Ostinato

Ostinato is a musical figure, motif, or phrase that persistently repeats in the same voice or part, often with little or no variation. The repetition can be melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic and may serve as a structural underpinning for a section or an entire work. When the repeating element is a bass line, it is typically called a basso ostinato or ground bass, a common feature in Baroque music.

The term comes from the Italian ostinato, meaning stubborn or obstinate, and it describes a wide range of repetitive patterns used across many musical traditions. Ostinati can be melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic, and they may be continuous or alternate with passages of variation or development.

Common types include melodic ostinato (a short repeating melodic fragment), rhythmic ostinato (a repeating groove or pattern), and harmonic ostinato (a repeated chord progression). The device is versatile and can function to unify a piece, create momentum, or establish a hypnotic texture.

Historically, ostinati appear in medieval and Renaissance music and become especially prominent in Baroque instrumental and vocal works through basso ostinato. In later periods, composers used ostinati more variably, from the continuous ground bass of some orchestral works to repeated grooves in modern and minimalist music. In the 20th century and beyond, minimalist composers and others have treated ostinati as central organizing devices, often exploring phase relations and gradual variation over long spans.

Notable examples include the bass ostinato of Pachelbel’s Canon in D and the persistent rhythmic ostinato in Maurice Ravel’s Bolero. In popular and jazz traditions, ostinati often appear as vamps or repeating grooves underpinning improvisation and development.