Repetition in music

Repetition is the recurrence of a musical phrase, rhythm, or passage within a composition. It creates recognition and structure while allowing repeated material to gain meaning through its context.

Ostinato: A short musical pattern repeated persistently, often as accompaniment. A repeated pattern can anchor a passage while other musical parts change.
Ground bass: A recurring bass line that supports successive variations above it. The bass repeats while upper voices develop changing material.
Musical development: The transformation and recombination of musical ideas to create larger-scale continuity. Development changes material progressively rather than relying primarily on its return.
Musical form: The organization of musical events and sections into a coherent whole. Returning passages help listeners recognize sections and follow a work's overall design.
Sequence (music): A melodic or harmonic figure repeated at successively higher or lower pitch levels. Transposed repetition preserves a figure while moving it through the musical space.
Passacaglia: A variation form built over a recurring bass pattern or harmonic progression. Its repeated foundation supports an extended series of transformations.
Contrast (music): The use of differing musical ideas or qualities to create distinction within a work. Contrast makes repeated material perceptible against what changes around it.
Musical expectation: The anticipation of likely musical events based on patterns and prior listening. Repeated patterns establish expectations that later returns can fulfill or disrupt.
Variation (music): A reworking of musical material that retains recognizable features while changing others. Variation makes recurrence audible without requiring an exact copy.
Chaconne: A variation form based on a recurring harmonic progression, often in triple meter. A repeating harmonic cycle provides the framework for successive variations.

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