Italian rock

History and character

Rock and roll and beat (1956–1968)

Rock and roll arrived in Italy in 1956 ("L'orologio matto", the Quartetto Cetra version of "Rock Around the Clock"); in 1957 Milan hosted the first Rock and Roll Festival, organized by Bruno Dossena; Adriano Celentano, Little Tony, Giorgio Gaber, Enzo Jannacci, Mina and the other "urlatrici" (the "screamers") were its protagonists. In the '60s beat arrived (in the wake of the Beatles): Equipe 84, Nomadi, Camaleonti, I Corvi, Dik Dik, The Rokes, Caterina Caselli, often with Italian covers of English songs.

Prog (1970s)

After a long period of indifference toward rock, one of the strongest progressive rock scenes in Europe developed in the early '70s: PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) and Le Orme are among the few European groups to succeed outside their borders (with English lyrics written by Peter Sinfield and Peter Hammill respectively), together with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Area (with Demetrio Stratos), Il Balletto di Bronzo, Goblin (soundtracks for Dario Argento), New Trolls, Osanna. Mellotron, Hammond, Minimoog, classical and Mediterranean influences, poetic and political lyrics.

The '80s and '90s

Rock became popular with Vasco Rossi ("Vita spericolata", 1983) and Gianna Nannini; new wave and punk brought CCCP Fedeli alla linea, Litfiba (Florence, "17 re", 1986; "El diablo", 1990), Diaframma, Gang, Timoria, Negazione; in the '90s came Luciano Ligabue, Afterhours ("Hai paura del buio?", 1997), Marlene Kuntz, CSI, Subsonica (electronic rock), Verdena, Bluvertigo, Litfiba in the '90s, Elio e le Storie Tese (comic and virtuosic rock), Carmen Consoli.

2000 to today

Negramaro ("Mentre tutto scorre", 2005), Le Vibrazioni, Il Teatro degli Orrori, Zen Circus, Ministri, Fast Animals and Slow Kids, Måneskin: the Roman band won Sanremo and Eurovision 2021 with "Zitti e buoni" and conquered the international market (also with their cover of "Beggin'"), bringing rock back to young listeners.

Aesthetics

Electric guitars, lyrics in Italian (poetic, political, generational), a strong melodic component inherited from Italian song (the "singer-songwriter rock" tradition), influences from Anglo-American rock of every era.

Scales and keys

Minor pentatonic and blues

• Minor pentatonic in E: E G A B D (1 b3 4 5 b7; 3-2-2-3-2).
• Blues in E: E G A Bb B D.
• Use: guitar riffs and solos (from beat to the rock of Vasco, Litfiba, Måneskin).

Mixolydian

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7. In D: D E F# G A B C.
• Characteristic note: b7 (C) → C chord (in modal numbering: VII).
• Use: classic rock and pop rock (I–VII–IV, D–C–G), Ligabue, Vasco.

Aeolian

• In A: A B C D E F G; chords Am F C G (i VI III VII), Am G F (i VII VI).
• Use: melancholic singer-songwriter rock, alternative (Afterhours, Marlene Kuntz), rock ballads.

Dorian

• In E: E F# G A B C# D (major 6th C# → A major, IV).
• Use: psychedelic rock and prog, Santana-style groove or funk-rock (Måneskin in their funkier songs).

Major

• In G: G A B C D E F#; pop rock, ballads (Negramaro, Ligabue).

Prog: modes and harmonic minor

• Harmonic minor, Lydian, Phrygian, Phrygian dominant (Mediterranean colors: PFM, Area), chromaticism and "classical" scales.

How to choose

Harmony

Power chords and riffs

Rock is based on power chords (1-5) and guitar riffs; the harmony can be implied in the riff.

Singer-songwriter rock

Pop progressions (I–V–vi–IV), Mixolydian ones (I–VII–IV), ballads with a descending bass, modulations in the final choruses (a legacy of Italian song).

Prog

Elaborate harmonies: odd meters, modulations, modal and classical-sounding progressions, chromaticism, seventh and ninth chords, counterpoint between keyboards and guitars.

Alternative

Open chords with open strings, dissonances, pedals, guitar clusters (Marlene Kuntz, Verdena).

Harmonic rhythm

Medium (one chord per bar) in rock; variable in prog.

Voicing

Power chords (E5 = E B E), open guitar chords, Hammond and piano in prog, synths in the '80s.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Feel

Backbeat on 2 and 4, kick on 1 and 3 with syncopations, hi-hat or ride in eighth notes; from rock and roll (shuffle) to punk (fast, straight), from prog (odd meters: 7/8, 5/4, meter changes) to alternative (half time, heavy dynamics).

Prosody

Italian rock adapts the meter to the language: many phrases starting on the upbeat, oxytone words (stressed on the last syllable) chosen for the strong accents, and in some cases English used in the choruses.

Typical tempos

Beat 130–160; singer-songwriter rock 100–140; ballads 70–90; Måneskin 120–180.

Drums

Kick

1 and 3 with syncopations (1, 2-and, 3), double kick in harder rock; elaborate patterns in prog.

Snare

On 2 and 4, full and with ambient reverb; ghost notes in funk-rock songs.

Hi-hat / ride

Eighth notes on the hat in the verses, ride or open hat in the choruses, crash at the start of sections.

Toms and fills

Tom fills at the end of a section, rolls before the choruses, ensemble stops.

