Horror Surf

Joined: Nov 05, 2021
Posts: 62

Posted on Jul 27 2023 08:58 AM

Hey guys

can anyone help me with what makes a horror surf track aside the sound effects? Like scales, chords used, how much reverb

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DannySnyder

Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11046
Berkeley, CA
United States

Posted on Jul 27 2023 10:08 AM

Use as many minor chords as possible. Extra credit for using diminished chords.

—

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

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Cranium

Joined: Sep 16, 2009
Posts: 73
Pajaro Valley

Posted on Jul 27 2023 10:15 AM

Diabolus in musica. Throw in a tritone here and there. \m/

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DeathTide

Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1374
New Orleans
United States

Posted on Jul 27 2023 06:48 PM

It's intense and scary. Sound fx are cheap, you don't need them if your music is scary enough. The Ghastly Ones are about the only band to do it fairly well, although the fuckin samples really take me out of the moment.

—

Daniel Deathtide

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4417
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Jul 28 2023 07:51 AM

Harmonic minor scales and their related scale tone chords, with possible excursions into parallel melodic minors or even Hungarian minors. The Munsters theme is a good example, living in A harmonic (as I play it) and the last phrase, measure 8, being a walk-up from E but using an F# instead of an F natural, so for just that measure, it’s in A melodic minor.

Harmonic minor scale tone chords.

I chord, minor of minor natural 7.

II chord, minor 7 b5.

III chord, augmented Major or possibly a Major with a 6th.

IV chord, minor, minor 7th or minor 7th b5.

V chord, Dom 7th or Dom 7th augmented 5th.

VI chord, Major, Major 7th, Major 7th b5, Major 6th, Major 6th b5. (I love the 6th b5 to Dom 7 turnaround, such an F6b5 to E7.)

VII chord, Dim 7 or min 7th b5.

One cool oddity is the harmonization of a Hungarian minor, where the II chord is a Dim 7th b5. You can slip between parallel minor key tone centers pretty safely, so I frequently will be in A harmonic minor, for instance, and play a passage using an A Hungarian or an A melodic minor scale, then slip back into an A harmonic minor.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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HeroSandwich

Joined: Jul 05, 2023
Posts: 32
Sherbrooke, QC
Canada

Posted on Jul 28 2023 07:57 AM

Locrian is a pretty scary mode. It's diminished, and you do have the tri-tone. Root - minor 2nd - minor 3rd - perfect 4th - diminished 5th - minor 6th - minor 7th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwr_R5bWY0

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4417
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Jul 28 2023 08:06 AM

HeroSandwich wrote:

Locrian is a pretty scary mode. It's diminished, and you do have the tri-tone. Root - minor 2nd - minor 3rd - perfect 4th - diminished 5th - minor 6th - minor 7th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwr_R5bWY0

Very cool, indeed. It brings brings to mind also the super locrian, and even the name of that is too cool for school. Super Locrian would be like a melodic minor played from the 7th degree to the 7th degree. If you play a super locrian over any dominant 7th chord, you will get the notes for a b9, a #9, a b5 and a #5. Jazz players use this a lot, and it co tributes to a very exotic sound.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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dontrunfrombears

Joined: Nov 05, 2021
Posts: 62

Posted on Jul 29 2023 02:52 PM

Thanks guys had a little practice/experimenting earlier and I really like the results for using the locrian scale. I just got a EHX C9 organ machine and the tones I’m getting are also helping to dial up the creepy

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Reverbenator

Joined: Jul 26, 2015
Posts: 258
San Diego, Ca
26 Security Pins

Posted on Jul 29 2023 06:49 PM

About 15 years ago, I put 13s on a Strat and tuned it down to C. (I might have tried heavier strings, but beyond that, I would have had problems getting it to intonate properly. At least with that particular guitar.)
It sounded very ominous.

If you have a guitar that you can dedicate to tuning down, it might be worth a try, especially with the suggestions mentioned above. Depending upon the song, you may wish to try substituting tremolo, in place of the usual reverb.

