Italian ostinato = English obstinate. The ostinato technique has been used in a number of composing procedures in every historical period beginning in the thirteenth century. The ostinato is the basis for certain kinds of variation techniques (see also Theme and Variations). It remains a popular Twentieth Century technique.

An ostinato is a figure or musical sentence that repeats continuously. Its length varies in scope from a motive or phrase to a period. An ostinato provides unifying repetition. An short ostinato figure can function as an ornamented or extended pedal tone.

The following genres are procedures rather than forms. The recurring sub-thematic material forms a unifying ground for continuous variations (as opposed to sectional variations). Often, unique structures result from way the composer controls the resources of the media and coordinates it with the control of texture, melody, rhythm, and harmony.

Passacaglia, chaconne:

These genres derive from sixteenth and seventeenth Spanish dances. Traditionally, these genres are in slow triple meter in minor. The term passacaglia is often associated with a recurring melodic idea, the chaconne with a recurring harmonic idea. Consider confusion results from this designation because melody and harmonic are not mutually exclusive. Melodies have harmonic implications and progressions have melodic implications.

Ground, Ground bass, basso ostinato:

A bass phrase or period.

Composers adhere to traditional models with varied degrees of strictness. The student is advised to take special note of (a) ostinato conventions as practiced in various historical periods (b) how individual composers interpret these conventions, and (c) how ostinato processes evolved from period to period.

Ostinatos form grounds (in the perceptual sense), that is, special kinds of binding backgrounds. Their closure is frequently "open" to encourage the effect of continuous motion.