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Two notes, one shark: how John Williams scored Jaws

The critic

Two notes, E and F, played low and getting faster: that is the entire shark theme, and it is one of the best ideas in film music. John Williams turned a semitone into a gauge of distance, so the audience can feel the shark closing in long before it appears.

Drag the shark toward the swimmer in the demo below and hear how a tempo and a volume become a threat.

Explainer · 4 min read

Int. the prop room · continuous

Take it home

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