Do you ever find yourself hiding behind the pillow when watching a scary movie? Is it the music? Film composers sometimes use generated sounds, including creepy vocals and sounds that mimic human fear like a heartbeat, to build the tension. They also incorporate obscure instruments to create some of the creepiest sounds.
As we head towards Halloween we thought we’d take a look at what makes scary music actually scary:
If we took the music out of scary movies, would we still get scared? Scary music builds up suspense, keeps us on edge and gives us that spooky feeling. Take a look at this parody of The Shining trailer with happy up beat music over the top, is it still scary? Or how about this trailer of Toy Story with scary music in the background . It’s interesting to see just how much music effects how we react to movies.
Instruments
Sound Effects
Minor Keys and Tritone Chords
A lot of music used in scary films is composed using keys that change our mood and emotions. Using major keys will give a sense of happiness and positivity, that’s why a lot of composers turn to minor keys to build atmosphere in horror film. Minor keys tend to make us feel sad or concerned, to many people it can even give the feeling that the sound is off key, making us feel as though something is about to happen. The iconic Halloween (1978) theme song is a great example of this. Written in F# minor it creates an eerie and spooky atmosphere.
Using a Tritone, also known as the ‘Devil in Music’ is where composers simultaneously play two notes that are three tones apart. This effect creates an uneasy feeling of dissonance, where the music sounds unstable and unfinished. This is what gives us that feeling of being on edge and unsure of what’s around the corner – this is exactly where the composer wants us to be!
Dynamics and Silence
