Tarantella jig

Play in this order.ABAC

Is this something you play in your session??

Yes.I live in Belgium,so I attend a lot of mixed sessions (Flemish and Celtic), and this tune is often played.When we play at a ball here they always dance the Taratella.

We open most of our ceilidhs with a variation on Tarantella - but then it is our band’s name!

Aren’t there lyrics to this that go, "Whatsa Matta, Whatsa Matta, Whatsa Matta Witch You?"

Johnathan

No,that was "Shaddap You Face" by Joe Dolce.

Tarantella
Key signature: Bminor
Submitted on October 10th 2004 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3674

Tarantella
Key signature: Aminor
Submitted on October 18th 2004 by gian marco.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3721

Tarantella
Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on March 19th 2005 by triplewhiskey.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4330

Tarantella Di Masaniello
Key signature: Aminor
Submitted on November 30th 2005 by gian marco.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5259

"The Tarantula" ~ the Scots have a go, Nathaniel Gow
Key signature: g minor
Submitted on December 10th 2005 by noelbats.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5294

Neapolitan Tarantella ~ Cicerenella
Key signature: G Major ~ for starters
Submitted on March 8th 2005 by triplewhiskey.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4291

First, this transcription, as Dafydd has given it originally here, and as suggested, ABAC ~

X: 1
T: Tarantella
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: tarantella
K: a minor
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e3 efe |
[1 d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 d c2 B | A3 :|
[2 d3 ded | c3 cdc | B2 d c2 B | A2 B ||
|: cBc |
dcB c2 A | ABc B2 B | dcB c2 A | A2 B cBc |
dcB c2 A | A2 c B2 d | c2 B A3 |[1 A2 B :|[2 A3 ||
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e3 efe |
[1 d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 d c2 B | A3 :|
[2 d3 ded | c3 cdc | B2 d c2 B | A2 B ||
|: c3 |
cGc ece | g2 g gag | f2 f fgf | e3 e3 |
cGc ece | g2 g g2 a | bag fed | c3 :|]

Key signature: a minor
Submitted on May 9th 2007 by gaitazampogna_32.
~ /tunes/7170

X: 1
T: Tarantella Calabraise"
T: Cercle Circassien
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: a minor
|: "Am" a2 a e2 e | a2 a e2 e | ede "F" f2 f | fgf "C" e2 e |
efe "G" d2 d | ded "Am" c2 c | cdc "Em" B2 B | BcB "Am" A3 :|
|: A2 B cBc | "F" dcB "Am" c2 c | ABc "G" B2 B | "Em" dcB "Am" A2 A |
A2 B cBc | "F" dcB "Am" c2 c | ABc "G" B2 B | "Em" dcB "Am" A3 :|

And here is that same transcriptions but with Dafydd’s suggested missing part-C, again played ABAC:

X: 2
T:
T: Cercle Circassien
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: tarantella
K: a minor
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e2 e efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 B BcB | A3 :|
|: A2 B |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | A2 A A2 B |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e2 e efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 B BcB | A3 :|
|: cGc |
ece g2 g | gag f2 f | fgf e3 | e2 d cGc |
ece g3 | g2 a bag | fed c3- | c3 :|]

X: 3
T: Tarantella
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: tarantella
K: a minor
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f faf | e3 efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | c2 A EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f faf | e3 efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: GAB |
cGc ece | g2 g gag | f2 f fgf | e2 c GAB |
cGc ece | g2 g gag | bag fed | c3 :|

Key signature: a minor
Submitted on May 9th 2007 by gaitazampogna_32.
~ /tunes/7170

Can be danced as a jig, a tarentelle (6/8 tune played in Italy, for zampogna), or as a Cercle Circassien…

# Posted on May 9th 2007 by gaitazampogna_32

Here’s the third part.For the dance play ABAC
|: cGc ece | g2 g gag | f2 f fgf | e3 e2 d | cGc ece | g3 g2 a | bag fed | c6 :||

# Posted on May 9th 2007 by dafydd

And the 4th part:

e2f ||: gf^g a2 g | f3 d2 e | fef g2 f | e3 e2 e | fed d2 d | edc c2 d | e2 d c2 B | A3 :||

But I think your notation, gaitaz, goes arry in bar 3 ~ take away the 1st triplet & then readjust your barlines accordingly.

This has always been the ‘Taratella’ of Tarantellas as far as I am concerned.

There is a set dance that goes with it. For the dance play A2B2C2D2. Unless Dafydd is talking about a different dance.

