a short music phrase, often repeated, particularly in jazz or blues
Riff
Related Dictionary Terms
Repeated passage
Shared keywords
see Repeated Notes, Sequences, & Passages
Repeated Sequence of Two Notes
Shared keywords
see Repeated Notes, Sequences, & Passages
Bebop
Shared keywords
a complex 1940's jazz style, characterized by very fast or very slow tempos with improvised lines of notes, irregular accents…
Bomb
Shared keywords
in jazz and particularly in bop, an unexpectedly loud beat from the drummer on a backbeat, upbeat or irregular eighth note be…
Bop
Shared keywords
a complex 1940's jazz style, characterized by very fast or very slow tempos with improvised lines of notes, irregular accents…
Cadential 6-4
Shared keywords
Theory
In tonal harmony, cadential 6 4 often appears above scale degree 5 in the bass. It resolves into a dominant and then tonic, s…
Chase
Shared keywords
improvisations where one player performs a melodic riff and other members in the band take up the theme, often adding additio…
Dixieland jazz
Shared keywords
style of jazz with a simple, cheerful character