Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may transmit, to a base station, a UE capability to receive a first portion of a tracking reference signal (TRS) and a second portion of the TRS, the first portion and the second portion associated with a TRS pattern. The UE may receive, from the base station, an indication of the TRS pattern, where the TRS pattern includes the first portion of the TRS pattern and the second portion of the TRS pattern. The UE may receive one or more TRSs according to the first portion of the TRS pattern and the second portion of the TRS pattern.