# What is this song?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419 "2002-09-24T05:50:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419/1 "2002-09-24T05:50:05Z")

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If someone knows how to post pictures or midis from my hard drive, or represent music easily with text, let me know please. Until then, try to play this and see if you recognize it. It’s some scary music, like from a horror movie, so try playing on an organ (or synthesizer that can sound like an organ). First I’ll put a value, like 1 for a whole note, or 2 for a half note, then the pitch. Hopefully it will make sense.

16G, 16F, 1G  
16G, 16Eb, 16D, 2B, 2C  
16G, 16F, 1G  
4D, 4Eb, 4C, 4C#

(I realize that there are some problems with the timing. For example, the first measure is actually 18/16ths long. So just throw in a couple of fermatas or something, and it will all work out.)

Anyone know the name/composer/origin of this song?

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419/2 "2002-09-24T06:13:07Z")

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I know nothing about movies but check and see if maybe it is Bach’s _Toccata and Fugue in D Minor_. That’s pretty much the quintessential scary movie music.

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419/3 "2002-09-24T06:14:17Z")

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Whoops. I know alot about movies. I know nothing about [the technical aspects of] **music**.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419/4 "2002-09-24T06:23:49Z")

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[This site](http://www.bachcentral.com/ORGAN/toccata1.html) has a midi of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. You were right. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-song/129419/5 "2002-09-24T14:51:36Z")

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Wow, way to go **Cisco**. You didn’t even have to hear the music. Consider your job done for the day, you stomped out some ig’nance in this Doper too.