Ostinato

An ostinato is a short musical pattern repeated persistently, often with variation. It can recur in rhythm, melody, harmony, or a combination of these.

Ground bass: A recurring bass line beneath changing upper voices, especially in Baroque music. It is a melodic ostinato placed in the lowest voice.
Boléro: A one-movement orchestral work by Maurice Ravel, built around a recurring snare-drum rhythm and melody. Its persistent repeated patterns make ostinato the work's defining feature.
Musical motif: A short, recognizable musical idea that can be developed or repeated. An ostinato is a motif made distinctive by persistent recurrence.
Minimal music: A musical style built from limited materials and gradual processes of change. Ostinatos are central to the extended repetitions of many minimalist works.
Repetition (music): The recurrence of a musical sound, phrase, or section. Ostinato is a particular sustained use of repetition, not every recurrence.
Riff: A short, recurring musical phrase, often used in popular music and jazz. Riffs use repetition to establish a recognizable musical hook.
Dido's Lament: An aria from Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas, accompanied by a descending ground bass. The repeating bass supports a melody that intensifies the lament.
Rhythm: The organization of sounds and silences in time. Rhythmic ostinatos repeat patterns of durations and accents.
Passacaglia: A variation form built over a recurring bass pattern or harmonic progression. Its fixed foundation lets successive variations transform the music above it.
Variation (music): The alteration of a musical idea while preserving enough of it to remain recognizable. Ostinatos may vary subtly even as their core pattern persists.

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