The motif is a series of at least two notes repeated in a piece of music, with which a musical idea is formulated. It forms

the smallest musical entity that achieves musical understanding by recognition; the „recognition“ is made possible by the circumstance of the repetition of the motif; in addition to the unit-forming repetition of at least partial elements of the motif, motivic work also includes formation of variants, which ensures the required variety of the musical work of art.¹⁾

Often the motif is understood as the „germ“ of a theme.

Example

Motif from Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburgisches Konzert No. 3, 1st movement, in four repetitions

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