# Writing ostinato to existing melody & chord progression



## artur (May 1, 2017)

Hi guys, 
it's easier to write ostinatos from scratch and then to add some melody on top of that. 
but what are your methods and workflow (step by step) for writing ostinatos having an exisiting chord progression and a melody already ?


----------



## Saxer (May 1, 2017)

For me ostinatos are a part of the arrangement (in opposite to part of a composition). Actually it's possible to add ostinatos to (more or less) every composition. There are chord progressions which allow static ostinatos, others demand changing notes depending on the chord change to avoid dissonances that work against the chord function.
Depending on what you want to achieve it might help or not help to start with ostinatos. It's interesting experimenting with ostinatos and check out how far away you can get with chords. For me it's important to know what function the ostinato notes have inside the chord.
i.e. ostinato of three notes: c, d and f
Its the 9, 3 and 5 of Bbmaj
7, 1 and 3 of Dmin
5, 6 and 1 of Fmaj or Fmin
3, #11 and 6 of Abmaj
1, 9, and sus4 of C (will work on Csus4, not on Cmaj, nice on Cmin)
etc...
This experiments can lead to ideas for a composition. But often it helps me to at least know what I want to write. A running ostinato can also be an idea killer. It runs and you get tired of it. Like a drum loop. I like to start with chords/melodies. But whatever works... a good composition should work with and without ostinatos.


----------



## JJP (May 1, 2017)

Saxer's advice is good. If you already have the chords, you can create a pattern on the first chord and then just alter the pitches to match each subsequent chord if necessary. Think of it like basic voice-leading if you were playing the chords on a piano or writing them in a chorale.


----------



## Rohann (May 1, 2017)

Saxer said:


> This experiments can lead to ideas for a composition. But often it helps me to at least know what I want to write. A running ostinato can also be an idea killer. It runs and you get tired of it. Like a drum loop. I like to start with chords/melodies. But whatever works... a good composition should work with and without ostinatos.


Good point. I find having a direction in mind helps a lot -- sometimes I'll figure out a pattern I like but my ears will tire of it and I'll lose whatever idea I had because it was yet undeveloped. Adding an ostinato on top of a repeated chord progression or after can add a great sense of movement or pacing.


----------



## Fab (May 1, 2017)

Interesting answers.

I like to know the groove I want, if you already have the chords and or melody then try and bring out something that is already there/Implied or will compliment something else. Then I like slowly playing some notes that sound cool with the changes. I'll mess around with that for a bit then, when it comes to actually doing it.

I tend to like writing all my ostinato stuff programmed in manually, that way you can focus on the rhythm/groove or chord tones/melodic content and listen to how it's working/or not working with the rest of the composition.

^ Also, you don't have to annoyingly pound the plastic midi keyboard at 140bpm.
---


...also sometimes, it just comes to me.


----------

