|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| What is a Riff? |
| A ?Riff? is a sound that repeats over and over in a piece of Music. The riff is very much linked with Rock Music in particular. The first riffs were played buy the Blues guitarists like ?Muddy Waters?, ?Bo Diddley? and ?John Lee Hooker?. They played their riffs on Guitar. Later guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin) copied their riffs and composed songs using these riffs. Listen to ?White Room? by Eric Clapton and ?Whole Lotta Love? by Led Zepplin. You will know the Led Zepplin Riff as the ?Top of the Pops? theme.
However Riffs have been around as long as Music itself. The Riff is also known as Ostinato or Ground Bass. Riff is just a more modern way of describing a repeated sound. I say sound because the sound could be an instrument or it could be a dog barking. It could be a vocal phrase or it could be drum pattern.
Try listening to your favourite music and spot the riffs. Pop music and Dance music is made up almost entirely of riffs. Classical Music uses them less. Some modern styles of ?Classical? Music use nothing else but riffs ? check out Michael Nyman, Steve Reich and Philip Glass who are known as ?Minimalist? composers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
