Which statement best describes a riff?

• A. A long, improvisatory solo.
• B. A short, repeated musical figure used as a building block in many styles.
• C. A complex orchestral overture.
• D. A type of microtonal pitch bend.

Answer: (B)

A riff is a short, repeated musical figure that serves as a building block in many styles. It’s designed to be catchy and recognizable, giving the song its groove or hook and providing a spine that other parts can layer over. Because it repeats—often just a couple of bars long—it stays firmly in the listener’s ear, unlike a long improvisatory solo that explores ideas over a longer stretch of time. It’s also not an orchestral overture, which is a large-scale opening section in classical works, nor a microtonal pitch bend, which is about altering pitch rather than repeating a motif. So the best description is a short, repeated musical figure used as a building block in many styles.