Riff
Short, repeating, melodic figure, of a limited
pitch range, and distinctive rhythmic character, somewhat
akin to ostinato.
[Example 1: "Ko-Ko," the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940), CD2945, v.3, track 4, 0:12-0.25 (slow fade behind first sentence of narration).]
A riff is a short, repeating melodic figure, of limited pitch range, and distinctive rhythmic character, somewhat akin to an ostinato. In jazz, the riff has a particularly intimate association with Kansas City swing music of the 1930s and 40s, becoming a common device in many types of jazz since the 1940s, including bop, cool jazz, and jazz-rock.
In this example, from a performance of "Sent for You Yesterday," by the Count Basie Orchestra (1938), you will hear a trumpet playing a solo. Try to hear what is going on in the background: In addition to drums, there is a saxophone chorus playing a single phrase repeatedly -- six times. That done, the saxophones, now in unison, take up a new phrase, playing that six times, with trumpet chorus taking up a new riff above them:
[Example 2: "Sent for You Yesterday," Count Basie Orchestra (1938), Harry "Sweets" Edison (tpt), track 11, 1:45-2:27 (quick fade).]
A riff may be either improvised or composed, but is always designed to lend rhythmic drive and forward momentum to a performance. Melodically however, the riff, like the ostinato, has an inherently static quality. Thus, when cast over a chord progression, certain pitches of a riff may be modified to accommodate changing harmonies.
[Fig 1: Diagram]
Here now is a performance by legendary Kansas City tenor saxophonist Lester Young, with the Kansas City Seven, the pianist being Count Basie (1939). Listen to how, as Young is soloing, Basie plays a figure on the piano -- just one note, struck several times, high up. A moment later, he plays it again, but lower, and in chords. The next time he plays it, the horn players gradually join in, spontaneously setting in motion a riff accompaniment behind the soloist. After a short piano solo, Young re-enters, and the seven-note riff starts again. Notice how this simple background riff adds swing and buoyancy to the music.
[Example 3: "Lester Leaps In," the Kansas City Seven (1939), Buck Clayton (tpt), Dickie Wells (tbn), Lester Young (tsax), Freddie Green (gtr), Count Basie (pno), Walter Page (bs), Jo Jones (drums), CD2495, v.2, track 22, 1:59-2:44 (quick fade).]
By the mid-1930s, the use of riffs had become a stock device in big band compositions and arrangements. Many big bands created elaborate orchestrations out of a limited number of riff figures, often overlaid in a call-and-response fashion. This alternation has been acknowledged as having its roots in African- American church music, which in turn may be traced to West African origins. By using overlaid-riff arrangements, bands such as Bennie Moten's Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, and The Duke Ellington Orchestra, produced exciting, interwoven, musical textures, which still retained the ethos of a jam session.
The following excerpt from a performance of "Ko-Ko" by the The Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940) shows how complex the use of riffs can become. Observe how, first, two riffs alternate in call-and-response: (1) a low-pitched, level trombone call, and (2) a wailing answer by saxophone chorus. This happens six times, with small modifications. Then a new pattern starts, with (1) a much higher trombone call, this time muted. In the background, and quite hard to hear, there is a second riff: (2) a unison phrase played by saxophones. These two riffs are answered by two more: (3) snarling trumpet/trombone chords with wa-wa mutes, and (4) a rumbling chord in the piano, making four layers in all! This, too, happens six times:
[Example 4: "Ko-Ko," the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940):, CD2495, v.3, track 4, 0:12-0:50 (quick fade)]
Prominent use of riffs in improvisations and as backgrounds for soloists gave birth to riff tunes, or jazz compositions characterized by extreme melodic and rhythmic economy and an often improvisatory flavor. The tune of "In the Mood" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra is based on a riff figure. "In the Mood" has come to be a signature tune of the entire Big Band Era. In this performance (1939), the riff tune is played by saxophones, and punctuated with a riff of chords in trumpets and trombones.
[Example 5: "In the Mood," Glenn Miller Band (1939), track 4, 0:11-0:45 (quick fade).]
While maintaining a close association with big band jazz, riffs and riff tunes are also found pervasively in small group jazz, from the Swing Era until the present. Musicians noted for their use of riffs include Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis. Jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk, also made extensive use of riffs -- often in rhythmically unexpected ways. A classic example is Monk's composition "Straight No Chaser." A rising riff figure is prominent throughout the entire composition. In this performance (1967), you will hear the tune first on solo piano, and then on saxophone and piano together:
[Example 6: "Straight No Chaser," Thelonious Monk (pno), Charlie Rouse (tsax), Larry Gales (bs), Ben Riley (drums) (1967), track 9, 0:00-0:30 (quick fade).]
The following is a well-known use of riff figures in jazz rock -- an excerpt from the Joe Zawinul composition, "Birdland," recorded by the 1970s jazz-rock group Weather Report. As was the case in the big band examples, the main riff figure -- heard first on solo guitar combined with a second riff on saxophone, and later on the full band -- is characterized by rhythmic simplicity and melodic drive, and creates an excitingly interwoven musical fabric.
[Example 7: "Birdland" by Joe Zawinul, from Weather Report's "Heavy Weather" (1977), Wayne Shorter (sax), Jaco Pastorius (bgtr), Joe Zawinul (kbd), Alex Acuna (drums), track 1, (fade in) 3:33--4:13 (medium fade out).]
Although riffs are found frequently in jazz, from its early days up to the present, the use of riffs is by no means limited to that. They are also found in many forms of blues, rock'n roll, gospel, rock, and hip-hop. Artists as diverse as Muddy Waters, Bill Haley, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, and Us Three, have all used riffs in their music.
[Example 8: "See You Later Alligator," Bill Haley and the Comets (1955?): track 6, 0:24-0:46 (slow fade behind Summary).]
Summary:
- A riff is a repeating melodic figure, limited in pitch range, and rhythmically distinctive.
- Riffs are widely found in jazz, especially that associated with Kansas City in the '30s and '40s, as well as in blues, rock, and other genres.
- A riff may be improvised, or composed.
- A riff can form a background to a tune or improvised solo, or can itself comprise a tune.
- Different riffs can alternate in call-and-response, or be overlaid on one another.
- Riffs give a feeling of buoyancy and forward drive.
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Visual & Sound Materials from the Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library of Columbia University | |
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Riff written by:
James Dale Wilson Recording & Mixing: Christopher Bailey |
Narration:
Mark Burford Technology & Design: Maurice Matiz |