ostinato
Persistent melodic phrase
Ostinato is a musical phrase that repeats persistently throughout a piece or section.
The term comes from Italian for "obstinate"—the pattern stubbornly continues while other elements change around it.
A bass ostinato (or ground bass) repeats in the lowest voice: The ostinato in Ravel's Boléro builds hypnotically over fifteen minutes.
Ostinatos appear across genres, from Baroque compositions to rock riffs.
Recurring thematic element
- basslineLow-register musical foundation
- riffRepeated musical phrase
- vampAlluring seductress
- ground bassRepeated low melodic pattern
loop · figure · phrase · accompaniment · counterpoint · leitmotif · drone · theme
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- pulseArterial blood throb
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- repetitionAct of redoing
- cycleRepeating sequence of events
measure · tempo · meter · time signature · accent · polyrhythm · syncopation · groove
motif
Recurring thematic element
ground bass · loop · figure · phrase · accompaniment · counterpoint · leitmotif · drone · theme · variation
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- pulseArterial blood throb
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- repetitionAct of redoing
cycle · measure · tempo · meter · time signature · accent · polyrhythm · syncopation · groove · drive
score
Numerical standing in competition
rest · clef · staccato · legato · slur · chord · interval · sequence · progression · dynamics
ostinatothrough-composed
Entirely new throughout
variation · development · improvisation · free variation · rubato