Ostinati play an important part in improvised music (rock and jazz), in which they are often referred to as riffs or vamps. A "favorite technique of contemporary jazz writers", ostinati are often used in modal and Latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. Although musicians continually expand its parameters, the term Latin jazz is generally understood to have a more specific meaning than simply jazz from Latin America. Some Latin jazz typically employs rhythms that either have a direct analog in Africa, or exhibit an African influence.
Gnawa music
Gnawa music is a rich Moroccan repertoire of ancient African Islamic spiritual religious songs and rhythms. Its well-preserved heritage combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dancing. The music is performed at lila, entire communal nights of celebration dedicated to prayer and hea…
What does ostinato mean in music?
Definition of ostinato. : a musical figure repeated persistently at the same pitch throughout a composition — compare imitation, sequence.
What is an example of a basso ostinato?
This technique is called “ground bass” and you can have a look at my lesson on ground bass for some examples of this. The most famous example of a basso ostinato is Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Rhythmic and melodic ostinatos have had a massive influence on contemporary popular music across a wide range of genres.
What instruments are used in ostinato?
These include lamellophones such as the mbira, as well as xylophones like the balafon, the bikutsi, and the gyil. Ostinato figures are also played on string instruments such as the kora, gankoqui bell ensembles, and pitched drums ensembles. Often, African ostinatos contain offbeats or cross-beats, that contradict the metric structure.
What is rhythmic ostinati music?
Not surprisingly, rhythmic ostinati are used widely in dramatic film music. Hans Zimmer is a film composer who makes considerable use of this technique across the many film scores he has written. You can hear that there are a number of different ostinati in many of the different parts that are layered to produce the overall sound.
What does ostinato mean in music?
: a musical figure repeated persistently at the same pitch throughout a composition — compare imitation, sequence.
What is the purpose of ostinato in African traditional music?
Repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern. In much African music, one or more ostinatos provide the basic form for musical sections and pieces.
What is ostinato pattern example?
An example of ostinato patterns in popular and jazz music is in Dave Brubeck's "Take Five". The six-note ostinato at the beginning of the piece continues throughout, and provides harmonic and rhythmic structure to the tune.
How do you identify an ostinato?
0:121:14What's an Ostinato? | David Writes an Earworm - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd ostinato is a musical figure that repeats over and over again. And ostinato is a musical figureMoreAnd ostinato is a musical figure that repeats over and over again. And ostinato is a musical figure bass repeats over and over again.
What are examples of ostinato songs?
Well-known ostinato-based pieces include both classical compositions, such as Ravel's Boléro and the Carol of the Bells, and popular songs such as Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's "I Feel Love" (1977), Henry Mancini's theme from Peter Gunn (1959), The Who's "Baba O'Riley" (1971), and The Verve's "Bitter Sweet ...
What is the effect of an ostinato?
An ostinato is a figure or musical sentence that repeats continuously. Its length varies in scope from a motive or phrase to a period. An ostinato provides unifying repetition. An short ostinato figure can function as an ornamented or extended pedal tone.
How do you do an ostinato?
And that's it – this is a simple way to create an ostinato:Use your chord progression as a starting point.Highlight your chords.Create a pattern of short notes based on the notes of a single chord.Copy the pattern onto other chords and adjust the notes to fit the chord.
What is simple ostinato?
In music, an ostinato is a short pattern of notes which is repeated several times throughout a song or piece of music. The word "ostinato" is related to the word obstinate. It is like a musical idea which is being obstinate and will not go away. The plural can be either "ostinati" or "ostinatos".
How many beats is an ostinato?
How many beats is an ostinato? Ostinatos are usually repeated rhythmic patterns that have a certain number of beats. Ostinatos can be as short as one beat or as long as hundreds of measures.
What element in music is given importance in ostinato?
Ostinato (plural – ostinati or ostinatos) is an Italian word meaning obstinate or persistent and is used in music to describe a musical phrase or rhythm that is repeated persistently. The repeated pattern could be a melody, a figure in the bass – called a basso ostinato or simply a repeated rhythmic idea.
