How to write horror music

By Wil Forbis
email: forbis the mighty at hot mail dot com (remove spaces etc.)
www.wilforbis.com
Recently I decided to stretch my creative muscles and write a musical
composition in the style of the great horror themes of cinema such as
John Carpenter's "Halloween" or Charles Bernstein's "Nightmare on
Elm Street." This turned out to be a very enjoyable exercise from which
I learned quite a lot. Thus educated, I decided to collect my
observations on the process into this article.
First, because I will refer to it throughout the article, let me present my
horror theme: "Chamber of Severed Heads."
Horror music is an interesting genre. Though it's quite prominently
used in film, television and video games, you don't see a lot of
discussion or analysis of its composition. In many quarters, horror
music is even maligned, lambasted as a genre of unsubtle dynamics,
dissonant melodies and tired clichs. And --- when one is talking about
the mediocrities of the genre --- these charges are doubtless true. But
during horror music's best moments (say, the work of Bernard
Herrmann or Goblin), it can reach the heights of any other style of
music.
From a composer's viewpoint, there's an undeniable challenge to
writing horror music. Since so many of the instruments, harmonies,
melodies and structures used in horror stand apart from those used in
"conventional" music, writing in the style gives one a chance to try new
things and break out of the box. Horror music, almost by definition,
should not sound normal; it should defy many of the rules followed in
standard musicmaking.
I considered a number of ideas and concepts while writing my horror
theme. I've grouped these into two sections: 1) Instrumental Ideas and
2) Musical Ideas.
1) Instrumental Ideas in Horror Music

HORROR INSTRUMENT BASICS

Obviously the instruments utilized in a piece of horror music have a lot
of impact. Certain instruments --- especially deep, sonorous

instruments such as the pipe organ* or cello --- are often used by
horror composers. (Indeed, one could argue they've become
predictable.) Symphonic and classical instruments and choral voices
are hallmarks of horror soundtracks; perhaps they ascribe a timeless
nature to the monstrous evil which is causing zombies to rise from the
earth or vampires to hunger for virgin blood.
* One book in the fictional teen detective series "The Three Investigators" described a feeling of
slowly building dread that could be instilled in humans by playing extremely low notes on a pipe
organ. The notes were too low to hear, but could play havoc with the human nervous system.
(I'm dubious about the concept, but it's fun to think about.)

ESOTERIC INSTRUMENTS
Classical and symphonic sounds notwithstanding, exotic or fringe
instruments also have their place in horror. The wavering theremin,
almost upon its invention, became synonymous with either eerie
science-fiction monsters or ectoplasmic ghosts shimmering in the
darkness. Less used instrument like the musical saw or wood blocks
can find a home in a horror score. If you're composing your music on a
keyboard synthesizer, now is a good time to explore the less utilized
tones and patches in your collection.
One interesting idea is to contrast an esoteric instrument (such as the
theremin) against a more traditional collection of instruments such as
a symphony or chamber group. The foreign, oddball nature of the this
arrangement helps instill a sense of "something's not right here" that's
idiomatic of horror.
INNOCENT INSTRUMENTS
Interestingly, seemingly "innocent" instruments, such as a piano
played in the high register, or a music box, are horror staples. Often a
childlike melody is played on these instruments and is then contrasted
against a symphonic pad or drone which might be in a different key,
causing dissonance.
HEAVY METAL
In the realm of modern music, heavy metal is the genre with the
strongest connection to horror themes such as demons, serial killers
and unfathomable evil. Therefore heavy metal instrumentation can be
borrowed for ominous effect. Heavily distorted guitars --- either
knocking out low-end power chords or blistering guitar solos --- are
often featured on horror soundtracks. The pounding, relentless beats of
heavy metal drums also can symbolize a kind of unapologetic onslaught
of evil. Sounds borrowed from heavy metal's distant cousin, Industrial
music, are also appropriate. Industrial music, with its precise,
mechanistic beats and anti-organic synthesizer tones, strives to
minimize, if not remove, the human element from music*, and thus is a

