So the next time you’re swimming in the ocean and your brain plays dun-dun... dun-dun , don’t be afraid. Just tip your hat to John Williams. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Williams supported this by . During the famous "Chrissie’s death" scene, we hear the bass playing the motif as she is dragged underwater—but once she’s gone? Silence. During the pier scene with little Alex Kintner, the motif plays aggressively... then cuts to dead air. Jaws OST -1975- John Williams - Steven Spielberg
Jaws the film gives you the fear of what you can’t see. Jaws the score gives you the sound of inevitability. So the next time you’re swimming in the
When you hear the title Jaws , what comes to mind first? Is it the dorsal fin slicing through the water? Roy Scheider’s weary eyes? Or is it that sound: Dun-dun. Dun-dun. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. He knew exactly what he was doing
When Williams first played the two-note motif for Spielberg on a piano, the director laughed. "That’s a joke, right?" Spielberg asked. Williams explained: "The motif represents the shark—primitive, instinctual, unstoppable. It starts slow, like a distant threat, and speeds up as the shark attacks."
The "Jaws Effect" (using a rising tempo to signal an approaching threat) has been copied in everything from Jurassic Park (the T-Rex footsteps) to Dunkirk (the ticking clock). Even video games use dynamic music that speeds up as enemies get closer—a direct descendant of Williams’ innovation.
Spielberg later admitted: "Without John Williams, Jaws would be half the film it is. He reminded me that music is 50% of the moviegoing experience." What makes those two notes (E and F) so effective? It’s a technique called a minor second interval —the closest two notes can be on a Western scale. It’s naturally dissonant, creating a sense of unease.