This is Halloween (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Hey there everyone, Today I've got for you a festive lesson to celebrate the season. Below is an excerpt from Danny Elfman's score for The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a quirky stop motion film that features some delightfully strange music. This particular melody is from the opening sequence This Is Halloween. The melody features several accidentals creating a C minor scale. It is spelt as follows: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

There are a number of clever ideas inside this piece that are worth pointing out.

The first measure resolves down to F while the second resolves up on G. The third measure introduces one tone higher (Bb) and the fourth measure introduces two tones lower (Eb and D).

Rhythmically the first four measures are somewhat consistent. There are 16th note syncopations on beat 3 for the first three measures. Then they appear on beat 2 of the fourth measure. The other variation is that the syncopations are on 3 e for the first two measures and 2 e of the fourth measure while on & a of the third measure. Danny is introducing consistency while also providing variations.

Next in measure five we start the phrase a third up from G on Bb. Again downward resolutions. Measure six introduces Db. This changes our scale into C Db Eb F G Ab Bb.

It now has a minor second.

This is what is called a Phrygian scale, which is the 3rd mode of the Ab major scale. It's a fancy way to say that if we start the Ab major scale on the 3rd note we get this strange sounding minor scale.

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

C Db Eb F G Ab Bb

Then in measure 7 the whole motif moves up a half step! It's a little disorienting.

I hope you play through this melody on the piano and sing along. It's a strange motion that will likely require some practice before you have it clearly in your ear. Happy Halloween!

Christopher