Ostinato

Now go be stubborn – in the best musical way.

An is a rhythmic or melodic pattern that repeats persistently throughout a musical phrase or an entire composition. Derived from the Italian word for "obstinate," this technique serves as the structural heartbeat for everything from 17th-century Baroque ground basses to the driving loops of modern electronic and cinematic music. Core Definition and Etymology ostinato

Ostinato in Music | Definition & Examples - Lesson - Study.com Now go be stubborn – in the best musical way

| Type | Description | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | | A repeating pitch sequence | Ravel’s Boléro (snare drum rhythm + melody pattern) | | Rhythmic ostinato | A repeating drum/percussion pattern | James Brown’s Funky Drummer (drum break) | | Bass ostinato (Ground Bass) | A repeating bass line | Pachelbel’s Canon in D , Purcell’s Dido’s Lament | Core Definition and Etymology Ostinato in Music |

Count Basie and Duke Ellington elevated the ostinato riff to high art. In big band swing, a saxophone section might play a repeated melodic ostinato (