Ostinato
An ostinato ( Latin obstinatus , stubborn, stubborn) is a constantly repeating musical figure in music , be it a melody , a certain rhythm (see e.g. Boléro by Maurice Ravel ) or another musical element.
The principle of the ostinato has probably existed since music was made , the first sources go back to the High Middle Ages . The ostinato was particularly popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Century, the so-called figured bass age , mainly performed by the bass ( basso ostinato ) and experienced a small renaissance in the 19th century after it had been forgotten as an artistic medium, especially during the classical period. A simple and beautiful example is the bass in the Berceuse by Chopin .
A harmonic ostinato is a chord progression that is continuously repeated.
In jazz these kinds of ostinati are called vamps , in rock music they are called riffs .
The electromechanical or electronic implementation of an ostinato is also called a loop .
