In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch.

What does ostinato mean in music?

ostinato, (Italian: “obstinate”, ) plural Ostinatos, or Ostinati, in music, short melodic phrase repeated throughout a composition, sometimes slightly varied or transposed to a different pitch.

What is ostinato example?

An ostinato can be a repeated group of notes or just a rhythm. ... An example of a rhythmic ostinato is the first movement from the Planets Suite by Gustav Holst. This is the movement in 5/4 time which describes Mars. Boléro by Maurice Ravel also uses a repeated rhythm all the way through the piece.