# Muscial Term **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524 "2002-06-29T03:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524/1 "2002-06-29T03:30:23Z")
I remember this from way back in grade school, but have forgotten the name. Here’s what I’m trying to describe. In the song “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago there is a bass (?) line that keeps the following beat: 12345, 12345, 12345, 1234-1234, dropping as it goes along, then repeat. This is kept up through much of the song. It’s a fairly complex, repeating, beat. This type of musical construct has a name but for the life of me I can’t remember what it is called. ---
**Author:** ![trainwreck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@trainwreck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trainwreck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524/2 "2002-06-29T04:43:56Z")
Ostinato ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524/3 "2002-06-29T05:32:55Z")
By Jove I think he’s got it. That appears to be the term I was looking for, thanks. Any other good examples from popular music? ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524/4 "2002-06-29T15:24:13Z")
well…most basslines are ostinatos if you want to think of it like that… just listen out for them i know im my marimba playing…4 mallet works alot of the times my life or right hand is playign a ostinato while the other has a melody of some sort… hope that helps ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscial-term/116524/5 "2002-06-29T20:45:22Z")
Marimba players call their right hand their “life” hand?