> isn't a lick more of a fancy flourish on an instrument such as a guitar, rather than a repeated theme throughout a song?
These terms aren't formally defined, but that's not a bad distinction. Riffs and licks usually have a recognizable rhythmic component.
> How about a motif? Or is that just for classical music?
It's usually called a motive, at least in English, and it is a "short melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic fragment from which a phrase, section, or entire composition is constructed". Think of the first four notes of Beethoven's 5th. That rhythmic-melodic phrase appears throughout the entire movement. That kind of building block approach is usually where we invoke the term "motive".
You could use the term in rock/pop circles, though it's less commonly done. Note that all licks or riffs are not necessarily motific. They might appear briefly in a solo, then never resurface. Whereas by definition, a motive is used as a recurring unit in the construction of something larger.
A good example of a motive in rock music is the recurring eight-note theme in Pink Floyd's "The Wall". (Think of the melody of "We don't need no education".) It's not a lick or riff, as it has no real rhythmic identity, but it is definitely motific, appearing through the entire album.
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These terms aren't formally defined, but that's not a bad distinction. Riffs and licks usually have a recognizable rhythmic component.
> How about a motif? Or is that just for classical music?
It's usually called a motive, at least in English, and it is a "short melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic fragment from which a phrase, section, or entire composition is constructed". Think of the first four notes of Beethoven's 5th. That rhythmic-melodic phrase appears throughout the entire movement. That kind of building block approach is usually where we invoke the term "motive".
You could use the term in rock/pop circles, though it's less commonly done. Note that all licks or riffs are not necessarily motific. They might appear briefly in a solo, then never resurface. Whereas by definition, a motive is used as a recurring unit in the construction of something larger.
A good example of a motive in rock music is the recurring eight-note theme in Pink Floyd's "The Wall". (Think of the melody of "We don't need no education".) It's not a lick or riff, as it has no real rhythmic identity, but it is definitely motific, appearing through the entire album.
Probably more answer than you wanted. :)