is a short three-chord musical phrase, or "sting", widely used in movies and television to indicate a moment of suspense.
Its first documented use was in 1942 in CBS Radio's Suspense, where it was played at the end of the introduction of the first episode, The Burning Court.
[citation needed] It is used to set the mood when the narrator recounts the protagonist looking through a book of famous poisoners through history, only to come across an image of his own wife.
When it was used in the soundtrack of the 1940 movie Fantasia, Disney's version of the recording emphasised "two duns and a lingering duuun" at the end of a battle between dinosaurs.
[1] The most widely used modern variation is the "Shock Horror (A)" effect recorded in 1983 by composer Dick Walter as part of a series of four vinyl albums of sound snippets known as The Editor's Companion.