Ostinato Patterns

Another element you hear in a lot of successful tracks is an ostinato string pattern that typically starts playing in the buildup act. If you combine one of the epic chord progression that I showed you with one of the ostinato patterns shown in this lecture, you can create a very epic and driving movement in your track.

Here are some of the most common ones. All examples are in the key of A-minor.

Ostinato Pattern 1

Ostinato Pattern 2

Ostinato Pattern 3

Ostinato Pattern 4

Ostinato Pattern 5

Ostinato Pattern 6

Above are the midi files for each ostinato, that you can download and put into your DAW and play around with! Now, let's try to use these ostinatos in a track context. First, let's have a listen to how ostinato #3 sounds just as it is already, with some more instruments added:

Ostinato 3 In Context:

Next, let's try to use Ostinato 1. In this example, I've taken the original ostinato, and tweaked it slightly to follow the chord progression. This is another way you can use ostinatos in your tracks, by making them accentuate the harmonic content.

Ostinato 1 in context:

Finally, let's look at a third way to use ostinatos in your tracks. Here, I've taken another ostinato, but changed it a bit at the end of the phrase to make it more interesting. Taking an ostinato and adding some twists to it is another way to spice up your tracks a bit.

Ostinato 4 in context: