Riff: meaning, definitions and examples

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riff

[ rɪf ]

^{Context #1}

music

A short, repeated musical phrase or pattern used as a foundation for a composition.

Synonyms

lick, motif, phrase, theme

Examples of usage

The guitar solo included a catchy riff that stuck in my head.
The song's main riff is instantly recognizable.

^{Context #2}

music

To play or create a short, repeated musical phrase or pattern.

Synonyms

improvise, jam, play around

Examples of usage

The guitarist likes to riff during his solos.
She riffs on the piano in a jazz improvisation.

Translations

Translations of the word "riff" in other languages:

🇵🇹 riff

🇮🇳 रिफ़

🇩🇪 Riff

🇮🇩 riff

🇺🇦 риф

🇵🇱 riff

🇯🇵 リフ

🇫🇷 riff

🇪🇸 riff

🇹🇷 riff

🇰🇷 리프

🇸🇦 ريفي

🇨🇿 riff

🇸🇰 riff

🇨🇳 即兴重复乐段

🇸🇮 riff

🇮🇸 riff

🇰🇿 рифф

🇬🇪 რიფი

🇦🇿 riff

🇲🇽 riff

Word origin

The word 'riff' originated in the world of jazz music in the 1930s, where it referred to a short repeated phrase played by a musician during a solo or improvisation. Over time, the term has expanded to other genres of music, such as rock and blues, and is now commonly used in the general music lexicon to describe a catchy or memorable musical phrase.