—

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

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elmorto

Joined: Feb 23, 2018
Posts: 100
Oslo
Norway

Posted on Jul 30 2023 01:53 PM

I really like the sound of Hungarian minor!
Rick Beato have a cool video on it on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O2L-1dKy8g

I used it my song called "Cannibals" as well. The link is in my signature if you are interested.

—

Beach Bomb - Black Surf from the cold waters of Norway!
https://beachbombband.bandcamp.com

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dontrunfrombears

Joined: Nov 05, 2021
Posts: 62

Posted on Jul 30 2023 02:38 PM

I had a listen, very cool!

elmorto wrote:

I really like the sound of Hungarian minor!
Rick Beato have a cool video on it on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O2L-1dKy8g

I used it my song called "Cannibals" as well. The link is in my signature if you are interested.

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Reverbenator

Joined: Jul 26, 2015
Posts: 258
San Diego, Ca
26 Security Pins

Posted on Aug 03 2023 12:12 AM

I’m not sure how to post the link, but I just saw a video on YouTube, by a channel called “Signals Music Studio”, and title of the video was, “Six Spooky Secrets Composers Use To SCARE you.”

It gives a quick rundown of the ideas mentioned above. It’s about five and a half minutes long. Worth a look.

—

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

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dontrunfrombears

Joined: Nov 05, 2021
Posts: 62

Posted on Aug 03 2023 05:19 AM

Thanks for the heads up

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Garrett_Immel

Joined: Jul 07, 2023
Posts: 20

Posted on Oct 17 2023 07:12 PM

My tried and true method:
One part Bernard Herrmann
Two parts Black Sabbath
5 parts Reverb

Shake, stir and season to taste.

But in all seriousness, dark movie soundtracks and songs in rock and roll forms other than surf can be a phenomenal source of inspiration.

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2230
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Oct 18 2023 02:53 AM

Garrett_Immel wrote:

My tried and true method:
One part Bernard Herrmann
Two parts Black Sabbath
5 parts Reverb

Shake, stir and season to taste.

But in all seriousness, dark movie soundtracks and songs in rock and roll forms other than surf can be a phenomenal source of inspiration.

Nice recipe Garrett! I also like to add a drop of The Cure or Type of Negative to the sauce)

