Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Ostinato

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, ostinato means: A short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated persistently in a passage while other musical material may change around it.

In Turkish: ostinato, ısrarlı tekrar kalıbı

How it is used

Used in composition and analysis for repeating bass figures, rhythms or accompaniment patterns. It need not be the main tune or a catchy riff.

Example sentences

  1. The cello repeats a four-note ostinato while the violin melody becomes more complex.

    A stable lower pattern supports a changing upper line throughout the passage.

  2. Remove the percussion ostinato for one bar to make the return more striking.

    Interrupting the established repetition makes its later reappearance noticeable.

Common collocations

  • rhythmic ostinato
  • bass ostinato
  • repeated ostinato
  • riffA short, catchy musical phrase that is repeated many times, often on guitar, bass or keyboard, and becomes the signature idea of a song.
  • accompanimentThe music that supports a main melody or soloist, for example the piano part under a singer or the chords a guitarist plays behind a violin.
  • basslineThe low-pitched musical part that supports harmony and rhythm, often played by bass guitar, synth, or double bass.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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