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Trance Dictionary Project (pg. 5)
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| 0rb |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Alex E.
can anyone explain again what a riff is?i didn't understand it
a sound sample would be nice :) |
a riff is a short repeated musical phrase with a clearly accented rhythm... short meaning one or two bars on average (4 to 8 beats worth of time)... it's quickly identifiable, and often is the "signature pattern" in a tune.
an interesting trait about riff's is that they usually don't shut up... a pattern that plays for a few beats, then rests for a few, then plays again isn't usually seen as a true riff... a real riff usually just keeps going and going and going while everyone else works around it.
but the rhythmic element is the most important... even a start/stop phrase might be described as a great riff.the word "riff" (in it's musical sense) has been around longer than trance or rock... def used by blues artists and probably originally a jazz term.
riff is a flexible word, used as a noun & a verb; maybe even more, but my knowledge of grammar sucks, sooo...
noun (common): play that riff again.
verb (less common): keep riffing
most jazz players now use the word riff in a disparaging way he can't play ; just riffs and riffs... but in blues, rock and since, it's the reverse what a great riff
almost any blues tune use's riffs. a lotta rock stuff does too.
cuz of the blues origin, riffs are generally used to describe "groove" rhythms (the riff played is designed to fit inside the beat) ie: lotta old Rolling Stones guitar stuff would be called riffs, but Sex Pistols or Nirvana stuff, tho equally short, isn't usually described like that. if you want adjectives: if u hear a repeated pattern played by a synth, bass or guitar that conjures up words like "slinky" or "snake-like" is very likely a riff.
trance example using Sasha's Involver CD: almost every track on Sasha's Involver CD is crawling with riffs.
2:18 the bass track lays down a one-bar (4 beats) riff
2.53 riff is expanded
3.10 bass riff is discarded... just buying time
3.27 turnaround set up to launch back into the original riff.
3.45 keyboards lay down a one-bar riff against the original bass riff.
etc, etc, etc
the problem with using the word riff is that it's a "sensibility"... some would say "that ain't a bass riff, it's a pattern*" "no, it's an ostinato**"... it's all a matter of how u hear it... i play bass a lot so i tend to pay attention to 'em more... but generally most riffs are regarded as being in the mid-range and are played by either guitar or keyboards.
*a pattern can be of any length tho usually it maxes at 4 to 8 bars (16 to 32 beats). the harder the pattern pushes the rhythm, the more likely it is to be heard or described as a riff...
** originally classical music term: not used as much now... often refers to a 4,8 or 16 bar (16, 32, 64 beat)pattern repeated endlessly, commonly by the bass (Pachelbel's Canon typical example). note1: i reserve the right to totally change my mind about these words... i know a riff when i hear one, but i don't think i've ever tried to articulate it in text... not fun.
note2: the bass pattern near the end of Dorset Perception just before the choir / guitar solo happens is a great "riff" imo... ditto the up/down slashing of the guitar & bass in Watching Cars Goes By. |
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| 0rb |
a short constantly repeated musical element in a tune that relentlessly pushes the beat forward.
note: i like this def better :) |
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| Reactic |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Bootleg- Combination of two or more seperate tracks into one. |
is this true? I've always thought a combination of two songs is called mash-up.
I used the search but couldn't find a defination for bootleg or mash-up..
another thing I want to know: what is the difference between strings and loops? |
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| Cloudburst |
| I feel like a pro knowing all (most) these terms... :p |
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| Jake Conlon |
| Gurn - A name given to the face that is pulled uncontrolably whilst on the drug ecstasy. you loose control of your jaw making your chin look twice the size. you can usually tell whos on ecstatsy as theyre chewing viciously on there tongues. :D |
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| Cloudburst |
| quote: | Originally posted by Reactic
another thing I want to know: what is the difference between strings and loops? |
They are not even the same thing?
A string is those long sweeping notes (originaly classical instruments, like violin or whatever). Think classical music (e.g. Barber's Adagio for Strings). It's called pad when you use a synth to make those sounds (not quite true, but kinda).
A loop is something, like a short drum pattern or even a string, looped over and over again. |
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| SYSTEM-J |
| quote: | Originally posted by Reactic
is this true? I've always thought a combination of two songs is called mash-up.
I used the search but couldn't find a defination for bootleg or mash-up..
another thing I want to know: what is the difference between strings and loops? |
A bootleg can be an illegal record as well. Mash-up is just a coined term.
As has already been said, strings are sounds made by stringed instruments, or a synth equivalent. Loops are any short musical sequence repeated over and over. |
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| Subey |
Alright! This thread needs a Sticky!
and it needs some nice person to put all these definitions in alphabetical order! I'm not that person :D |
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| 0rb |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Bootleg- Combination of two or more seperate tracks into one |
i never heard that definition of bootleg b4... bootleg as i know it is:
a copy of live or studio recordings of an artist that is duplicated and sold without their consent... most commonly live performances that someone has captured with a mic, or off the soundboard. *
~
i like the phrase "mash-up" tho... sounds about right for the results i've had... tho "trainwreck"** would probably be closer.* not quite the same as "pirated" which is the duplication of an already released piece of music
** often happens at the end of an extended guitar or keyboard solo... the other musicians figure out too late that the next part of the tune is about to be played... ie: "the end of that guitar solo was a total trainwreck" |
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| Tuis |
| trainwreck - hehe, I love that term. Don't like hearing one, though... |
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| Dj_GtR |
sticky?
:thepirate |
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| Nick Mimas |
Compression:
Compressor - Units (Can be hardware or software) that can automatically adjust volume level at a set time.
Threshold This is a level of volume (measured in dB) set that tells the compressor how loud something can get before it can start doing its job.
Ratio This is how much the compressor will reduce the sound by. Example: a ratio of 5:1 means that if it exceeds the threshold by 5dB the output will only exceed it by 1dB. So in other words 5=amount exceeded 1=what it will sound like.
Attack This is how long it will take the compressor to act after the threshold has been exceeded.
Release This is how long it takes for the compressor to stop working after the input has dropped back down to below the threshold.
Hard knee/Soft knee Its kinda like attack but instead of the speed of compression its more like how gradually the full amount of compression is applied. Hard knee applies full compression as soon attack lets it. Soft knee is a lot more gradual than the other, it actually occurs as the signal reaches the threshold. |
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