# Posted on May 9th 2007 by hetty

It must be a different dance. I’ve played it at many a volksbal in Flanders and it’s always ABAC. It’s a session tune here too and it’s always played in that order.

Here’s the proof: http://www.boombaltunes.be/BB_tunesarchive/

Click on ‘zes achts’ in the link above… ~ & further ~

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/TuneGet?F=GIF&X=99&U=http://flanders.blackmill.net/music/abc//folk-dances.abc&N=Tarantella%20Calabraise.gif

# Posted on May 10th 2007 by dafydd

This is a well known Italian Tarantella. I’m from North Italy and I’m no expert in South Italian music, the tarantellas, but I remember that about 20 years ago I played in a folk rock band a tarantella, probably a hybrid:

X: 4
T: Tarantella
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: tarantella
K: a minor
|: a2 a|
e3 a2 a | e3 ede | f2 f fgf | e3 efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c c2 d | efe dcB | A3 :|
|: zcB |
A2 A c2 c | e2 e efe | d2 d ded | c3 zcB |
A2 A c2 c | e2 e efe | gfe dcB | A3 :|
|: e2 f |
gec gec | g3 gag | f2 f fgf | e3 e2 f |
gec gec | g3 gag | bag fed | c3 :|

# Posted on May 10th 2007 by gian marco

# Posted on May 9th 2007 by hetty ~ see ‘notes’ above…

"This has always been the ‘Tarantella’ of Tarantellas as far as I am concerned." ~ Hetty

X: 5
T: Tarantella
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: tarantella
K: a minor
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f faf | e3 efe |
d2 d ded | c2 c cdc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | c2 A EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 c ABc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: GAB |
cGc ece | g2 g gag | f2 f fgf | e2 c GAB |
cGc ece | g2 g gag | bag fed | c3 :|
|: e2 f |
gf^g a2 g | f3 d2 e | fef g2 f | e3 e2 e |
fed d2 d | edc c2 d | e2 d c2 B | A3 :|]

X: 6
T: Tarantella Calabraise
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: Tarantella
K: a minor
a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e3- e2 e |
e2 d ded | d2 c cdc | B^GB dcB | A3 :|
|: EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 A ABc | B2 B dcB | c2 A EAB |
cBc dcB | c2 A ABc | B2 B dcB | A3 :|
|: a2 a |
e2 e a2 a | e2 e ede | f2 f fgf | e3- e2 e |
e2 d ded | d2 c cdc | B^GB dcB | A3 :|
|: GAB |
cBc ece | g2 g gag | f2 f fgf | e2 e GAB |
cBc ece | g2 g gag | bag fed | c3 :|]

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on March 8th 2005 by triplewhiskey.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4291

The tune is also played AABBAACCAADDAA…

For anther transcription see the ‘Comments’ for the previous link, "Cicerenella for Bagpipe"…

& also, it seems ~ AADDBBCC & AADDAABBAACC…

Hi, just found this nice tune and haven’t heard it before. So I’m wondering at which tempo (approximately) you guys use to play it in?

The name of the tune is "Cicerenella" which means "little chickpea." A good recording is the record THE WHOLE WORLD DANCES with Geula Gill and Dov Seltzer; the original record had an insert with all the words. The words indicate Cicerenella is the singer’s nickname for his girlfriend — where did she go, who took her away, etc. International folk dancers call it the Neapolitan Tarantella.

In Seattle, Stan Boreson (Norwegian) used a variant of the tune as a theme song for his children’s show. Lots of Seattle-ites will happily sing you, "Zero-docus, mucho crockus, hullabaloo zabub…"

Also compare this to the theme song to the 1962 movie, FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON. It was a pop radio hit for The Brothers Four (and can be found on Youtube). "Here am I / What a lucky guy / As the world goes floating by…"

Jimmy — I recommend a "brisk walk" for the two beats of the 6/8. And be sure your band agrees whether the "a" note goes on the downbeat or the upbeat. It’s played both ways (as the trasncriptions show) but you gotta settle on one or sound disorganized.

Hi,
I visit a festival every year in Italy and the tarantellas played there are NOT this one. An Italian said this one here is a special for foreigners.
Real Taranellas vary from different parts of Italy, the tammuriata in Campania, pizzica in the Salento region etc. But they all use the tambore and are usually accompanied by a frantic box player. Often they are a group who play in the street and have a couple who dance, and the dancers change one by one as it is a frantic dance. The Italians tell of the origin as mentioned here in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantella
The orgins go back many centuries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XULgXK6vVMg&spfreload=10

play video