Electric Counterpoint
- Electric Counterpoint was written in the 1980’s.
- Electric Counterpoint was composed for Pat Metheny.
- Electric Counterpoint is a diatonic piece of minimalistic music. Steve Reich wrote movement 3 of Electric Counterpoint for 8 guitars and 2 basses. It is called ‘Fast’. There are 9 pre-recorded parts and 1 live guitar. Electric counterpoint is written in 3/2. A rhythmic displacement occurs when the guitars come in. This is where a repeated ostinato begins on a different beat of the bar. The ostinato is heard continuously until the end of bar 73. At bar 82 all of the guitars shift to 12/8 apart from guitars 1-4. The effect of the guitars playing at the same time but in different rhythms produces an “interesting rhythmic counterpoint”. The sound of the two time signatures together undermines the metre. The bass guitars strengthen the triple metre.

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This is a good essay on one of the 12 sets works listed in the EDEXCEL GCSE anthology. The writer has written in detail about many of the key features of the piece. It is a shame that the writer does not make any reference to the term minimalism as this is very important.