Final answer:
A musical motive is a recurring short figure that unifies a composition by serving as the basis for development, while playing softly is not a characteristic of a musical motive.
Explanation:
A musical motive is a short figure of distinctive melodic or rhythmic configuration that recurs throughout a composition, functioning as a unifying element. It serves as the basis for development in a musical piece, as it is developed and repeated to create cohesion and structure. However, the reason for playing softly does not describe a musical motive, as playing softly relates more to dynamics or volume control in music.
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