Prog

Odd meters, polyrhythms, percussion (Area, PFM with Franz Di Cioccio).

Interaction

Kick and bass locked together; drums that follow the dynamics of the song (restrained verse, full chorus).

Typical mistakes

Drums that are too "pop" and sampled in rock; constant fills; lack of dynamics.

Bass

• Electric bass with pick or fingers: eighth notes on the root (rock), melodic lines (prog, Patrick Djivas of PFM), funk groove (Måneskin with Victoria De Angelis).
• Notes: root, fifth, octave, passing tones.
• Range: 40–200 Hz with attack at 700 Hz–2 kHz.
• Relationship with the kick: interlocking; in punk, continuous eighth notes.

Harmonic instruments

• Electric guitars (rhythm with power chords, clean arpeggios, solos; Gibson and Fender, Marshall and Vox amps).
• Acoustic guitars in ballads.
• Hammond organ, Mellotron, Minimoog, piano (prog and '70s rock).
• Synths ('80s new wave, Subsonica).
• Violin and flute in prog.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: from raspy and rough (Vasco, Gianna Nannini, Damiano David) to melodic and powerful (Negramaro), to experimental (Demetrio Stratos with Area); the Italian lyric is central.
• Melody: singable, inherited from Italian song, with stadium choruses.
• Backing vocals: band backing vocals in the choruses, harmonies in thirds, concert "oh-oh"s.
• Effects: ambient reverb, delay; distortion on the vocals in some alternative songs.

Instruments

Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass, drums, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Minimoog, piano, synth, violin, flute, percussion.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• B-3 V — Rock and prog Hammond organ: Full drawbars with Leslie and overdrive for '70s rock and prog (Banco, PFM).
• Mellotron V — Prog Mellotron: Tape flutes, strings and choirs: the timbre of '70s Italian prog.
• Mini V — Moog lead: Monophonic leads with glide for prog keyboard solos.
• Piano V — Piano: Piano for rock ballads and classical-sounding prog parts.
• Jup-8 V — '80s synth: Pads and brass for new wave and '80s rock (Litfiba, Vasco in the '80s).
• Clavinet V — Funk-rock clav: Funk riffs for the more groove-oriented songs.

Song structure

Singer-songwriter rock 3:30–5:00; prog with suites of 8–20 minutes and different sections; punk and alternative with shorter songs.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

A powerful band but with a legible Italian vocal: wide, full guitars, drums with ambience, defined bass. References: Vasco Rossi "Bollicine" (1983), Litfiba "El diablo" (1990), Afterhours "Hai paura del buio?" (1997), Måneskin "Teatro d'ira – Vol. I" (2021). Balance: vocals 0, snare −3, kick −4, guitars −4/−6, bass −5, keyboards −8.

Kick

HP 35 Hz; body 60–80 Hz; cut 300–400 Hz; attack 3–5 kHz; compression 4:1 4 dB; mono.

Snare

HP 80–100 Hz; body 180–250 Hz; crack 3–5 kHz; compression 4:1 4 dB + parallel; room/plate 1–1.5 s.

Overheads and room mics

HP 200–300 Hz; cut 2–4 kHz if harsh; room mics compressed in parallel (rock style).

Bass

HP 35 Hz; body 80–100 Hz; growl 700 Hz–1.5 kHz; compression 4:1 4–6 dB; saturation or DI + amp; mono.

Electric guitars

• EQ: HP 80–120 Hz; cut 200–400 Hz if muddy; presence 2–4 kHz with dynamic EQ from the vocals; LP 8–10 kHz.
• Stereo: doubled rhythm take ±80–100; solos in the center or ±20.
• Space: short room; delay on the solos.

Keyboards (Hammond, Mellotron, synths)

HP 100–150 Hz; Leslie in stereo; plate.

Vocals

• EQ: HP 80–100 Hz; −2 dB 250–400 Hz; presence +3 dB 3–5 kHz (to stand out among the guitars); air 10 kHz.
• Compression: 1176 6–8 dB (raspy, dynamic vocals) + LA-2A 3 dB.
• De-esser: 6–8 kHz.
• Saturation: moderate, for grit.
• Space: plate 1.2–1.5 s at −16 dB, delay 1/4.

Backing vocals

Wide band backing vocals, compressed, with room.

Buses, master

Drum bus with parallel compression; guitar bus glue; SSL mix bus 2–3 dB. Master −9/−7 LUFS integrated (modern rock), −11/−9 for prog and '70s–'80s rock. True peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

Guitars that cover the vocals at 2–4 kHz (the lyric has to come through); muddy bass; sampled, unnatural drums.

Reference tracks for mixing

• PFM — Impressioni di settembre (1972)
• Vasco Rossi — Vita spericolata (1983)
• Litfiba — El diablo (1990)
• Afterhours — Male di miele (1997)
• Måneskin — Zitti e buoni (2021)

Reference listening

• Adriano Celentano — Il tuo bacio è come un rock (1959)
• Equipe 84 — Io ho in mente te (1966)
• PFM — Impressioni di settembre (1972)
• Banco del Mutuo Soccorso — R.I.P. (Requiescant in pace) (1972)
• Area — Luglio, agosto, settembre (nero) (1973)
• Vasco Rossi — Vita spericolata (1983)
• Litfiba — El diablo (1990)
• Ligabue — Certe notti (1995)
• Afterhours — Male di miele (1997)
• Måneskin — Zitti e buoni (2021)