(see also article 74)
Riffs are melodic-rhythmic variating repetitions , and are the progenitors of chord arpeggios. They are used mainly for folk dance music like Irish Reels. A riff is decompsed to a number of moves.
An other term for riff in this book, that you shall meet is "Chromatic arpeggio."
RIFFS are as powerful for the simplicity of composing melodies as the CHORDS are !
The most common pattern would be e.g. a 4 bars (=measure) or moves pattern, so that each step (measure) or move is again 4 beats, and the 3 beats ar on a single note called center a while , the 4th on a second b . Thus the move can be conceived as the single central note a. A move can be also of 3 beats, where 2 beats are on a and one beat on b.
The 4 moves, create in this way by their cetral notes , intervals.
Usually a riff will correspond to a single chord (central notes in a chord) or a chord transition (central notes in two chords) .
When playing riffs, it is convenient to accompany them with a drum instrument, rather that chord-playing instrument. It is also convenient to play them in a single note (e.g. flute) diatonic instrument, as diatonic riffs, are directly playable. The we simple repeat the riff till it gets boring in which case we modulate it up or down the diatonic scale, and possible further variate it by changing the type of the involved intervals (2nds chromatic, 3rds melodic, 4ths or 5ths harmonic). If the rhythm gets boring we variate the rhythmic pattern it too. If the order-topology shape gets boring we variate the order-topology sdhape too. In this way we can produce long duration music which is mesmerizing, healing, and full of dancing.
A riff, that is all in a single chord, is usually a waving pattern, with initial and final notes sounding longer, and forming an interval of 3rd or 5th, and their complements.
Example
