L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T h e c h i t a r r a battente – lit- erally, "beating guitar" – is a tra- d i t i o n a l s t r i n g instrument central to the musical heritage of southern I t a l y . A l t h o u g h i t s h a r e s common ancestry with the Baroque guitar, the battente developed its own personali- ty and structure over time, becoming a unique expres- sion of regional folk culture. It is especially associated with Calabria, Campania, B a s i l i c a t a , M o l i s e , A b r u z z o , a n d P u g l i a , t h o u g h i t s p r e s e n c e w a s once widespread throughout the Italian peninsula. W e c a n t r a c e b a c k t h e instrument's origins to the 17th century, when it began as a folk adaptation of the Baroque five-course guitar. The instrument's early ver- sions were used in aristo- cratic and courtly settings, but the chitarra battente soon took root in popular culture, transitioning into a key element of rural life and communal celebration. It was particularly prominent in areas with strong oral and musical traditions, where its clear, metallic sound proved i d e a l f o r a c c o m p a n y i n g dances, love songs, and sto- rytelling. The battente was also a piece of extraordinary crafts- manship, as surviving exam- p l e s o f b e a u t i f u l l y m a d e instruments from the 18th century show, with luthiers in towns such as Bisignano in Calabria having played an important role in preserving and evolving its design. The D e B o n i s f a m i l y , f o r example, became renowned for their skilled production. Many of us don't know h o w a c h i t a r r a b a t t e n t e l o o k s l i k e : i t i s g e n e r a l l y larger than the classical gui- tar, with a deeper, rounded back reminiscent of a man- dolin or lute. Most versions have four or five double or triple courses of strings, tra- ditionally made from brass or bronze, now more com- monly steel. The courses are tuned in what is known as "re-entrant" tuning, mean- ing that the order of pitch does not rise or fall linearly from string to string; this g i v e s t h e i n s t r u m e n t a b r i g h t , p e r c u s s i v e s o u n d with rich overtones. Only the first few frets extend onto the body, reinforcing the i n s t r u m e n t ' s f o c u s o n rhythm over melodic com- plexity. As its name suggests, the i n s t r u m e n t i s p l a y e d b y " b e a t i n g " o r s t r i k i n g t h e strings rhythmically with the fingers, often using the fingernails to roll or brush the strings in repeated pat- terns; the right hand tech- nique includes strumming, t a p p i n g t h e s o u n d b o a r d , and syncopated percussive strokes that give the bat- tente its signature energy. It is often used to accompany dance rhythms such as the tarantella, pizzica, saltarel- lo, and tammurriata, pro- viding a driving beat that encourages movement and communal participation. In ensemble contexts, it is used along with voices, accor- dion, fiddle, and zampogna (Italian bagpipes), helping create a distinctive harmo- ny, typical of southern Ital- ian music. As it's been the case for m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l i n s t r u - ments, unfortunately, the chitarra battente fell out of widespread use in the early 20th century as industrial- ization and modernization reshaped Italy's rural com- munities and urban migra- tion, along with the rise of r e c o r d e d m u s i c , p u s h e d m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l i n s t r u - ments to the margins. For a t i m e , t h e b a t t e n t e w a s regarded as old-fashioned, sometimes even as a "poor man's guitar." However, in the latter half of the 20th century, a new interest in folk traditions led to a cul- tural revival: ethnomusicolo- gists, musicians, and crafts- p e o p l e b e g a n t o c o l l e c t , document, and reintroduce traditional instruments, and the battente once again took its place on stage. A new generation of per- formers brought it into the spotlight: musicians such as M a r c e l l o V i t a l e a n d F r a n c e s c o L o c c i s a n o modernized its repertoire, demonstrating its versatility b y d e v e l o p i n g s o l o t e c h - niques and concert arrange- ments that highlighted the instrument's melodic and harmonic potential, while still preserving its rhythmic core. Today, the battente is often used to perform mod- ern fusion compositions that incorporate jazz, classical, or world music elements into their melodic line. Instrument makers, too, contributed to its revival, c o m b i n i n g t r a d i t i o n a l lutherie with modern mate- r i a l s a n d a c o u s t i c t e c h - niques. Very importantly, t h e i n s t r u m e n t i s n o w taught in conservatories a n d m u s i c s c h o o l s i n Italy, and research into its construction and repertoire has become part of acade- m i c e t h n o m u s i c o l o g y programs. Museums, such as the National Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome and the Smith- sonian Institution in the U n i t e d S t a t e s , i n c l u d e examples of historic battenti in their collections, recog- n i z i n g i t s i m p o r t a n c e a s both an artistic and cultural artifact. B u t , e v e n i f i t e n t e r e d more formal contexts, the chitarra battente continues to thrive in its native envi- ronments: in many southern t o w n s a n d v i l l a g e s , i t remains a familiar sound during local festivals, wed- dings, and religious proces- sions. It is not uncommon to f i n d i n f o r m a l g a t h e r i n g s where a singer and battente p l a y e r p e r f o r m n a r r a t i v e ballads or satirical songs, keeping oral traditions alive through music. Thanks to its adaptability, which makes it perfect as a solo instrument, as a harmonic support, or as part of a rhythm section, it can still be used in a wide variety of settings. Today, the chitarra bat- tente is a symbol of musical resilience and identity for southern Italy, thanks to its history made of high crafts- manship and peasant inge- nuity. Its voice is raw, lively, a n d u n m i s t a k a b l e , m u c h like the regions it historical- ly comes from. It doesn't r e a l l y m a t t e r w h e r e i t i s played – a town square or a concert hall by a modern v i r t u o s o – t h e b a t t e n t e always tells us stories about a centuries-long connection between land, people, and sound. Chitarra battente: ancient roots, contemporary sound LUCA SIGNORINI A traditional chitarra battente (Photo: A1977/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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