Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Riff

Meaning in music, with examples

/rɪf/nounCommon term

In music, riff means: A short, catchy musical phrase that is repeated many times, often on guitar, bass or keyboard, and becomes the signature idea of a song.

In Turkish: riff, tekrarlanan motif

How it is used

Central to rock, metal, funk and blues. Players 'come up with', 'play' or 'write' a riff; a song can be 'built around a riff'. A 'guitar riff' is the most common phrase, and many songs open with one.

Example sentences

  1. The whole song is built around a two-bar guitar riff.

  2. Play the riff twice on your own, and then the drums come in.

Common collocations

  • guitar riff
  • bass riff
  • come up with a riff
  • opening riff
  • riff-based
  • melodyA sequence of single notes that forms a recognisable musical line, often the part that people remember and sing along to.
  • chorusThe section of a song that repeats with the same words and melody, usually the catchiest part and the one that contains the song's main message or title.
  • soloA section of music played or sung by one performer, often featured above the rest of the band, or a whole piece written for a single performer.
  • grooveThe rhythmic feel of a piece that makes people want to move, created mainly by the drums and bass locking together.
  • arrangementA version of a piece that decides which instruments play which parts, how sections are ordered and how the song builds from start to finish.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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