Scowling at the Dictionary: Hook vs. Riff

In writing about Mastodon and their vocal "hooks", I started thinking about what that word means and how it might differ from the word "riff".

What better source to consult than the dictionary, right?  In this case, dictionary.reference.com.

Here is where things get dicey.

First, let's give the definitions of each word in their proper musical context:

Hook means: "an appealing melodic phrase, orchestral ornament, refrain, etc., often important to a popular song's commercial success". (source)

Riff means: "a melodic phrase, often constantly repeated, forming an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist". (source)

Notice the thing each definition has in common.  Like I said, dicey.

I've made mention of my guiding musical principle: "rhythm determines melody".  In my usage of riff as an idea or as an easily identifiable piece of a song, I emphasize the fact that rhythm is the most important aspect.  Melody is secondary and often not important.

For example, take the riff that is first played around 5:50 in Owl's "You Are the Moon, I Am the Night".  Given that I don't have official tablature of the song and don't play by ear, I can't specifically say what notes are being played or the precise rhythm.

What I can say is that the riff is comprised of two notes: a low note that sounds palm-muted, and a second note at least one octave higher (if not more) that is then bent.  The bend is slow and gradual.  The riff is given space to breathe by Patrick Schroeder's drumming and is accompanied by a second guitar that plays a repetitive tapping phrase.  Schroeder then adds double-bass to the beat to give this part of the song extra force.

I've discussed Owl before in my review of their second LP.  The point of the above paragraph is to illustrate that Christian Kolf could have used any two notes to make that riff and it probably would have worked.  Thus, the melody is secondary to the rhythm (and especially the use of a slow, gradual bend) here.

So in the context of metal and the way I use the word, riff should be defined as "a rhythmic phrase, often repeated, forming the backbone of a song".

A hook, on the other hand, has an insistent quality that is not present in a riff.  It is not composed based on the principle of "rhythm determines melody" and in fact only exists to grab the listener's attention forcefully.

That is the difference as I see it.  A hook grabs the listener via melody, while a riff is rhythmic and allows the listener to meet it on his/her own terms.