How do you use ostinatos?
0:347:068 Cinematic OSTINATOS to use in your own Music! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt is basically four semiquavers or sixteenth notes which repeat four times to fill a bar.MoreIt is basically four semiquavers or sixteenth notes which repeat four times to fill a bar.
What does "ostinato" mean in music?
Ostinato Music Definition. Ostinato (plural – ostinati or ostinatos) is an Italian word meaning obstinate or persistent and is used in music to describe a musical phrase or rhythm that is repeated persistently. The repeated pattern could be a melody, a figure in the bass – called a basso ostinato or simply a repeated rhythmic idea.
What are the two ways to describe ostinato?
This can be seen in 2 main ways: Riffs (short melodic phrases) – these are effectively contemporary expressions of ostinato. Loops – rhythmic and melodic phrases are repeated to create the characteristic sound of contemporary productions.
What is a basso ostinato?
A basso ostinato is a repeated pattern in the bass part of a piece.# N#This technique became particularly popular in the 17th century where a number of Baroque dances were based upon ostinati in the bass part. In dances such as the passacaglia the bass remained constant throughout the piece whilst the other parts developed. This technique is called “ground bass” and you can have a look at my lesson on ground bass for some examples of this. The most famous example of a basso ostinato is Pachelbel’s Canon in D.
What is repeated pattern in music called?
The repeated pattern could be a melody, a figure in the bass – called a basso ostinato or simply a repeated rhythmic idea. An ostinato may be played for an entire piece of music or just during one section. The key aspect to remember in the definition of an ostinato is that it is a pattern that is repeated persistently in a piece of music.
How effective is the rhythmic ostinato?
You can hear how the relentless sound of a rhythmic ostinato is extremely effective at building tension as the music around it changes and develops. This effect is heightened in the extract from Mars as the bass note remains on a G throughout the extract and acts as a pedal point.
What instrument is ostinati played on?
It will often be played on an untuned percussion instrument (e.g. snare drum, triangle, etc..). However, rhythmic ostinati can also be found in parts played on pitched instruments where the note pitch stays the same or where the pitches change as the phrase is repeated.
What is the name of the repeated pattern where both the rhythm and the melody form the basis for the repeated pattern?
Melodic ostinato. A melodic ostinato is a repeated pattern where both the rhythm and the melody form the basis for the repeated pattern. These often occur in the bass part where they are called a basso ostinato.
What is an ostinato in music?
Ostinatos have become a staple of pop, rock, and jazz. They can also be called riffs or loops. Their usage is the same as classical music, a melodic and/or rhythmic motif that is repeated throughout the song. In jazz, the ostinato often forms the foundation for improvisation.
What is the meaning of the phrase "ostinato"?
An ostinato is a melodic phrase that's repeated over and over throughout a musical composition.
What is the rhythmic pattern that repeats over the course of a composition?
Modern composers have made extensive use of the rhythmic ostinato, a rhythmic pattern that is repeated persistently over the course of a composition.
When was Ostinati popular?
Ostinati in the Baroque. A few composers dabbled with ostinati as early as the 13th century, but it wasn't until the Baroque period that it became a popular and common technique. Ostinati are most commonly found in the lowest voice or instrument.
Which composer used ground bass in Dido and Aeneas?
English composer Henry Purcell used the ground bass to great effect in his opera Dido and Aeneas. The aria 'When I am Laid in Earth' has a descending melodic bass ostinato that is repeated under Dido's vocal line. Many Baroque pieces that use ground bass are extremely popular even today.
When did the ostinati fall out of fashion?
Contemporary Ostinatos. After the Baroque era followed the Classical and Romantic eras and during these periods, the use of ostinati fell out of fashion. A composer might use one for a special effect, but by the beginning of the 20th century, they had nearly disappeared.
Where does the word "ostinato" come from?
