Horror movies have many different techniques to create creepy and disturbing soundscapes, this may be through techniques of sampling or sound design. However there are some instruments that have been built for the main intention of creating terrifying soundscapes for film music, this means the sound is from a acoustic and organic source of instrumentation. On this page I am going to talk about a few instruments that are commonly used in horror movies to create disturbing musical scores.
Blaster Beam
The blaster beam is a huge electronic stringed instrument that measures 12 to 18 feet in length. This instrument is made up of 14 piano strings and a portable pick up, what makes this instrument sound so terrifying is it’s bass tone which is rich in harmonics. Many other variations of the blaster beams were invented some with iron bars which gave the instrument different tones. Like many horror instruments this instrument is valuable in the field of horror movie sound design as well as music, this is because of its haunting environmental noises and tones.
waterphone
The waterphone is bowl shaped instrument made up of metal rods which can each be bowed or played percussively. This instrument is commonly used in horror films to create disturbing and eerie soundscapes. This fascinating instrument was invented by Richard Waters between the years of 1967 and 1970. The waterphone is used in horror movies as an element of sound design as well as it has been used as a musical instrument. This is because the tone of the instrument has sounds which can be used to reflect on the atmosphere and environment of eerie locations, for example this instrument can be used to reflect the sound of loud pipes and whale sounds. You may have heard this instrument being used in movies and shows such as American Horror story which very commonly uses this instrument in it’s soundtrack.
theremin
The Theremin was the worlds first electronic instrument to be invented, this unique instrument was introduced to the world in the 1920’s. This instrument took the film industry and Hollywood by storm with it’s haunting and alien like tone. This instrument was very unique as it was played through the air and not by human touch, the notes and tones of the instrument are manipulated by the movement of hands and fingers through the air. For example if the fingers are being shook left to right this will cause a vibrato through the instrument. This instrument has been used in hit films such as ghost busters to create spooky and hypnotic alien like music through the instrument, this is because it has an alien and science fiction like tone which provides the instruments with a theme of mystery.
Apprehension Engine
The Apprehension Engine also known as the nightmare instrument was made exclusively to create terrifying sounds for horror movie scores. This instrument is made up of several bowed metal rulers, spring reverbs and long metal rods. This instrument was created by Mark Korven who was a horror movie music composer, he found that digital sampling did not create the horrific environment he wanted within his music. This lead him to create this instrument which he believed made the perfect disturbing sounds for horror music. This instrument has been commonly used in the Saw movie film franchise to create disturbing and unsettling sounds by composer Charlie Clouser, the rusty tone of this instrument reflects on imagery of unkept environments such as abandoned buildings.
Ondes Martenot
The Ondes Martenot was made during the years of World War I, making this one of the earliest electronic instruments to be invented. The modal of this instrument has developed through the years, but it has always been associated as a cross between an organ and a theremin. The main interface of this instrument was originally a metal ring which the player wrapped around their index finger, the player would be able to sweep their finger up and down the wire creating theremin like sweeps in tone through the instrument. Later however Marice Martenot added a feature of a 4 octave keyboard to go with this instrument, these keys where moveable allowing vibrato through the keys. The instrument also had a touch sensitive glass plate which controlled the sound, when it was pushed it would be loud when untouched it would be silent. The overall tone of this instrument evokes a alien like tone with a subtle haunting tone to it.
Reading List
Ahmed, k., 2019. Instruments That Make Those Spooky Sounds on Halloween — Winchester Stage Music Center. [online] Winchester Stage Music Center. Available at: <https://stagemusiccenter.com/music-school-blog-winchester-ma/which-instruments-make-those-spooky-sounds> [Accessed 15 June 2021].
Barton, T., 2015. Waterphone Demo: Waters-Hubbert. [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foSJstDFDfg> [Accessed 16 June 2021].
Block, T., 2009. WATERPHONE **** THOMAS BLOCH — The instrument : pictures, facts…. [online] Thomasbloch.net. Available at: <https://www.thomasbloch.net/en_waterphone.html> [Accessed 11 June 2021].
Buster, F., 2011. Thomas Bloch Ondes Martenot performance. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0aflcF0-ys> [Accessed 16 June 2021].
Indie Film and Music, 2016. Horror Musical Instrument – The Apprehension Engine. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzk-l8Gm0MY> [Accessed 16 June 2021].
Mcnamee, D., 2009. Hey, what’s that sound: Ondes martenot. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/12/ondes-martenot> [Accessed 11 June 2021].
Miller, N., n.d. The theremin: The strangest instrument ever invented?. [online] Bbc.com. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201111-the-theremin-the-strangest-instrument-ever-invented> [Accessed 11 June 2021].
Pringle, P., 2009. THEREMIN – Over The Rainbow. [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk> [Accessed 16 June 2021].
Sierzputowski, K., 2017. The Apprehension Engine: An Instrument Designed to Play the Music of Nightmares. [online] Colossal. Available at: <https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/06/the-apprehension-engine/> [Accessed 11 June 2021].
Schmidt, J., 2010. The Blaster Beam – Craig Huxley. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPimk6y1-JI> [Accessed 16 June 2021].