You know the sound: It’s eerie and echoing, and it makes the little hairs on your arms stand up immediately.
So many horror movies use it to create a chilling atmosphere, and even some reality shows have implemented it to build tension.
It’s that mysterious, creepy, slightly screeching sound effect you’ve heard so many times before, often accompanied by a sinister creature or entity lurking in the dark, and it’s made by an equally mysterious instrument.
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Invented by Richard Waters in the late 1960s, and inspired in part by Tibetan drums, the waterphone, also known as the “ocean harp,” is the instrument used to create that spooky, resonant sound effect you’ve heard in plenty of films before.
Some people say it sounds like an underwater whale call, but to many, it sounds like ghosts lingering around a dark corner, waiting to scare the pants off of you.
The Waterphone Is the Sonic MVP of Horror Movies
Containing a small amount of water and consisting of a stainless steel bowl or pan and bronze rods, the action of drumming, bowing or striking the instrument creates a creepily ethereal sound that’s been used to evoke a suspenseful or frightening atmosphere in countless science fiction and horror films, as well as some television shows.
It’s also been used as a sound effect in reality shows such as the U.S. versions of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, and is a popular sound used in both humorous and creepy videos on TikTok.
Even Kamala Harris has used it to troll JD Vance, and musicians such as Bjork and Tom Waits have also incorporated it into their music.
Still, the sound is best known for its use in the horror film genre.
The waterphone has been featured in iconic scary movies such as Aliens, Poltergeist, Dark Water and Let the Right One In, creating an unmistakable yet uncanny, unsettling atmosphere for audiences eager to be scared.
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Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky
