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. 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. This version uses three descending chords. It was already in widespread use by this time, and may predate
radio.
Igor Stravinsky's
The Rite of Spring, features a similar three-note descending pattern. 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. An example is heard in the film
Young Frankenstein, with the chord progression rising and then falling instead of all three chords falling. The
Young Frankenstein version was used in the 2007
YouTube video
Dramatic Chipmunk. The most widely used modern variation is the "Shock Horror (A)" effect recorded in 1984 by composer Dick Walter as part of a series of four vinyl albums of sound snippets known as ''The Editor's Companion
. This version is inverted from the Young Frankenstein
pattern, using the notes E♭ - C - F♯, with the F♯ being especially discordant. Among its uses are Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and The IT Crowd''. In the
PBS Kids series
Weather Hunters, Corky Hunter uses a vocalised variation of the sting as a catchphrase for moments of heightened suspense. ==References==