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

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dontrunfrombears Joined: Nov 05, 2021 Posts: 62	Posted on Jul 27 2023 08:58 AM Hey guys can anyone help me with what makes a horror surf track aside the sound effects? Like scales, chords used, how much reverb Top
DannySnyder Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 11046 Berkeley, CA	Posted on Jul 27 2023 10:08 AM Use as many minor chords as possible. Extra credit for using diminished chords. — Danny Snyder "With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF Top
Cranium Joined: Sep 16, 2009 Posts: 73 Pajaro Valley	Posted on Jul 27 2023 10:15 AM Diabolus in musica. Throw in a tritone here and there. \m/ Top
DeathTide Joined: Apr 13, 2018 Posts: 1374 New Orleans	Posted on Jul 27 2023 06:48 PM It's intense and scary. Sound fx are cheap, you don't need them if your music is scary enough. The Ghastly Ones are about the only band to do it fairly well, although the fuckin samples really take me out of the moment. — Daniel Deathtide Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jul 28 2023 07:51 AM Harmonic minor scales and their related scale tone chords, with possible excursions into parallel melodic minors or even Hungarian minors. The Munsters theme is a good example, living in A harmonic (as I play it) and the last phrase, measure 8, being a walk-up from E but using an F# instead of an F natural, so for just that measure, it’s in A melodic minor. Harmonic minor scale tone chords. I chord, minor of minor natural 7. II chord, minor 7 b5. III chord, augmented Major or possibly a Major with a 6th. IV chord, minor, minor 7th or minor 7th b5. V chord, Dom 7th or Dom 7th augmented 5th. VI chord, Major, Major 7th, Major 7th b5, Major 6th, Major 6th b5. (I love the 6th b5 to Dom 7 turnaround, such an F6b5 to E7.) VII chord, Dim 7 or min 7th b5. One cool oddity is the harmonization of a Hungarian minor, where the II chord is a Dim 7th b5. You can slip between parallel minor key tone centers pretty safely, so I frequently will be in A harmonic minor, for instance, and play a passage using an A Hungarian or an A melodic minor scale, then slip back into an A harmonic minor. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
HeroSandwich Joined: Jul 05, 2023 Posts: 32 Sherbrooke, QC	Posted on Jul 28 2023 07:57 AM Locrian is a pretty scary mode. It's diminished, and you do have the tri-tone. Root - minor 2nd - minor 3rd - perfect 4th - diminished 5th - minor 6th - minor 7th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwr_R5bWY0 Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jul 28 2023 08:06 AM HeroSandwich wrote: Locrian is a pretty scary mode. It's diminished, and you do have the tri-tone. Root - minor 2nd - minor 3rd - perfect 4th - diminished 5th - minor 6th - minor 7th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwr_R5bWY0 Very cool, indeed. It brings brings to mind also the super locrian, and even the name of that is too cool for school. Super Locrian would be like a melodic minor played from the 7th degree to the 7th degree. If you play a super locrian over any dominant 7th chord, you will get the notes for a b9, a #9, a b5 and a #5. Jazz players use this a lot, and it co tributes to a very exotic sound. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
dontrunfrombears Joined: Nov 05, 2021 Posts: 62	Posted on Jul 29 2023 02:52 PM Thanks guys had a little practice/experimenting earlier and I really like the results for using the locrian scale. I just got a EHX C9 organ machine and the tones I’m getting are also helping to dial up the creepy Top
Reverbenator Joined: Jul 26, 2015 Posts: 258 San Diego, Ca	Posted on Jul 29 2023 06:49 PM About 15 years ago, I put 13s on a Strat and tuned it down to C. (I might have tried heavier strings, but beyond that, I would have had problems getting it to intonate properly. At least with that particular guitar.) It sounded very ominous. If you have a guitar that you can dedicate to tuning down, it might be worth a try, especially with the suggestions mentioned above. Depending upon the song, you may wish to try substituting tremolo, in place of the usual reverb. — -Cheers, Clark- -Less Paul, more Reverb- Top
elmorto Joined: Feb 23, 2018 Posts: 100 Oslo	Posted on Jul 30 2023 01:53 PM I really like the sound of Hungarian minor! Rick Beato have a cool video on it on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O2L-1dKy8g I used it my song called "Cannibals" as well. The link is in my signature if you are interested. — Beach Bomb - Black Surf from the cold waters of Norway! https://beachbombband.bandcamp.com Top
dontrunfrombears Joined: Nov 05, 2021 Posts: 62	Posted on Jul 30 2023 02:38 PM I had a listen, very cool! elmorto wrote: I really like the sound of Hungarian minor! Rick Beato have a cool video on it on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O2L-1dKy8g I used it my song called "Cannibals" as well. The link is in my signature if you are interested. Top
Reverbenator Joined: Jul 26, 2015 Posts: 258 San Diego, Ca	Posted on Aug 03 2023 12:12 AM I’m not sure how to post the link, but I just saw a video on YouTube, by a channel called “Signals Music Studio”, and title of the video was, “Six Spooky Secrets Composers Use To SCARE you.” It gives a quick rundown of the ideas mentioned above. It’s about five and a half minutes long. Worth a look. — -Cheers, Clark- -Less Paul, more Reverb- Top
dontrunfrombears Joined: Nov 05, 2021 Posts: 62	Posted on Aug 03 2023 05:19 AM Thanks for the heads up Top
Garrett_Immel Joined: Jul 07, 2023 Posts: 20	Posted on Oct 17 2023 07:12 PM My tried and true method: One part Bernard Herrmann Two parts Black Sabbath 5 parts Reverb Shake, stir and season to taste. But in all seriousness, dark movie soundtracks and songs in rock and roll forms other than surf can be a phenomenal source of inspiration. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2230 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Oct 18 2023 02:53 AM Garrett_Immel wrote: My tried and true method: One part Bernard Herrmann Two parts Black Sabbath 5 parts Reverb Shake, stir and season to taste. But in all seriousness, dark movie soundtracks and songs in rock and roll forms other than surf can be a phenomenal source of inspiration. Nice recipe Garrett! I also like to add a drop of The Cure or Type of Negative to the sauce) — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top

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Horror Surf