Contrast is a basic ingredient in literature, cinema, the media, art, fashion, cookery... life. Opposing or contradictory ideas in a work can become more interesting when they are presented near each other. In conventional music contrast is achieved by introducing a new tune or harmony, by changing the dynamics or the instruments or by having rhythmic variety. The challenge is to have a balance between unity and variety.

You are going to compose a piece of musique concrète as part of this project. Recurrence of key elements and the use of a drone can create unity. Start listening out for elements that can provide contrast in a piece.

Which qualities do the following extracts NOT share? Think in particular of timbre, pitch, rhythm and duration.

Listen to the following 41" extract by Roger Doyle and decide if the two sounds used are:

(a) lawnmower and guitar
(b) 'moo-ing' cattle and oboe
(c) distorted typewriter and uilleann (Irish) pipes
(d) thunder and bagpipes

Apart from the contrasting timbres how does he achieve contrast with these two very different sounds? Do they play at the same time from the very start?