Ostinato–Variations (Chaconne & Passacaglia)	Theory Things   William Wieland
The terms chaconne and passacaglia are often interchanged. The following definitions allude to the Bach pieces listed first among the examples. Many pieces satisfy both definitions.
Chaconne — variations over a repeated harmonic progression (similar in concept to the 12-bar Blues) Passacaglia — variations over a repeated bass line called the ground bass or ground (sometimes the ostinato is not in the bass)
Examples Bach Violin Partita no. 2, BWV 1004 (Scroll to pdf p. 6 for the Chaconne.) — ca. 15 min. Bach Passacaglia and Fugue for organ in C minor, BWV 582 — ca. 14 min. Purcell Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, Act 3 — ca. 5 min. Brahms Symphony 4, mvt 4 Allegro energico e passionato — ca. 10 min. Greensleeves — can use the following progression, the romanesca (Think of it as a 12-bar blues of the Renaissance!) | III   | VII   | i | V     | | III | VII | i   V | i |