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means the verbal exploration of a particular subject, thus moving the meaning away from the original jazz sense of a repeated figure that a soloist improvises over, to instead indicate the improvisation itself—improvising on a melody or progression as one would improvise on a subject by extending a
144:(1999) defines them as "short rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic figures repeated to form a structural framework". Rikky Rooksby states: "A riff is a short, repeated, memorable musical phrase, often pitched low on the guitar, which focuses much of the energy and excitement of a rock song."
333:
effect, but raised to much higher importance (in fact, the repeated riff is used to anchor the song in the ears of the listener). The riff/continuo is brought to the forefront of the musical piece and often is the primary melody that remains in the listener's ears. A
150:, in compiling its list of 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs, defined a riff as the "main hook of a song", often beginning the song, and is "repeated throughout it, giving the song its distinctive voice".
213:
of the term is not clearly known. Ian
Anderson, in the documentary "A World Without Beethoven", states (repeatedly) that "riff" is the abbreviation of "repeated motif." Other sources propose
753:
The song (Black Dog) represents a defining moment in the genre of hard rock, combining the elements of speed, power, an artful and metrically clever riff
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The term "riff-driven" is used to describe a piece of music that relies on a repeated instrumental riff as the basis of its most prominent melody,
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486:, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 177–199. Autumn 2004. Capuzzo uses "+" to indicate major and "−" to indicate minor (C+, C−).
268:". The verse of "The Hucklebuck", which was another riff, was "borrowed" from the Artie Matthews composition "
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327:, and post-blues era music (rock and pop). The musical goal of riff-driven songs is akin to the classical
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riffs, and most of these riffs probably precede the examples given (Covach 2005, p. 71).
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honking a simple, catchy rhythmic figure, or as complex as the riff-based variations in the
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in the 1920s (Rooksby, ibid, p. 6) and is used primarily in discussion of forms of
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or simply phrases. Contemporary jazz writers also use riff- or lick-like ostinatos in
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595:"A World Without Beethoven? | Music Documentary with Sarah Willis (Full length)"
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often holds the song together, creating a "circular" rather than linear feel.
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Covach, John. "Form in Rock Music: A Primer", in Stein, Deborah (2005).
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In classical music, individual musical phrases used as the basis of
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In the house of the Holy: Led
Zeppelin and the power of Rock Music
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number "Now's the Time" (1945) re-emerged four years later as the
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between adjacent triads (B between G & B, C and G between C
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681:(Paperback ed.). Blackwell Publishing Limited. pp.
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Neo-Riemannian Theory and the
Analysis of Pop-Rock Music
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of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in
675:
Horner, Bruce (Editor), Swiss, Thomas (Editor) (1999).
498:(1986) p. 708. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
942:
Form and Music: Key Terms in
Popular Music and Culture
652:
The
Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll
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David
Brackett (1999) defines riffs as "short melodic
224:
939:
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982:Riffs: How to create and play great guitar riffs
535:Riffs: How to create and play great guitar riffs
537:. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 6–7.
241:used riff on "Now's the Time". Blues guitarist
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319:. Riff-driven songs are largely a product of
162:singular thought, idea or inspiration into a
654:(3 Sub ed.). Random House. p. 61.
113:is also sometimes based on a riff, such as
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280:'s "Tar Paper Stomp". All these songs use
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718:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
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343:A few examples of riff-driven songs are "
924:Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis
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834:Bogdanov, Vladimir; et al. (2003).
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36:
979:
965:. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
894:Gallucci, Michael (10 September 2014).
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512:. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
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809:"50 Greatest Guitar Riffs Of All Time"
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799:
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678:Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture
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472:
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926:. New York: Oxford University Press.
946:. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell.
868:Chilton, Martin (October 22, 2018).
766:"The Greatest Songs Ever! Black Dog"
732:
221:for "rhythmic figure" or "refrain".
121:. Riffs can be as simple as a tenor
938:Homo, Bruce; Swiss, Thomas (1999).
