ostinato
a constantly recurring melodic fragment.
Origin of ostinato
1Words Nearby ostinato
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ostinato in a sentence
In my opinion, your Basso ostinato should be written in 3/4 or 6/4 time, but not in 5/4.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste TchaikovskyIt is generally accompanied by doubles or variations, and is invariably written on a ground bass or basso ostinato.
Critical & Historical Essays | Edward MacDowellA constantly repeated bass is called a "basso ostinato," and this is the first example of it.
How Music Developed | W. J. HendersonYou have made just such a mistake in your otherwise beautiful Basso ostinato.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste Tchaikovsky
British Dictionary definitions for ostinato
/ (ˌɒstɪˈnɑːtəʊ) /
a continuously reiterated musical phrase
(as modifier): an ostinato passage
Origin of ostinato
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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