What's the difference between a riff, melody, and hook?

bibenu · 2022-10-03T20:00:08.788Z

The first 8 seconds of bassline is here is what you’d call a riff. “Papa was a rolling stone” is a clear hook (it’s the thing that’s distinctive, that “hooks” you into the song). Everything vocal line is a melody. Mostly, the strings are playing melodies. But the wah-wahed guitar in this case is not really a melody, it’s a rhythmic effect without much pitch information.

djadonis206 · 2022-10-03T20:13:28.563Z

Vibes.

What about that horn though?

bibenu · 2022-10-03T20:18:06.072Z

djadonis206:

What about that horn though?

You mean where does it fit in ? It’s another melody.

GovernorSilver · 2022-10-03T20:26:09.703Z

Another example to analyze:

Melody = Ron Isley’s lead vocal
Riff = The clavinet part the meshes with the guitar
Hook = The guitar part

A hook can be part melody, part riff, per Berklee article.

The hook is what lets you know that you’re hearing this particular song (or Ice Cube’s “Damn It Was a Good Day” that sampled this song). When people hear that guitar part, they tend to think “Damn It Was a Good Day” unless they heard the Isley Brothers song first.

matteblacksmoke · 2022-10-03T20:33:03.964Z

Riff is half Melody’s age plus 7.
Melody is 3 years younger than Hook.
Hook is the same age as Riff’s father.

Lampmeister · 2022-10-03T20:34:44.554Z

Riff = Smoke on the Water / Satisfaction.
Melody = ABBA / Beatles.
Hook = The catchiest bits of melody / riff that get caught / hooked in your head.

NeoZeed · 2022-10-03T20:37:06.899Z

A Riff is a musical motif or repeated line played with a single instrument. I see it as slang used by instrumentalists to describe the hooks or melodies they write on their instrument.

A Riff doesn’t have to contain much of a melody or anything melodic at all: think something like Meshuggah’s “Bleed”.

djadonis206 · 2022-10-03T20:39:13.879Z

Could it be considered a lead?

I’m into this thread btw

williohm · 2022-10-03T20:46:46.454Z

What is the purpose of these questions? Are you trying to incorporate pop music architecture into techno music to make it more palatable and familiar for non-electronic music audiences?

bibenu · 2022-10-03T20:46:52.750Z

Here’s a riff and here it is as part of the song

A riff is any distinctive and quickly repeated part. Though soloists will sometimes talk about riffing n a theme … that is, soloing. That’s not the general usage though.

HoldMyBeer · 2022-10-03T20:52:20.332Z

First they hook you, then they riff you, then they melody you to pieces.

brisket · 2022-10-03T20:52:22.731Z

Riff - a short, repeating instrumental part, usually with some ‘hookiness’ to it (we can distinguish between a catchy riff and a dull one). It might appear as an intro, or it might be the harmonic backbone of the song - functioning as the chord progression. I don’t think there’s a clear distinction between a fast, snappy chord progression and a riff.

Melody- the monophonic lines delivered by vocal or sax, guitar etc., esp those that are more prominent in the mix and sitting one vocal frequency range.

Hook - the catchiest repeated moment of a song. Usually part of the vocal, usually the chorus. Sometimes a riff is a hook.

GovernorSilver · 2022-10-03T20:53:52.508Z

Another fun analysis

Melody = the vocals
Riff = the repeating guitar part
Hook = The sampled synth from the start of George Duke’s “I Love You More”

I would consider the Wurly tracks to be a hook as well. The guitar riff repeats so much that it too may be considered a hook.

djadonis206 · 2022-10-03T20:54:40.060Z

Just to have a discussion. Maybe learn something I (we) didn’t know before

HoldMyBeer · 2022-10-03T21:10:45.312Z

djadonis206:

Just to have a discussion. Maybe learn something I (we) didn’t know before

Lies. Everyone knows that the dark trinity of riffs/melodies/hooks are a gateway to global domination. Just another dictator in the making.

And the rest of you are enablers. Shame on you.

williohm · 2022-10-03T21:14:16.138Z

I do find it exciting when artists push the boundaries of established song structures. The Mars Volta do this well.

Microtribe · 2022-10-03T22:33:11.602Z

djadonis206:

Can someone help me understand the difference between a riff, melody and hook in electronic music (techno/house)? Or just music in general?

Semantics

williohm · 2022-10-04T08:18:04.370Z

Coincidentally, another fringe Latinx artist who similarly to TMV has recently released a pop album is Jasss. It’s fascinating when normally untethered artists decide to work within the limitations and conventions of pop music, but as a genuine experiment and not to “sell out” or any other old cliché.

Octagonist · 2022-10-04T10:00:06.858Z

djadonis206:

like, missing a hook (or some recognizable thing)

It’s worth exploring the idea that you can make hooks out of anything. The “boom boom tcsh” of “We Will Rock You” is a hook (perhaps the best hook ever), despite its lack of melodic content.

Analogic · 2022-10-04T19:31:32.011Z

I recall being told once that riff is slang for repeated figure.