Motif (music)
A musical motif (or motive) is the shortest unit of music that is also recognizable. It is often used as the main building block of a song or a composition. It can be modified to be turned into a phrase.
Motifs can be melodic, harmonic, and/or rhythmic in nature.
Examples of melodic motifs:
- Beethoven’s Fifth
Examples of harmonic motifs:
- “So What” by Miles Davis
Examples of rhythmic motifs:
- “We Will Rock You” by Queen
- “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John
- Arguably. I think the “whole band” playing the rhythm together is important, for the emphasis
- Referenced in “Super Rich Kids” by Frank Ocean (not a sample!)
- The Charleston rhythm