Tata Giacobetti was a self-taught musician. He sang at the students' parties at the time when he attended scenography classes at the Fine Arts Academy in Rome. In 1940 he founded a vocal quartet called Quartetto Egie, that changed line-up and name twice, becoming Quartetto Ritmo first and then Quartetto Cetra.
Besides singing, he was the group's lyricist, while Virgilio Savona, also a member of the quartet, composed the music. They worked together for four decades and produced hundreds of songs which made up Quartetto Cetra's vast repertoire.
Tata Giacobetti also wrote lyrics for famous Italian composers of that era, such as Gorni Kramer, Giovanni D'Anzi, Armando Trovajoli.