The word ostinato comes from the Italian word for obstinate and the technique has been used by composers for centuries. 4:31. You must c C reate an account to continue watching.
What is the ostinato in dance?
Use of an ostinato was particularly common in 16th-century dance pieces, notably in the bass line, where it is called a basso ostinato, or ground bass(q.v.). A single-pitch ostinato governs the “Scarbo” movement in Maurice Ravel’spiano work Gaspard de la nuit(1908). Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
When did Ostinatos appear in the music?
Ostinatos appear in Western composition from the 13th century onward, as in the motetEmendemus in melius(Let Us Change for the Better) by Cristóbal de Morales(c.1500–53) and in the Concerto,Opus 38 (first performed 1925), of Paul Hindemith.
What is rhythmic ostinato?
A rhythmic ostinato is a short, constantly repeated rhythmic pattern. Ostinatos appear in Western composition from the 13th century. Ostinato, (Italian: “obstinate”, ) in music, short melodic phrase repeated throughout a composition, sometimes slightly varied or transposed to a different pitch. A rhythmic ostinato is a short, constantly repeated ...
What is minimalism in music?
Minimalism could be described as ‘the triumph of the ostinato’. (It’s been called a lot worse things than that.) But minimalism is a bit of an exception in Western classical music in that in its purest form it’s nothing but ostinato.
Which hand does Chopin's E minor prelude have?
In Chopin’s E minor Prelude (No. 2), the harmonies of the left hand ’s ostinato do change gradually, but the rhythmic pattern remains constant, defying the rhythmic freedom of the right hand’s quasi-vocal phrases. In the Chopin, the pattern eventually fragments, pathetically.
Overview
Sub-Saharan African music
Many instruments south of the Sahara Desert play ostinato melodies. These include lamellophones such as the mbira, as well as xylophones like the balafon, the bikutsi, and the gyil. Ostinato figures are also played on string instruments such as the kora, gankoqui bell ensembles, and pitched drums ensembles. Often, African ostinatos contain offbeats or cross-beats, that contradict the metric str…
Classical music
Ostinati are used in 20th-century music to stabilize groups of pitches, as in Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring Introduction and Augurs of Spring. A famous type of ostinato, called the Rossini crescendo, owes its name to a crescendo that underlies a persistent musical pattern, which usually culminates in a solo vocal cadenza. This style was emulated by other bel canto composers, especially Vin…
Afro-Cuban guajeo
A guajeo is a typical Cuban ostinato melody, most often consisting of arpeggiated chords in syncopated patterns. The guajeo is a hybrid of the African and European ostinato. The guajeo was first played as accompaniment on the tres in the folkloric changüí and son. The term guajeo is often used to mean specific ostinato patterns played by a tres, piano, an instrument of the violin fa…
Riff
In various popular music styles, riff refers to a brief, relaxed phrase repeated over changing melodies. It may serve as a refrain or melodic figure, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instruments that form the basis or accompaniment of a musical composition. Though they are most often found in rock music, heavy metal music, Latin, funk and jazz, classical music is also sometimes based on a simple riff, such as Ravel's Boléro. Riffs can be as simple a…
Vamp
In music, a vamp is a repeating musical figure, section, or accompaniment used in blues, jazz, gospel, soul, and musical theater. Vamps are also found in rock, funk, reggae, R&B, pop, country, and post-sixties jazz. Vamps are usually harmonically sparse: A vamp may consist of a single chord or a sequence of chords played in a repeated rhythm. The term frequently appeared in the instruction 'Vamp till r…
Indian classical music
In Indian classical music, during Tabla or Pakhawaj solo performances and Kathak dance accompaniments, a conceptually similar melodic pattern known as the Lehara (sometimes spelled Lehra) or Nagma is played repeatedly throughout the performance. This melodic pattern is set to the number of beats in a rhythmic cycle (Tala or Taal) being performed and may be based on one or a blend of multiple Ragas.
See also
• Canto Ostinato
• Chaconne
• Chanking
• Fill (music)
• Folia