Which accompaniment technique fills out texture and adds forward motion by repeating a motif?

Which accompaniment technique fills out texture and adds forward motion by repeating a motif?

• A. Ground bass
• B. Ostinato
• C. Arpeggiation
• D. Blocked chords

Answer: (B)

Ostinato is a short melodic or rhythmic idea that keeps repeating as the music goes on, giving the accompaniment a fuller texture and a sense of forward motion. Because that pattern returns over and over, listeners latch onto it and feel a steady drive underneath the changing melodies and chords. Ground bass also repeats a pattern, typically a bass line, but the emphasis here is on repeating a compact motif that can be melodic or rhythmic, which is the hallmark of an ostinato. Arpeggiation creates color by outlining chords in sequence rather than repeating a motif to drive the texture. Blocked chords provide solid harmonic blocks without the ongoing repetition that characterizes an ostinato.

Ostinato is a short melodic or rhythmic idea that keeps repeating as the music goes on, giving the accompaniment a fuller texture and a sense of forward motion. Because that pattern returns over and over, listeners latch onto it and feel a steady drive underneath the changing melodies and chords. Ground bass also repeats a pattern, typically a bass line, but the emphasis here is on repeating a compact motif that can be melodic or rhythmic, which is the hallmark of an ostinato. Arpeggiation creates color by outlining chords in sequence rather than repeating a motif to drive the texture. Blocked chords provide solid harmonic blocks without the ongoing repetition that characterizes an ostinato.