AOS 2: Electric AOS 2: Electric CounterpointCounterpoint by Steve Reichby Steve Reich

Kara Jackman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFbmElM7Jz0

MinimalismMinimalism Style of music developed in the late 1960s, reaction against complexity of modern music.

Repetition of simple ideas with small changes gradually introduced.

Melodies slowly built up through ‘note addition’.

Layered textures Diatonic harmony

Slow harmonic rhythm

Little variety in instrumentation

Minimalist techniques & Characteristics

Additive melody- Adding notes one at a time into a motif, adding rests or taking notes away.

Metamorphosis- Notes in a patern changing over time

Phase shifting- performers playing the same pattern. One adds a rest so that the pattern moves out of sync.

Layering- Layering patterns of different lengths on top of each other

Augmentation/ Diminution- doubling/ halving the notes.

Polyrhythms- many different rhythms layered over each other, played at the same time.

Cells- used instead of bars. Up to the performer how long they stay on one cell.

Different sounds- sample sounds used as well as trad. instruments

Background to ‘Electric Background to ‘Electric Counterpoint’Counterpoint’

• Composed by Steve Reich, commissioned for Pat Metheny (famous guitarist)

• Final movement (fast) of 3- Fast, Slow, Fast• First performed in 1987• The soloist pre-records 7 guitar parts and 2

electric bass parts (multi-tracking) and then plays the final 8th guitar part live against the tape.

• The 3rd movement lasts for about 4 ½ minutes, 140 bars long.

Instrumentation

• 7 pre-recorded guitars

• 1 live guitar plays the resultant melody

• 2 pre-recorded bass guitars

• Live guitar part is amplified to blend in well with the backing tape.

StructureStructureMovement builds up in 3 layers:

1) A Syncopated quaver motif introduced in the live guitar & top 4 guitar parts, one part at a time.

2) New syncopated quaver motif next introduced in the bass guitars.

3) More sustained motif, built around 3 chords, begins in live guitar part. Then transferred to other parts.

After all 3 layers built up, layers 2 & 3 fade out together leaving layer 1 to continue until a held chord at the end.

More structure- with musical More structure- with musical terms! terms!

• Ternary form (ABA)

• A= E minor B= C minor A= E minor

• Coda at the end, finishes on E chord

• No cadences

MelodyMelody

• Formed of one bar motif = cell

• Cell repeated continuously = ostinato

• Resultant melody = live guitar plays melody made up from selected individual notes from recorded guitar parts

• Note addition- notes gradually added to a part until all melody notes heard

• Motif introduced by live guitar & top 4 guitars at different times = canon

• Polyphonic texture = ‘A texture in which 2 or more melodic lines, each one significant in itself, are played together at the same time.

TextureTexture

Metre and TempoMetre and Tempo

• Metre = - 3 minim beats per bar. Each split into 4 quavers- 12 quaver beats per bar.

• Tempo = = 192 means 192 crotchets per minute- very fast!

• Polymetre- at the end some parts go into but others continue as

Rhythm Rhythm

• Little rythmic variety- most made up of repeating patterns of quavers

• Frequent syncopation

• Metrical displacement- guitars 1-4 play the same motif starting at different points in the bar- sound out of sync.

Tonality Tonality

• Music alternates between E minor and C minor. Within ternary form, section A is in E minor, section B is in C minor

• Entirely diatonic

• Hexatonic scales e.g. first motif hexatonic- uses 6 notes of the 6 notes of the G major scale.

HarmonyHarmony

NO CONVENTIONAL PROGRESSIONS (E.G. CADENCES) USED! Often no way of being sure of tonal harmony.

DynamicsDynamics

• Overall dynamic remains constant throughout

• Crescendo at the end

• Parts fade out in a number of places (Most prominent place- end)

Use of technologyUse of technology

• Multi tracking

• Panning