You music geeks...

[kitchen_kink]

I've been trying for some time, unsucessfully, to define for imlad the loose musical term, "riff."

How would you define what a riff is? Is it the same thing as a lick? (I think maybe not; isn't a lick more of a fancy flourish on an instrument such as a guitar, rather than a repeated theme throughout a song?) How about a motif? Or is that just for classical music?

Help me out here.

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Might this help?

[entrope.livejournal.com]

Huh. I would illustrate with Daniel Johnson, Cliffs of Dover.

[madbard.livejournal.com]

> 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.

Probably more answer than you wanted. :)

[unknownrockstar.livejournal.com]

Riff is short for "Refrain" a repeated melodic phrase, Motif is generally used in symphonic music, not "pop", which isn't to say you couldn't, but no one really does. Lick is short for Cow-lick, as in a clump of hair that stands up on it's own, as if a cow licked your head, which is the effect a good lick should have on the listener, at least according to Bass-God Billy Sheehan. I like his explanation. (also it doesn't matter what instrument it's played on.)

the Beatles song, Day tripper, starts with, and is based on a riff, the guitar part that opens the song. that degree in music finally came in handy!

[matt-rah.livejournal.com]

From http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/:

>>In pop and jazz compositions, a short ostinato, two to four bars long. A riff is a prominent feature of jazz music.<<

If you actually go to the page, there's a hyperlink to definitions of ostinato and also some other things.

Matt