An ostinato is an element of a musical piece that keeps the time, not to be confused with "
Riff", which is the term for repeating something in music, though it is commonly thought of as only applying to guitars.
In the vein of players like
Terry Bozzio,
Akira Jimbo also stands out when it comes to playing melodies over rhythms. Akira Jimbo uses
electronic drum pads set to orchestral sounds at various pitches to create a much broader range of notes available for his melodies. Other drummers do this as well, but you'd have to see Akira Jimbo to believe it.
In terms of
drumming, and in terms of "rock"
music in general, the
hi-hat often provides the ostinato, though anything can. More people should
think outside the box on this one. Sometimes there is no ostinato exactly, for example,
classical and
opera singers are traditionally required to sing without giving any hint of ostinato, to keep their own time, perfectly, in their head, without swaying their body rhythmically, tapping their foot or making any rhythmic/timekeeping sounds.