On Riffs (Musical and Visual)

Rock ’n’ roll canonized The Riff as one of its cornerstones, and therefore is seen as elemental to the form. But “riffs”, or other repeating phrases are also called an ostinato.

Repeating interlaced patterns is an inheritance from African music, where repetition is everything.

A visual representation of a Riff:

A riff that repeats without variation:

 

 

 

 

 

  With some variation: 

 

 

 

 

 

A riff on the individual elements of the riff, which is more interesting, but it’s still a Riff:

 

 

 

 

 

Images are from Phases (A Series of Series).