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Ostinato for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: ,ɑstʌ'nɑ,toʊ

What does Ostinato really mean?

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Ostinato is a music term that might seem a bit tricky, but let's break it down together! Have you ever noticed how certain patterns or melodies repeat over and over again in a song? Well, that's the idea behind an ostinato. It's like a musical "groundhog day" where a particular musical phrase or rhythm keeps coming back, almost like a broken record.

Imagine you're playing a video game and you're stuck on a level that you need to repeat until you find the right way to win. That's exactly how an ostinato works in music! It's a repeating musical pattern that adds a sense of familiarity and structure to a piece of music. This repetition can be found in the melody, rhythm, or even in the harmonies.

Let's take an example to make it more understandable. Have you ever heard the song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"? It's a simple nursery rhyme. Now, imagine you have a piano or a keyboard, and you start playing the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" using just one hand. That repetitive tune you're playing would be the ostinato in this case! It keeps repeating throughout the song, giving it a consistent and recognizable sound.

Sometimes, an ostinato can also be referred to as a "riff" or a "loop" in popular music. You know those catchy guitar lines that get stuck in your head and make you want to dance? Well, those are often ostinatos! They repeat over and over again, creating a memorable and addictive sound.

So, to sum it all up, ostinato means a repeating musical pattern or phrase that occurs throughout a piece of music, adding structure and familiarity. It's like a musical puzzle piece that helps hold everything together and makes a song easy to recognize. Whether it's in classical music or in your favorite pop tune, an ostinato is like the glue that keeps the music flowing smoothly, just like a river flowing downstream.

Revised and Fact checked by Robert Jones on 2023-10-29 14:23:15

Ostinato In a sentece

Learn how to use Ostinato inside a sentece

  • When you hear the same beat or rhythm repeating over and over again in a song, that's an ostinato.
  • Imagine playing a musical piece on the piano where you keep repeating the same short musical pattern - that's an ostinato.
  • In a song, if you hear a group of people clapping their hands in the same pattern repeatedly, that's an ostinato.
  • Picture a drummer playing the same pattern on the drums throughout a song - that's an ostinato.
  • If someone is tapping their foot or nodding their head to the same rhythmic pattern continuously, that's an ostinato.

Ostinato Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Ostinato Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.