Which term best describes a repeating musical pattern used as a structural anchor in music?

• A. Leitmotif
• B. Motif
• C. Ostinato
• D. Cadence

Answer: (C)

An ostinato is a repeating musical pattern that underpins a section, providing a steady foundation or backbone for the music. This persistent motif—rhythmic, melodic, or both—stays constant while other voices or ideas move and develop above it, helping to give the piece its sense of unity and forward drive. Think of a repeating bass line or drum pattern that keeps returning as other parts change; that repeating pattern is the structural anchor that shapes the texture and momentum of the music.

Leitmotif is a recurring theme tied to a person, idea, or situation in a work, used for narrative connection rather than simply forming a continuous repeating backdrop. A motif is a short musical idea that can be developed and varied; it’s an element composers borrow and transform, not necessarily the repeating backbone of the piece. A cadence is a harmonic punctuation—an ending, pause, or rest in a phrase—not a pattern that continually anchors the structure.