790:
24:
896:"Top 10 Joe Perry Aerosmith Riffs"
25:
1290:
1279:Formal sections in music analysis
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999:
984:. San Francisco: Backbeat Books.
733:Fast, Susan; et al. (2001).
206:" (Middleton 1990, p. 125).
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225:Usage in jazz, blues and R&B
153:Use of the term has extended to
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838:. Backbeat Books. p. 477.
496:New Harvard Dictionary of Music
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61:& C−), and an emphasis on
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1:
870:"15 Of The Best Guitar Riffs"
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369:(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
836:All Music Guide to the Blues
508:Middleton, Richard (2002) .
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65:harmony (IV = C in G major).
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198:. "Most rock musicians use
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640:. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
276:" had an earlier life as
27:Repeated refrain in music
980:Rooksby, Rikky (2002).
739:Oxford University Press
575:www.merriam-webster.com
393:Smells Like Teen Spirit
963:Studying Popular Music
650:Rolling Stone (1992).
533:Rikky Rooksby (2002).
510:Studying Popular Music
202:as a near-synonym for
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1116:Techniques and styles
900:Ultimate Classic Rock
484:Music Theory Spectrum
315:, or (in some cases)
131:Count Basie Orchestra
73:is a short, repeated
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32:Riff (disambiguation)
615:"Definition of riff"
571:"Definition of RIFF"
30:For other uses, see
1050:Musical instruments
558:BBC Radio 2 website
272:". Glenn Miller's "
815:. October 25, 2012
711:has generic name (
409:Back in the Saddle
377:Smoke on the Water
373:The Rolling Stones
291:pieces are called
67:
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1006:Jazz Guitar Riffs
692:978-0-631-21264-5
638:Best Guitar Riffs
417:You Really Got Me
337:call and response
142:Richard Middleton
127:head arrangements
95:heavy metal music
16:(Redirected from
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266:The Hucklebuck
254:Charlie Parker
252:The riff from
247:Boogie Chillen
245:used riff on "
239:Charlie Parker
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1123:Alberti bass
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1063:Double bass
709:|last=
405:Chuck Berry
381:Deep Purple
365:Brown Sugar
361:The Beatles
357:Day Tripper
307:Riff-driven
274:In the Mood
270:Weary Blues
264:dance hit "
192:heavy metal
148:BBC Radio 2
109:, although
63:subdominant
49:" features
1268:Categories
1180:Figuration
1133:Banjo roll
1098:Pipe organ
905:2022-10-21
879:29 January
819:29 January
624:2020-11-09
580:2019-09-30
466:References
301:Latin jazz
299:music and
188:rock music
91:rock music
1243:Orchestra
1200:Obbligato
701:cite book
454:Riffusion
421:The Kinks
413:Aerosmith
349:Black Dog
317:leitmotif
293:ostinatos
211:etymology
178:The term
174:Etymology
140:", while
123:saxophone
43:Radiohead
1205:Ostinato
1138:Bassline
1128:Arpeggio
1068:Drum kit
782:March 2,
434:Ostinato
427:See also
330:continuo
157:, where
1165:Comping
917:Sources
600:YouTube
415:, and "
397:Nirvana
367:" and "
347:" and "
313:cadence
262:R&B
235:R&B
168:routine
159:riffing
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389:AC/DC
387:" by
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351:" by
325:blues
297:modal
258:bebop
184:slang
166:, or
115:Ravel
99:Latin
75:motif
47:Creep
1215:Vamp
1210:Riff
1185:Fill
986:ISBN
967:ISBN
948:ISBN
928:ISBN
881:2019
840:ISBN
821:2019
784:2010
743:ISBN
720:link
713:help
687:ISBN
656:ISBN
539:ISBN
514:ISBN
459:Vamp
449:Lick
444:Hook
439:Fill
321:jazz
231:jazz
215:riff
209:The
200:riff
196:jazz
180:riff
107:jazz
103:funk
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