COMPOSITIONAL TEXTS

...on using contrast in creative systems

an entertaining approach to new ideas

A system of creation's opposition depends on the perspective from which you take a look at it. Any creative work is multidimensional by nature and therefore doesn't necessarily follow the stringent rules of right and wrong, 1 and 0 — as closed systems do, e.g., math, coding...

Even if binary oppositions might seem short-handed in a creative environment, they simplify matters as they can provide a clear direction and result. Here, I'm exploring this approach in a non-hierarchical order, using a sine wave as a starting point.

First example - time domain:
Understanding a sine wave as a periodic wave, the opposite is a non-periodic, unpredictable wave. A slow non-periodic wave could be a glissando or, to a certain degree, a vibrato. A very fast changing waveform results in noise.

Second example - frequency domain:

Understanding a sine wave as a stationary frequency, the opposite is a moving frequency — resulting in the same as above.

Third example - a single oscillator: 

A sine wave is one oscillator at a particular stationary frequency; the opposite is one or more oscillators at every other frequency. A possible distribution grid from 1 to ∞ frequency points.

Fourth example - periodicity:

A sine wave is a periodic waveform that needs to repeat itself more than once for a human to identify it as a sine tone. Therefore, the opposite is a sine wave shorter than one full cycle, which is more likely to be perceived as a click.

Fifth example - amplitude:

A sine wave is a periodic wave that has an amplitude — if there is no amplitude... silence is the opposite of a sine wave.

Sixth example - a created thing:

A sine wave as a thing being produced — the thing or being producing the sine wave stops.

Seventh example - human perception:

A sine wave is a socio-culturally constructed thing — the brick doesn't understand the sine wave.

Introducing somewhat more complex situations to inspire the reader: A drum groove, a violin bowing the open G-string, an oboe playing a multiphonic, a metal singer screaming his/her lungs out, or a C-major scale.

A drum groove with its short amplitude peaks, noisy and repetitive form structure – versus a pad sound with long-held, periodic waves, constantly harmonically evolving.

A violin bowing the open G-string — take the frequency spectrum of the violin's sound and subtract it from a (pink) noise spectrum — the result is an opposing spectrum.

An oboe playing a multiphonic, hereby leaving its historic "intended" purpose of producing sounds in accordance with the harmonic overtone series.

A metal singer screaming his/her lungs out, physically expressed violence towards oneself to communicate an auditory signal of pain and suffering — ice cream.

A C-major scale – versus the remaining keys creating an F# pentatonic.

And if you feel like it, here are some hands-on tasks:

- Use only one element of opposition to create a short piece of music.

- Combine several opposition perspectives in a new segment of your composition.

- Try gradually fading between the 'is' and the opposition.

- Layer the opposition on top of the 'is'."

Ryan Fontane – Feb 2022