riff
Sign in to savethumb|350px|Ostinato from Radiohead's "Creep" features [[modal mixture, common tones between adjacent triads (B between G & B, C and G between C+ & C−), and an emphasis on subdominant harmony (IV = C in G major).]]
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Usage in jazz, blues, and R&B
- Riff-driven
- See also
- References
- Sources
- External links
thumb|350px|Ostinato from Radiohead's "Creep" features [[modal mixture, common tones between adjacent triads (B between G & B, C and G between C+ & C−), and an emphasis on subdominant harmony (IV = C in G major).]]
A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in various genres of rock music (including punk and heavy metal music), as well as Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based on a riff, as in Ravel's Boléro. Riffs can be as simple as a tenor saxophone honking a simple, catchy rhythmic figure, or as complex as the riff-based variations in the head arrangements played by the Count Basie Orchestra.