Hello I would be grateful for suggestions for beginner/early intermediate Ballo-Liscio or Bal-Musette tunes for mandolin or tenor banjo - I'm a fan of Frank Fazio and Giovanni Gioviale but the pieces are probably too difficult for me right now! Thanks

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Sheri is your selfless source for this...as she is for many of us, too.

I play from her "Mandolin Melodies" and "French Soiree" nearly every day.

Un pozzo senza fondo.

Mick

First, I also suggest the"Silent fountain" mandolin tunes

http://www.brucezweig.com/music/matteo/

mp3's and sheet music

These are lovely tunes that are not hard to play.

Now, out of the Ballo Liscio collections, a few of my favorite "easy" tunes ( as in not lots of fast runs, extreme range, etc) are:

from A._Paolilli_PDFs_A-Z:

Dolci_Ricordi_M1

Felicita_M1

La_Canzone_dell'Usignolo_M1

My_Golden_Star_M1

Occhi_Belli_M1

Un_Bel_Sogno_M1

from Antonio_Grauso_PDFs_A-Z:

Margaretella_M1p1_w_chords

Primavera_M1p1

Una_Sera_a_Portici_M1p1_w_chords

from G._de_Stefano_PDFs:

G._de_Stefano_PDFs

Angel's_Souvenir_M1_w_chords

Clementina_M1_w_chords

La_Vita_Allegro_M1_w_chords

Te_Sola_M1_w_chords

from O._di_Bella_PDFs_A-Z:

A_Santa_Cecilia_M1

Amore!_M1

Angel's_Dream_M1

Calabrisella_M1

Che_Ridere_M1

Ciribiribin_&_Bersaglieri_M1

Danube_Waves_M1

Delirio_D'Amore_M1

Golden_Star_M1

La_Bella_Palermo_M1

Maria_ Mari_O_Sole_Mio_M1

Marsala_Mia_M1

Parla_D'amore_M1

Rose_M1

Sicilianedda_Mazurka_M1

Teodoro_M1

Torna_a_Surriento_&_Uocchie_M1

Vita_Palmeritana_M1

from O._Pagani_PDFs_A-Z:

Funiculi_Funicula_M1

Tarantella_Siciliana_Trio

from Pietro_Tesio_PDFs:

Bacio_di_Miele_M1_w_chords

Il_Primo_Passo_M1

L'amore_di_un_Angelo_M1_Tesio

Voi_e_me_Trio

This is a small selection but it will get you started.

ukcarrie, Here’s a few tunes that are relatively easy & charming. Also, I am thinking in terms of variety.
Vieni Sul Mar- a Waltz
Tic Toc Polka- a Polka
Tango of the Roses- a Tango
Funiculi, Funicula- a Tarentella rhythm tune
La Donna e Mobile- An Opera song
These were favorites on my Italian gigs. You’d have a nice little program to entertain family & friends. I would think they would be in Sheri’s vast collection. They are common enough tunes you could find a copy.
Even if you don’t pick these suggested tunes, it’s a good idea, as you scour through various collections, to select tunes in different keys & tempos & time signatures.
Joe B

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my question David, Mick and Joe - I have saved to a list of suggested tunes to investigate further.

Thank you David - I am currently listening to The Silent Fountain download - it is lovely!

I would suggest discussing a short selection of dances with your teacher. S/he will be able to evaluate what is best for your level and technical knowledge. I would start with waltzes (not mazurkas, which tend to be on the more difficult side), and avoid most polkas, and all tarantellas. Best to you, Sheri

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Originally Posted by Mandophile

I would suggest discussing a short selection of dances with your teacher. S/he will be able to evaluate what is best for your level and technical knowledge. I would start with waltzes (not mazurkas, which tend to be on the more difficult side), and avoid most polkas, and all tarantellas. Best to you, Sheri

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Thank you Sheri, I really like waltzes. I'm sorry for my ignorance but is there a link to a 'contents' for your Drop Box of tunes - it looks like there are different folders for different artists but not sure how best to navigate what has been uploaded.....many thanks

UKCarrie, we've leaned heavily to Italian music (due to the mandolin connection) but there are some bal mussette (okay, Piaf) tunes that can be intimidating on the fisarmonica (just ask me....) but I find to be pretty accessible on mandolin:

Sous la Ciel de Paris
La Vie en Rose
La Goulante de Pauvre Jean

Mick

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Originally Posted by ukcarrie

Thank you Sheri, I really like waltzes. I'm sorry for my ignorance but is there a link to a 'contents' for your Drop Box of tunes - it looks like there are different folders for different artists but not sure how best to navigate what has been uploaded.....many thanks

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UKCarrie, each folder is organized by the name of the specific Italian dance publisher. You need the Index to find which dance title appears in which publisher's folder.

Post #539 contains viable links to several Italian mandolin publishers. They've recently been tested and they all work. If you have any trouble, please PM me. Thanks!
BTW, there is a load coming very soon. Be prepared as lots of new titles will require a revision of the Index. Here's the latest Index (August 2021) and it will be valid today 4/4/2022. Once the new titles are added, I will provide an updated Index, too.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/co16hc6i5...3y9iXmSla?dl=0

The above link takes you to the MISCELANNEOUS folder. You'll find some rather special titles here as well. For some reason I didn't include it in post #539. While the main publishers have dozens and dozens of titles, the miscellaneous folder offers a "one-of" or single title or two, usually from a mandolinist who self-published. all these titles appear in the Index as well.

I will be making one final contribution to the Dropbox over the summer. After that, I will be closing it down. That means if you haven't downloaded the thousands of titles or vintage audio recordings already, you won't be able to access the links after that happens. Of course, anyone can contact me via this thread or via a pm. If you're new to this thread, you can still access links to each publisher by revisiting previous posts where I've made links available. Remember, you must have the current Index to know what's in each of the publishers' folders. POST # 539 HAS LINKS TO ALL PUBLISHERS!

The Dropbox has been available for 8 years. If you can't find something, please send a PM. Attachment 201582 Over the many years I've been posting at Mandolin Cafe, it's been a great joy to welcome those who arrive in San Francisco and want to play out of the "Mandolin Melodies" book or any other source for Italian ballo liscio dance music. This weekend wonderful musicians Chaim and Buzz were out of town musicians who joined Matt Vuksinich and Jim Letchworth (regulars). We had a wonderful time as the North Beach Fair was in full tilt.