Uma frase musical cinematográfica é chamada de "sting ":
A musical sting can be used in drama, comedy, horror or any genre, and in radio and television advertising. It is a part of the music director's lexicon. It is often used to build tension. Stings are often used in horror movies to accentuate jump scares.
Não deve ser confundido com uma " punhalada " mas às vezes chamada de "corde de surto ":
A cousin to the Sting, the Scare Chord is a sudden, sharp sforzando of dissonance or sheer noise intended to make viewers jump clean out of their seats. The thing that separates it from a Cat Scare is that it's non-diegetic: nothing onscreen causes the noise; instead, it's added to the soundtrack as a way of eliciting a jolt in the audience, often preceded by a deliberate lull in both narrative and musical action.