6.2 Steve Reich: Phasing and Tape Loop Compositions

Steve Reich revolutionized minimalism with phasing and tape loop techniques. His gradual processes and repetitive patterns created hypnotic, evolving compositions that challenged listeners' perceptions of time and rhythm.

Reich's early tape works like "It's Gonna Rain" laid the groundwork for his instrumental pieces. He translated these ideas to live performance, exploring phasing and rhythmic displacement in works like "Piano Phase" and "Clapping Music."

Phasing and Gradual Process Techniques

Phasing and Rhythmic Displacement

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• Phasing involves two identical musical patterns gradually shifting out of synchronization
• Achieved by slightly altering the tempo of one pattern while keeping the other constant
• Results in complex, evolving rhythmic relationships between the two patterns
• Rhythmic displacement occurs as patterns move in and out of alignment
• Creates new composite rhythms and melodic interactions

Gradual Process and Repetition

• Gradual process refers to slow, imperceptible changes in musical material over time
• Emphasizes the journey of transformation rather than sudden shifts
• Repetition serves as a foundation for perceiving subtle changes in the music
• Allows listeners to focus on minute details and evolving relationships between sounds
• Repetitive patterns create a hypnotic, meditative quality in minimalist compositions

Additive and Subtractive Processes

• Additive process involves gradually building up musical material
• Starts with a simple pattern and progressively adds new elements (notes, rhythms, instruments)
• Creates a sense of growth and expansion in the composition
• Subtractive process removes elements from a complex pattern over time
• Results in a gradual simplification or reduction of musical material
• Both processes can be combined to create dynamic, evolving structures in minimalist works

Early Tape Loop Compositions

Tape Loop Techniques and Technology

• Tape loops involve recording sound on magnetic tape and creating a continuous loop
• Allows for endless repetition of a specific audio segment
• Enables manipulation of recorded material through speed changes, layering, and splicing
• Provides a foundation for exploring phasing and gradual processes in electronic music
• Influenced by musique concrète and early electronic music experiments

"It's Gonna Rain" and "Come Out"

• "It's Gonna Rain" (1965) uses a recording of a street preacher in San Francisco
• Employs two identical tape loops gradually moving out of phase with each other
• Creates complex rhythmic and harmonic interactions as the loops shift
• "Come Out" (1966) utilizes a fragment from an interview with Daniel Hamm
• Explores similar phasing techniques with spoken word material
• Both works demonstrate Reich's early experiments with speech rhythms and patterns

Pulse and Rhythmic Exploration

• Pulse (1969) marks a transition from tape loops to live instrumental performance
• Uses electronic pulse generators to create a steady rhythmic foundation
• Explores the interaction between electronic and acoustic instruments
• Incorporates gradual changes in timbre and texture over time
• Serves as a bridge between Reich's tape works and later instrumental compositions

Phasing in Instrumental Works

Piano Phase and Live Performance

• Piano Phase (1967) translates tape loop phasing techniques to live instrumental performance
• Features two pianists playing the same 12-note melody at slightly different tempos
• Demonstrates the challenges and possibilities of phasing in real-time
• Requires intense concentration and coordination between performers
• Creates a constantly shifting, kaleidoscopic effect as patterns align and diverge

Clapping Music and Minimal Instrumentation

• Clapping Music (1972) explores phasing using only hand claps
• Consists of a single rhythmic pattern performed by two musicians
• One performer maintains the original pattern while the other shifts it by one eighth note
• Cycles through all possible permutations before returning to unison
• Demonstrates Reich's interest in reducing musical elements to their essence

Music for 18 Musicians and Large-Scale Structures

• Music for 18 Musicians (1976) represents a culmination of Reich's phasing techniques
• Incorporates a large ensemble of voices, pianos, marimbas, xylophones, and other instruments
• Built around a cycle of eleven chords, each explored through various phasing and rhythmic processes
• Features interlocking patterns and gradual timbral shifts over an extended duration
• Demonstrates the application of minimalist techniques to create complex, large-scale compositions