History Main / MusicalTrigger

* ''BattlestarGalactica'' - the jump co-ordinates needed in the series finale were derived from Starbuck playing the main theme from ''All Along The Watchtower''. While being nuked near a black hole, no less.

** Also an example of DidNotDoTheResearch, as the same note is played much earlier... "And the rocket's ''red glare''."
*** Might be a lack of research, but don't forget, the bad guys specifically arranged for that last note to be extra-long.

* In Olga Chigirinskaya's novel ''BeyondTheDawn'', a particular song performed by a particular minstrel was the key to undoing the protagonist's MemoryGambit.

* In ''GirlGenius'', Agatha uses an organ to control her "battle circus".

* ''SouthPark:'' Don't forget the late Middle Park Cowboys' mascot, to whom was attached a bomb rigged to explode when John Stamos's brother Richard hit the high F in ''Lovin' You''. Of course, everybody knows Richard Stamos can never hit the high F...

** Also an example of {{Did Not Do The Research}}, as the same note is played much earlier... "And the rocket's ''red glare''."

* In Olga Chigirinskaya's novel ''{{Beyond the Dawn}}'', a particular song performed by a particular minstrel was the key to undoing the protagonist's MemoryGambit.

* A LooneyTunes cartoon has DaffyDuck trying to sabotage a BugsBunny concert by rigging the piano with explosives. However Bugs keeps misplaying the tune and skipping the trigger piano key. Finally Daffy, frustrated, kicks Bugs out of the piano to show him how to play the tune correctly- and of course blows up. (As Bugs probably intended.)

* ''TheLegendOfZelda'' is quite fond of these. The most famous example is the Ocarina of Time from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask''; various melodies on the Ocarina can teleport TheHero to set locations, change night into day, summon a rainstorm, reverse time, and so on. The keystone melody in the game - Zelda's Lullaby - is basically a [[ContextSensitiveButton generic activator]] for a wide variety of effects.
** Other musical triggers in the franchise include melodies from ''The Wind Waker's'' titular conductor's baton and the Harp of Ages from ''Oracle of Ages'', grass whistles and Wolf Link's howls in ''Twilight Princess'', and the Ballad of the Wind Fish in ''Link's Awakening.'' Several games, such as ''A Link to the Past'' and ''The Minish Cap'', also feature a flute or similar instrument used to summon a bird to fly Link to set checkpoints, while the ''Oracle'' saga games featured flutes to summon Link's mounts.

* The ForgottenSuperweapon Vegnagun in ''FinalFantasyX-2'' is operated by playing an elaborate tune. Good thing the only person who remembers it is dead... [[spoiler:Wait, he's come back as an Unsent? OhCrap.]]

* In ''ReadOrDie'', [[spoiler:a clone of Beethoven is a big part of the I-Jin's plans; his Suicide Symphony causes anyone who listens to it to commit suicide.]]

* In ''TheLivingDaylights'', JamesBond has a keyring that emits a stunning gas when he whistles Rule Britannia and explodes when he gives a wolf whistle.

* An episode of ''GetSmart'' featured a cannon that would fire at the climax of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture.

* This is how you get the best ending of ''ChronoCross''. [[spoiler: In the fight against the Time Devourer, each element color plays a corresponding note when used. You free Schala by using them in the right order to play a specific tune.]]

* ''GetSmart'' (TheFilmOfTheSeries): The final notes of [[{{LudwigVanBeethoven}} Beethoven's]] 9th Symphony are the signal for the detonator.

** ''BrawlInTheFamily'' took the Lullaby's relationship with the Triforce to [[http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic140.html its semi-logical conclusion]].

* In an episode of ''TaleSpin'', the gate to a lost AdvancedAncientAcropolis is opened by singing a perfect B note, which the first goon [[SquashedFlat sadly cannot]].

* ''{{Serenity}}'': River Tam has been programmed to go on a killing spree when a subliminal signal, hidden in a Fruity-Oaty Bar commercial, is played.

* In ''Punch Drunks'', [[TheThreeStooges Curly]] goes berserk whenever he hears "Pop Goes the Weasel".
* Likewise, in ''Saps at Sea'', [[LaurelAndHardy Oliver Hardy]] goes berserk whenever he hears horns.

* An episode of GetSmart featured a cannon that would fire at the climax of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture.

* '"Chaotic'' uses Mugic, musical magic.
* In an episode of ''TailSpin'', the gate to a lost AdvancedAncientAcropolis is opened by singing a perfect B note, which the first goon [[SquashedFlat sadly cannot]].

* ''Thunderbirds'' offers the cham-cham, a coded musical instruction to air pirates signalling the time to attack and directing them to their target. When this is discovered, Lady Penelope [[spoiler:sings an altered version of the song, redirecting the hapless pirates' flight-path right over a military airbase.]]
* In the BatmanTAS episode ''If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?'', a door has three possible keys, labelled "A, C, and D". The D key causes two blades to fly at Batman and Robin. When Batman tries to use the A key, [[spoiler: Robin stops him, saying there will be ''three'' blades--the Key of A and the Key of D have three and two sharps, respectively. The correct answer is the Key of C, which has ''no'' sharps.]] They get through the puzzle.

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[[AC: Literature]]

[[AC: RealLife]]
* Tonal keypads on telephones and other devices allow blind people to hear what keys they're punching, which can be faster than checking Braille symbols.

* In ''Punch Drunks'', [[TheThreeStooges Curly]] goes berserk whenever he hears "Pop Goes the Weasel"

The XylophoneGag is a very specific subtrope of this. If the song itself is harmful, it's a BrownNote. If the song is part of a magical spell, it's MagicMusic. If the song opens a door, it's an example of OpenSesame.

* In an episode of Tail Spin, the gate to a lost AdvancedAncientAcropolis is opened by singing a perfect B note, which the first goon [[SquashedFlat sadly cannot]].