lick
A short, self-contained melodic phrase used as part of an improvisation or solo.
In Depth
Licks are the vocabulary of improvisation. Musicians build personal libraries of licks through transcription, practice, and invention, deploying them over specific chord changes or in particular musical contexts. While licks provide reliable material, over-reliance on memorised licks can make solos sound formulaic. The greatest improvisers transform their licks in real time, varying rhythm, articulation, and pitch to keep them fresh.
The blues lick, a minor pentatonic phrase bending from the flat third to the major third, is arguably the most widely used lick in all of Western popular music.