Learn the Ritornello

Ritornello (Italian for “little return”) is a way of structuring a piece of music. The form is used in a lot of Baroque music and means a recurring passage interspersed with contrasting episodes. This format was used by many 18th-century composers, like Handel, and the verse/chorus structure used by modern songwriters like Jimi Hendrix mirrors the practice of the Ritornello.

In the video below our Composer-in-Residence Alex demonstrates some different musical patterns, layering them to create a Ritornello.

Get on your feet and get ready for some clapping!