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Series of musical phrases that create a distinct melody of a piece
A
strain
is a series of musical phrases that create a distinct
melody
of a
piece
. A strain is often referred to as a "section" of a musical piece. Often, a strain is repeated for the sake of instilling the melody clearly. This is so in
ragtime
and
marches
.
The
Oxford English Dictionary
lists this use of "strain" (n.2, III, 12) as part of the same noun more often used to denote an extreme of effort or pressure. OED derives it from the verb, which could once be used to mean "sing," and speculates that this usage derives from one in which the word denotes increasing the tension of a string on a musical instrument.
References
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