{"id":169691,"date":"2022-06-09T10:44:34","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T15:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=169691"},"modified":"2022-06-09T11:15:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T16:15:06","slug":"what-makes-music-sound-scary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/what-makes-music-sound-scary\/","title":{"rendered":"Music and Horror: What Makes Music Sound Scary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is it exactly that makes the music sound so scary? Let’s dive into the theory behind horror scores to uncover why they strike fear. <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We’re all familiar with the type of music that plagues horror films<\/a>. The moment a twisted score starts to play, we know the fate of the on-screen characters isn’t looking too good. But have you ever wondered what it is exactly that makes soundtracks so haunting? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a composer myself, writing music that makes the audience uncomfortable and has an eerie tone to it is something I thoroughly enjoy. Let’s take a moment to explore the techniques composers use to achieve this particular sound world and how to use these theories to your advantage when adding scores to your own horror film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Power of Dissonance<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dissonance refers to a lack of harmony in music<\/strong>. Dissonance in music will make your audience feel uneasy and it helps to create tension and a sense of motion in compositions. Typically, you have Major<\/strong> and Minor<\/strong> tonalities in music. Major commonly provides a positive and happy mood, while minor is associated with the feeling of sadness or darkness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is all to do with the Intervals between each of the notes in any given tonality: in a minor key, the notes are lowered, which greatly changes the overall vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissonance<\/strong> is a staple technique used in horror soundtracks to elevate that discomfort and fear. This is achieved by two or more tones played together, which don’t sound very pleasant to the ear. In Western Classical Music Theory, the dissonance is usually resolved to lift the tension, but in this case, it’s permanently there, lingering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of dissonance is found in Bobby Krlic’s Soundtrack for the film Midsommar<\/em>. The soundtrack “Gassed”<\/em> begins with a long sustained violin note while another enters, moving around the home note in complete dissonance. Jarring right?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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