Riff facts for kids
A riff in music is a short, catchy musical idea that repeats. Think of it like a musical phrase that gets stuck in your head! It's often played by instruments like guitars, basses, or keyboards. Riffs are super important because they form the main part of many songs.
What is a Riff?
A riff is a repeating musical pattern. It can be a short melody (a tune), a chord progression (a series of chords), or even just a cool rhythm. This repeating idea is called an ostinato. Imagine a short musical loop that keeps coming back throughout a song.
Riffs are like the building blocks of a song. They give the music its unique feel and energy. You'll hear them a lot in rock music, funk, and jazz.
Famous Riffs You Know
Many famous songs are known for their awesome riffs. These short musical phrases make the songs memorable and exciting. Here are some examples of well-known riffs in rock and pop music:
- Deep Purple – "Smoke On The Water"
- AC/DC – "Highway To Hell"
- Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
- Metallica – "Enter Sandman"
- Michael Jackson – "Beat It"
- Chuck Berry – "Johnny B. Goode"
- The White Stripes – "Seven Nation Army"
- Black Sabbath – "Iron Man"
- Jimi Hendrix – "Purple Haze"
- The Rolling Stones – "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
- Guns n Roses – "Sweet Child O'Mine"
- Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Images for kids
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Ostinato from Radiohead's "Creep" features modal mixture, common tones between adjacent triads (B between G & B, C and G between C+ & C−), and an emphasis on subdominant harmony (IV = C in G major).
See also
In Spanish: Riff para niños
