John Carpenter's Halloween Theme Is Michael Myers In Music Form: The Uneasy 5/4 Riff That Never Develops
At 13, Carpenter got a pair of bongos for Christmas and a lesson in 5/4 from his father. That rhythm became the sound of a killer. Here's how the riff works, from its 3-3-2-2 accents to the single half step that carries its tension, and how to play it from the official piano arrangement.