perfect representation of the cold, pityless forms of evil that populate

horror cinema.
*I understand that this is a somewhat controversial synopsis of
Industrial music and I realize that the genre possesses much more
complexity and nuance. (Many would argue the genre is a very
humanistic cry of anguish.) But, for a surface analysis of the style,
especially as it relates to horror music composition, I think this
description is accurate enough.
SOUND DESIGN
Sound design, which can be thought of as the art of making music with
sounds not normally considered musical (say, the crash of breaking
glass, or the low roar of wind blowing throughout the hills) can be very
effective in horror music composition. To utilize such sounds, you need
to either generate (and record) them yourself, or buy sound libraries
with the appropriate content. Applying sound as an overlay to a music
piece is a delicate art. You should keep in mind the natural ebb and
flow of the dynamics of the piece and apply denser layers of sounds at
points of high dynamics and a lighter application where dynamics are
low. (Of course, doing the exact opposite could also generate
interesting effects. It's really a matter of experimenting and keeping an
open mind.)
###
I utilized a number of these instrumental ideas in "Chamber of Severed
Heads." The song is grounded in several keyboard synth sounds that
mimic the effect of symphonic strings. I also utilized the "child's piano"
sound at various points in the song. At one point (around 0:30) I
played the main melody using a very modern metalish tone which
sounds like a distorted guitar crossed with a live electrical wire. I also
played around with elements of sound design, bringing in some low
droning mechanical tones and tweaking their pan and volume to create
a sense of increasing anxiety (this can be heard most clearly starting
around one minute in to the song.)
2) Musical ideas in Horror Music

As mentioned earlier, when composing horror music one wants to

focus on sounding "off." This can be accomplished musically in a
number of ways.
DISSONANCE
Dissonance, the use of clashing notes, is a big part of the horror sound.
But there are many types of dissonance. There are certain intervals

found in the western major and minor scales that are considered
dissonant* --- the tritone (flat 5) (say, C and F# played together) and
the flat 9 (C and C#) are good examples --- and utilizing them in
melodies or harmonies is sure to garner a creepy effect. But one can
also employ a more subtle form of dissonance by tweaking the pitch of
notes in tiny (microtonal) amounts. For example, slightly de-tuning
some but not all of the strings on a guitar or piano will generate a
certain spookiness. Or, try recording a normal melody and harmony
and then slightly de-tune the melody (this can be easily accomplished
in most music production computer programs) so that it subtly clashes
with the harmony.
* Why certain intervals are considered dissonant and others not is beyond the scope of this
article. An excellent investigation into this topic can be found in the book "This Is Your Brain on
Music." (Daniel J. Levitin 2006.)

DISSONANT CHORDS
There are certain chords that contain dissonance and have become
"classics" of the horror genre. Of course, any chord containing
dissonant intervals is a good candidate for exploration; I list some good
starting points here.
The min/maj 7 chord (e.g. a chord containing a minor third and a
major seventh)
Lydian style chords (e.g. major or minor chords which contain a
perfect fifth and a #4 (or 11) interval)
Flat 9 chords. A major chord with a flat nine interval (e.g. a G
chord with the notes G, B, D and G#) has a kind of exotic, middle
eastern sound. A minor chord with a flat nine interval (e.g. a G
minor chord with the notes G, Bflat, D and G#) is little more in
the horror vein.
Chord clusters. These are heard a lot in the work of 20th century
classical --- particularly atonal --- composers and have that "cat
walking on a piano" sound. These are basically chords containing
a lot of close intervals. For example, a chord containing the notes
D, E, F#, A and Bflat. Chord clusters are jarring and dissonant,
and thus, perfect for horror.
Diminished chords. Diminished chords --- often heard in
classical and jazz music --- have a very recognizable, edgy,
unresolved sound. They are --- having been overused in
numerous Looney Tunes cartoons -- also somewhat hokey. There
is a technique, more comical than horrifying, that I would like to

