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Hi,
A motive is the germ of a musical idea. It's based on rhythm and intervals. Probably the most famous motive is the first 4 notes of Beethoven's 5th symphony. A motive is the germ cell on which
phrases and larger themes are built. Beethoven's motive is based on rhythm (short,short,short,long) and the interval of a 3rd. A motive is manipulated through the use of inversion, diminution,
augmentation, retrograde, and transposition just to name a few. Hope this helps.
Gary
