Pirates of the Caribbean - He's a Pirate Piano Sheet from YouTube

About the piece

"He's a Pirate" was written by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer for the original *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl* (2003). It plays during the closing credits and has become one of the most recognizable film themes of the last 20 years.

The piano arrangements that float around YouTube are typically much more elaborate than what you hear in the film. Many are virtuosic showcases — fast left-hand octaves, big right-hand chord stabs, the works.

Why it's worth learning

Universally recognized — instant audience-pleaser

Energetic — fun to play at full tempo

Different difficulty levels available — easy beginner versions exist alongside virtuosic ones

Strong rhythm practice — driving D minor pulse

Builds left-hand strength — most arrangements use repeated bass notes or octaves

Recommended YouTube covers

The arrangements vary wildly in difficulty. Pick the one that matches your level:

Beginner: search for "He's a Pirate easy piano" — multiple simplified arrangements at 60–80 BPM

Intermediate: Jarrod Radnich's intermediate version is widely shared

Advanced: Jarrod Radnich's full virtuoso version is the YouTube benchmark — 8 million+ views

Whatever cover you pick, convert it at /youtube for a playable version of that exact arrangement.

Conversion walkthrough

Open [/youtube](/youtube)

Paste your cover URL

Wait 60–90 seconds

The converted song opens with sheet music + falling notes + downloadable formats

If you're unsure about difficulty, convert two versions (a beginner one and an intermediate one). You'll get a clearer sense of what's playable for you by seeing the falling-notes density.

Practice approach

Tempo discipline is everything for this piece. The temptation is to play it at exciting full speed immediately. Don't.

Week 1: 50% speed. Hands separately. Get the left-hand pattern (driving 8th-note D minor) absolutely solid. Right-hand melody is mostly outlining the D minor / B♭ major / F major chord tones.

Week 2: 60% speed, hands together. The left hand has to stay relentless even when the right hand has a melodic line — this is the core challenge of the piece.

Week 3–4: 75% speed. Loop the bridge sections that change harmonic patterns.

Week 5+: 90–100%. The piece sounds dramatic at 90% — don't push to 110%+ unless you're confident.

Common stumbling points

Left-hand fatigue — the constant 8th notes burn the forearm. Practice in 5-minute bursts with breaks.

Tempo drift — speeding up on simple sections, slowing on hard ones. Use the speed slider locked.

Right-hand staccato — most arrangements call for short, punchy chord stabs. Pay attention to articulation, which falling-notes view doesn't show — listen to the original cover for the feel.

Dynamic contrast — the piece has loud sections and quieter sections. Plan ahead.

Difficulty rating

Depending on the arrangement:

Beginner version: 4–6 weeks

Intermediate version: 2–3 months

Jarrod Radnich virtuoso version: 6 months+ if you have the technique; never if you don't

Honest self-assessment matters here. The advanced version requires fast left-hand octave technique that most hobbyists don't have. A clean intermediate performance beats a sloppy advanced attempt.

Print and practice

Convert at /youtube, open in the player, Download → PDF for a printable version. Letter-size, no watermark.

Other film themes to learn next

If Pirates clicks for you, these are in a similar action-adventure mode:

"He's a Pirate" (different Pirates films often have unique versions)

"The Avengers Theme" by Alan Silvestri

"Davy Jones Theme" — also from Pirates, much more melancholy

"Game of Thrones Theme"

Convert any of them at /youtube.

Convert it

Paste a YouTube cover URL here. 90 seconds to playable sheet music.