Steve Reich: 3rd movement (fast) from Electric Counterpoint

QUESTION SHEET - ANSWERS

1. How many guitar parts is this piece written for? Ten

(1)

2. What is the style of this piece of music? Minimalism

(1)

3. Comment on how Reich uses the following musical elements in 3rd movement (fast) from Electric
Counterpoint. (Remember to use correct musical vocabulary where appropriate.)
(10)
Melody: i) Melodies are made up of motifs/cells ii) They are repeated/looped/ostinati iii) Live guitar
plays the resultant melody iv) Interlocking melodies v) Motifs grow slowly/metamorphosis through note
addition vi) Four-part guitar canon vii) New idea (bar 36) strummed chords viii) Any other valid point
Tonality: i) Opening is ambiguous ii) Bass (bar 33) defines key as E minor iii) Frequent changes between
E minor and C minor (bar 74) iv) The music has no D sharps so can be regarded as modal v)
Mode=Aeolian transposed to E/E Aeolian vi) AOVP
Texture: i) Main texture is contrapuntal ii) Broken chords iii) Texture built up in layers iv) Starts with
just one part/guitar 1, then live guitar v) Then guitars 2-4 vi) Followed by bass guitars 1 and 2 vii) Then
guitars 5-7 viii) Once all parts in, texture is fairly constant/constantly repeating patterns ix) Use of
interweaving/interlocking rhythms x) Texture thins out towards the end of piece
xi) Guitars 5-7 drop out xii) Basses fade away at end xiii) AOVP
Structure: i) Two main sections ii) Followed by a coda iii) Could be described as ternary form
iv) Main sections divided into four smaller sections v) Sections defined by changes in key and texture vi)
AOVP
Rhythm: i) Changes in metre between 3/2 and 12/8 in section B ii) Rhythmically complex with much
repetition iii) Rhythmic counterpoint iv) Displaced accents/metrical displacement v) AOVP

The following questions relate to the first 26 bars of the piece. (Played four times.)
4. How many main beats are there in each bar? 3 or 6 (beats) (1)
5. Listen to the opening riff. What rhythm is the guitar playing?
Put a cross in the box next to the correct rhythm below.
A

6. Name two minimalist techniques heard in this extract. (2) Any two of: i) note addition ii) repetition/ostinato
iii) layering/layered texture iv) fading in and out
DO NOT ACCEPT i) Phasing ii) Note subtraction iii) Metamorphosis

(2)
7. There is only one live performer in this extract.
How did Steve Reich create the layered texture of this music? (1)
Any one of: i) pre-recorded tape loops (1) played alongside live performer ii) multi track iii) overdub

8. Which other instrument did Reich use in this piece?

bass guitar/bass (1)

9. Give two musical reasons why you like or dislike this piece of music. (2) Any two reasonable musical
responses

The following questions relate to bars 106-140 of the piece (Played three times)
9. Describe what happens to the bass parts in the opening bars of the extract? (2)
Any two of: i) They fade away ii) Gradual diminuendo iii) To silence/nothing
iv) They drop out/stop playing (1)

10. The extract begins and ends in E minor. Which other key can be heard shortly after the start of the extract?
Put a cross in the correct box. (1)
i) A minor

ii) B major

iii) C minor

iv) D major

11. What is the technical term for the part played by the live performer? (1) i) Resultant (melody) ii) Live part

12. Describe the texture of this extract. (2)

Any two of: i) Starts with many parts and thins out almost immediately ii) The texture then remains the
same for the rest of the extract iii) Layered iv) Thins out almost immediately (1) to five parts (1)
v) Imitative/canonic vi) Polyphonic/contrapuntal vii) Ends on a sustained chord
13. Which two of the following minimalist techniques are not heard in the extract?
Put crosses in the boxes to indicate your answers. (2)
a. Layering

b. Metamorphosis

c. Note addition

d. Repetition

The following questions relate to bars 1-33 of the piece (Played three times)
15. Complete the following sentence, using these words. (3)

solo

bass

seven

The piece is scored for a live guitarist playing a ........solo...... part with a taped ensemble of .........seven/7........
guitar parts and two .........bass.......... guitars.

(3)
16. What is the time signature of the music? Put a cross in the correct box.
A

4/4

12/8

3/2

(1)
D 6/16

17. The first part heard in the extract is Guitar 1. Choose two phrases from the list below that describe this part in
the opening bars. (2)
Repeated motif

uses minims

ascending pattern of notes

Low register of guitar

syncopated rhythm

strummed chords

1. Repeated motif
2. .Syncopated rhythm

18. Make two comments about the musical texture in the extract. (2)
Any two of: i) Starts with a single/solo/monophonic line ii) Parts come in one at a time iii) Creates a
layered texture iv) Contrapuntal v) Interlocking parts/phrases vi) Bass parts come in last