A sting, sometimes called a sounder, is a short

musical phrase In music theory, a phrase () is a unit of musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own, built from figures, motifs, and cells, and combining to form melodies, periods and larger sections. Terms such as ''sentence'' and '' ...

, primarily used in broadcasting and films as a form of punctuation. For example, a sting might be used to introduce a regular section of a show, indicate the end of a scene, or indicate that a dramatic climax is imminent. A classic sting is the " Dun dun duuun!" played to indicate a period of suspense. A sting can be played on a variety of instruments and performed by a group or orchestral ensemble. Another form of sting, often mistakenly called a

rimshot A rimshot is a percussion technique used to produce an Accent (music), accented snare drum backbeat. The sound is produced by simultaneously hitting the Drum hardware#Rim, rim and Drumhead, head of the drum with a drum stick. The sound and var ...

, is used only in comedy and played just on percussion instruments (such as drums or cymbals) as a payoff after the delivery of a punchline. A musical sting can be used in drama, comedy, horror or any genre, and in radio and television advertising. It is a part of the music director's lexicon. It is often used to build tension. Stings are often used in horror movies to accentuate

jump scare A jump scare (also written jump-scare and jumpscare) is a scaring technique used in media, particularly in horror fiction such as horror films and horror games, intended to scare the viewer by surprising them with a creepy face or object, usually ...

s, called a "scare chord".

References

Formal sections in music analysis Musical performance techniques {{Music-stub

See also

References