
Shock Horror A: The origin of the dramatic “Dun, dun, duuun!”
07/13/22 • 32 min
5 Listeners
There’s a certain musical phrase that you’ve probably heard hundreds of times. It’s used to emphasize dramatic moments in movies, cartoons, commercials and musicals, most often as a gag. But while this little melody is everywhere today, the question is: Where did it come from? In this episode, we investigate the mysterious origins of a famous 3-note sting. Featuring Sound Historian Patrick Feaster and Composer Dick Walter.
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If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Read the original article that inspired this episode, by producer & journalist Amelia Tait.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/shockhorrora
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There’s a certain musical phrase that you’ve probably heard hundreds of times. It’s used to emphasize dramatic moments in movies, cartoons, commercials and musicals, most often as a gag. But while this little melody is everywhere today, the question is: Where did it come from? In this episode, we investigate the mysterious origins of a famous 3-note sting. Featuring Sound Historian Patrick Feaster and Composer Dick Walter.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.
Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Read the original article that inspired this episode, by producer & journalist Amelia Tait.
Download Overcast in the App Store for a powerful, simple podcast player.
Try out Harry’s with a $3 starter set at harrys.com/20k.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/shockhorrora
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode

Sleight of Ear: Behind the scenes w/ Dallas Taylor
What does a sound designer do all day? How do noise canceling headphones really work? And why do modern movie trailers all sound the same? In this follow-up to our 150th episode, Dallas shares the secrets of sound design with Jordan Harbinger. They also discuss audio deepfakes, sonic branding, and the eternal argument over analog vs. digital. This interview comes from The Jordan Harbinger Show.
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Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Subscribe to The Jordan Harbinger Show wherever you get your podcasts.
Download Overcast in the App Store for a powerful, simple podcast player.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/slightofear
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Next Episode

Sonic Happiness: A guide to feeling better through sound
We spend a lot of time curating for taste, touch, smell, and vision. But too often, sound gets overlooked. We forget that we can get rid of sounds that annoy us, and surround ourselves with sounds that we love. When we do, it can have huge benefits for our mood and wellbeing. In this episode, Dr. Laurie Santos of The Happiness Lab joins Dallas to create a Handbook for Sonic Happiness. Featuring auditory psychologist David Poeppel, psychology researcher Giulia Poerio, clinical psychologist Ali Mattu, sound scholar Mac Hagood and acoustician Trevor Cox.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.
Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to support the show & get our entire catalog ad-free.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Listen to more episodes of The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos here.
Visit athleticgreens.com/20k to get a one-year supply of vitamin D and 5 travel packs free with your first purchase.
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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/sonichappiness
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