mention here using diminished chords. As you may know,

diminished chords are formed out of stacked minor third
intervals. Try the following progression, ideally played as
arpeggios: A # dim | C # dim | E dim | G dim. (You're basically
just moving the chord through inversions of itself.) Now, play
that progression, followed by the following progression: B dim |
D dim | F dim | G # dim. You'll probably start to recognize the
sound of music that was often used during the silent movie era to
denote increasing anxiety, such as when a beautiful maiden is
tied to train tracks while the choo-choo was coming. You can
keep moving the diminished patterns up chromatically for
increased tension (and laughter.)
ATONALITY
Atonal music, or music that doesn't have a clear key center, became
very popular among classical composers (if not audiences) during the
20th century. Composers such as Arnold Schonberg, Igor Stravinsky
and Anton Webern experimented heavily with atonal composition.
While atonal composition techniques do not tend to result in catchy,
hummable tunes, they can produce floating, dissonant themes and
melodies that are perfect for horror. (While people might quibble over
whether the film "Planet of the Apes" fits into the horror genre, it's
worth noting that Jerry Goldsmith's terrific soundtrack for the movie
was atonal.) Having said that, atonal music composition is a topic to
itself; you could spend many years studying it. If you're really
interested, check out some of the composers mentioned above and
search the web and other sources for details.
FLOATING TONALITY
Related to atonal music, but simpler, is a technique I call floating
tonality. This is the concept of taking chords that are found in
standard, tonal music but freeing them from their traditional roles in
tonal music. Let's consider a D7 chord. In most classical and pop
music, this chord's ultimate goal is to resolve itself, probably to some
kind of G chord. In blues or jazz, this chord might stand on its own as a
kind of vamp. But what if you say, "I believe this D7 chord is capable of
so much more. I don't think it needs to resolve to G, nor do I think it
needs to sit there, static like, as a verse to "Funky Funky Broadway." I
think it can descend down chromatically for several steps." So you
come up with a chord progression that goes something like this D7,
Dflat7, C7, Cflat7, B7 etc. You're using a familiar chord, but you're
using in a way in which it becomes ambiguous and ethereal. And, of
course, the horror genre loves ambiguous ethereality.

It can be difficult to get the sound of this technique simply by reading

about it. Try some experimentation. Take any chord and try moving it
around in set intervals like a minor third, or an augmented fifth. See
what kind of emotional effects are generated. (The music of Alfred
Hitchcock's favorite soundtrack composer, Bernard Herrmann, is rich
with these floating tonalities and is worth studying.)
ODD METER
John Carpenter's distinctive use of odd meter in his soundtrack for the
film "Halloween" (which, of course, he also directed) mandates that the
technique be discussed any time the topic of writing horror music is
raised. Most popular and art music uses beat counts that are divisible
by two --- 4/4, 6/8, 12/8, 2/4 and the like. (The popularity of the waltz,
in 3/4, is the exception to this rule.) Of course, many beat counts can
be devised based on odd numbers, such as 5/4, 9/8, 11/8 etc. Such
meters are not often used in popular music because they sound weird
and disjointed, or, in other words, perfect for horror music.
##
I employed several of these musical ideas in "Chamber of Severed
Heads." Dissonant notes abound. The basic chord progression for the
song (heard on the piano) is F# minor to F sus4. However, there's a a
low bass part (I call it the "heartbeat bass") that is always playing a F#
note, even when the harmony is on F, which results in a dissonant
interval. Additionally, at around 1.45 in the song I introduced a solo
soprano voice which I "pushed" into microtonal dissonance using the
modulation wheel on my keyboard. I also faked the sound of a
whammy bar being subtly applied to the guitar melody which again
enables microtonal dissonance.
Great horror themes

In closing, I present to you several YouTube videos featuring some

great horror themes. Keep the lights on!
Jaws
The opening two notes of John Williams's score for "Jaws" are on equal
footing with the screeching violins from Bernard Herrmann's "Psycho"
score for the "Most Instantly Recognizable Horror Theme" award. All
of William's work is worth a listen, but this is him at his scariest.

Dead Silence
A great modern horror score that is just a pleasure to listen to. Note the
use of interesting sound design and the creepy music box melody.

Obsession
Anything done by composer Bernard Herrmann in any genre is great
music and worth studying. He is most famous for his numerous
Hitchcock scores, especially "Psycho." I thought I'd throw in a lesser
known work of his, the main title for Brian de Palma's Hitchcock
homage about a man seeking what is ultimately a doomed second
chance at love. (The film is admittedly more suspense than horror, but
still worth perusing.)

Suspira
All of the music progressive rock band Goblin composed for Italian
horror director Dario Argento is unique and easily identifiable (albeit
somewhat dated sounding.) I picked the mandolin rich theme to
Argento's occult classic "Suspira" as an example.

Halloween
As mentioned above, this theme is set to an odd meter of 5/4. It's also
relatively simple and devoid of complex orchestrations. But that
simplicity mimics the tone of the film. Michael Myers is not a complex
villain driven by nuanced, subconscious desires. He is simply pure evil.

Vertigo
Another great Herrmann theme, this time from the classic Hitchcock
film.

Nightmare on Elm Street

A 80's horror classic rich with sound design, children singing ("One
two Freddy's coming for you...") and a great theme.

Surprise bonus: Nine Inches of Death

Just as I was finishing up this article, I composed another industrial
horror tune. I'm enclosing it here: