# Origin of alien music/theme

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117 "2005-04-26T03:00:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/1 "2005-04-26T03:00:52Z")

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I’m guessing it’s from some cheesy 50’s movie…but it’s quite common even to this day. The best way I can type it out the sound is “weeeee weee weeeee…”

It was featured quite a lot in Penn and Teller’s BS on UFO abductions and the like.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/2 "2005-04-26T03:37:29Z")

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That would be a [Theremin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin).

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/3 "2005-04-26T03:46:00Z")

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> [@friedo](#):
>
> That would be a [Theremin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin).

Wiki lists the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”, but missed the Star Trek TOS theme.

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**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/4 "2005-04-26T14:34:48Z")

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Maybe someone should correct Wikipedia and a LOT of other web pages, books, etc that say that the Beach Boys used a theremin for “Good Vibrations”.  
It was _not a theremin_.  
Here’s a good link to what is known as the Tannerin:  
[http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html](http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html)  
A theremin is difficult for playing precise notes. (You have to know what part of the air space produces a C# and so on).  
The Tannerin, by comparison, allows precise note-playing, portamento sweeps, staccato sounds, etc.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/5 "2005-04-26T14:39:12Z")

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> [@wolf\_meister](#):
>
> Maybe someone should correct Wikipedia

There’s nothing stopping you 😉

(Although [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannerin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannerin) has beaten you to it 😛 )

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-alien-music-theme/301117/6 "2005-04-26T14:40:41Z")

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Actually, both Wikipedia entries are correct:

> [@](#):
>
> When Brian Wilson requested a theremin be included in his studio orchestra for the recording of “Good Vibrations”, none were available, nor a musician to play one. Paul Tanner was brought in with his homebuilt device, called a tannerin …

(From the Theremin article)