Riff Ostinato

the riff black sabbath s iron man  play (help·info) characteristic of rooksby s description: 4 measures repeated, played low on guitar part of heavy metal (rock) arrangement.




the kinks got me guitar riff  play (help·info)




ostinato radiohead s creep features modal mixture, common tones between adjacent triads (b between g & b, c , g between c+ & c−), , emphasis on subdominant harmony (iv = c in g major). play (help·info)

in various popular music styles, riff refers brief, relaxed phrase repeated on changing melodies. may serve refrain or melodic figure, played rhythm section instruments or solo instruments form basis or accompaniment of musical composition. though found in rock music, heavy metal music, latin, funk , jazz, classical music based on simple riff, such ravel s boléro. riffs can simple tenor saxophone honking simple, catchy rhythmic figure, or complex riff-based variations in head arrangements played count basie orchestra.

david brackett (1999) defines riffs as, ... short melodic phrases , while richard middleton (1999) defines them short rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic figures repeated form structural framework . rikky rooksby states, riff short, repeated, memorable musical phrase, pitched low on guitar, focuses of energy , excitement of rock song.

bbc radio 2, in compiling list of 100 greatest guitar riffs, defined riff as, main hook of song , must played principally guitar. begins song, repeated throughout it, giving song distinctive voice.

the term riff entered musical slang in 1920s, , used in discussion of forms of rock music or jazz. rock musicians use riff near-synonym musical idea. etymology of term not known. sources explain riff abbreviation rhythmic figure or refrain. charlie parker s 1945 recording thriving riff may have popularized term.

use of term has extended comedy, riffing means verbal exploration of particular subject, moving meaning away original jazz sense of repeated figure soloist improvises over, instead indicate improvisation itself—improvising on melody or progression 1 improvise on subject extending singular thought, idea or inspiration bit, or routine.

use in jazz , r&b

in jazz , r&b, riffs used starting point longer compositions. night train riff first used in duke ellington s happy-go-lucky local , ellington recycled johnny hodges earlier s blues, old man .

the riff charlie parker s bebop number s time (1945) re-emerged 4 years later r&b dance hit hucklebuck . verse of hucklebuck —another riff—was borrowed artie matthews composition weary blues . glenn miller s in mood had earlier life wingy manone s tar paper stomp . these songs use twelve bar blues riffs, , of these riffs precede examples given.

neither of terms riff or lick used in classical music. instead, individual musical phrases used basis of classical music pieces called ostinatos or phrases. contemporary jazz writers use riff- or lick-like ostinatos in modal music. latin jazz uses guajeo-based riffs.

riff driven

the term riff driven describes piece of music relies on repeated instrumental riff basis of prominent melody, cadence, or (in cases) leitmotif. riff-driven songs largely product of jazz, blues, , post-blues era music (rock , pop). musical goal of riff-driven songs akin classical continuo effect, raised higher importance (in fact, repeated riff used anchor song in ears of listener). riff/continuo brought forefront of musical piece , primary melody remains in listener s ears. call , response holds song together, creating circular rather linear feel.

a few examples of riff-driven songs whole lotta love , black dog led zeppelin, day tripper , , feel fine beatles, brown sugar , (i can t no) satisfaction rolling stones, hammer fall queen, outshined soundgarden, enter sandman metallica, smoke on water deep purple, holy wars...the punishment due megadeth, mind games john lennon, message in bottle police, trooper iron maiden, in-a-gadda-da-vida iron butterfly , void black sabbath.