Motives

Definition

Motives are short musical ideas or phrases that are repeated and developed throughout a piece of music. They often serve as building blocks for melodies and can create unity and coherence in a composition.

Related terms

Theme: A theme is a longer musical idea that serves as the main melody or subject of a composition.

Variation: Variation refers to the process of altering or modifying a musical idea, such as a motive or theme, while still maintaining its recognizable characteristics.

Development: Development involves taking existing musical material, like motives, and transforming them through techniques such as fragmentation, inversion, or modulation.