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Structure

The structure of He's A Pirate follows what happens on screen and is heard when one of the leading characters is first seen on screen. This means that the song is broken up into themes that will be revisited throughout the film. The structure is:

1. 6-bar introduction
2. theme A
3. theme B
4. theme C
5. theme B repeated

Melody

Each of the themes feature the following identities:

• all of the themes begin with an anacrusis
• each melody is conjunct and is played within a narrow range
• the music moves in a wave-like motion, ie. the melody will rise and fall in pitch

Theme A

Theme B

Theme C

Rhythm, metre and tempo

Like the melody, the elements that define the pulse of the music sway like the sea, which adds a sense of adventure. Badelt and Zimmer have written the piece with:

• an orchestrated accompaniment that continues underneath the main melody with simple crotchets and quavers, but in 6/8 rather than 3/4

• a metre of 3/4, although the introduction accompaniment gives the feeling of compound time
• the tempo is approximately 200 bpm

Instrumentation and timbre

These are some of the essential pieces of information needed when answering questions regarding these two elements of music:

• the entire score is written for a large orchestra
• each instrument plays marcato throughout
• only the strings play in the introduction with accents to accompany the themes
• there is a heavy use of cymbals and untuned percussion
• the implementation of brass instruments allows the melody to sound heroic and proud
• the music has a swaying feel with lots of energy

Texture and tonality

The texture and tonality in this piece are:

• themes A and C are written with melody-dominated homophony
• theme B is written with homophonic texture – the entire orchestra is playing the same rhythm
• the entire piece is written in D minor using primary triads to enforce the key signature