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The Greatest Batman Themes to Learn for Guitar and Piano

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
Greatest Batman Themes for Piano and Guitar

Some of the most influential and recognizable music comes from movies and television. On the big screen, writers use music to set a tone not only for the setting and action taking place on screen but also for the individual characters. Since music is inherently tied to emotion, it is a highly effective way of adding depth to a particular character. After all, you cannot forget Danny Elfman’s dark score in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) or Hans Zimmer‘s score from Batman Begins (2005). Here are the best Batman theme song scores from each movie.

“Batman” (1989)

This particular score is a mix of Danny Elfman following Tim Burton’s darker vision of this iconic character and Prince’s upbeat rendition.

Batman – Michael Keaton – Danny Elfman

Batman’s character theme is a brooding score with low tones and an almost disjointed switch between dark and heroic. Learning how to play Batman’s theme song on piano can be challenging, considering some of the switches.

The score begins with a musical depiction of Bruce Wayne as a young man suffering from the tragic loss of his parents. It then becomes darker and stronger as he gradually transforms into the heroic figure of Batman.

Joker – Jack Nicholson – Prince

Joker is one of the most notable characters in the 1989 version of Batman. His theme songs associated with him are almost exclusively by The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Joker’s music is considerably more upbeat and chaotic, just like the character. When you listen to it, you can almost hear Jack Nicholson’s character in both the lyrics and the music.

Batman Returns (1992)

In Batman Returns, Batman’s character theme song is similar to its 1989 counterpart. In this particular score, Danny Elfman’s influence is definitely more noticeable than in the previous movie, Batman.

Batman – Michael Keaton – Danny Elfman

The Batman’s character theme song in this iteration of the classic is just as dark as the 1989 version. It is less brooding and has a more heroic vibe to it.

If you listen to the intro to “Batman Returns,” it is a combination of some of the themes of the supporting characters as well.

Penguin – Danny DeVito – Danny Elfman

The Penguin’s theme songs are mostly carnival based. They are a creepy version of what you would hear at a circus or a fair. This is fitting, especially since it contains a carnival-like scene and his henchmen are circus performers.

Catwoman – Michelle Pfeiffer – Danny Elfman

Catwoman’s theme song in this movie is by far the eeriest. It was created to make the audience reflect on the massive changes she undergoes from the mousey secretary to the slinky woman in a catsuit.

Batman Forever and Batman & Robin

In the next two installments, the directors and producers decided to go in a more family-friendly direction, and Elliot Goldenthal produced the Batman theme song. In these movies, the music is much more light-hearted and uplifting than Danny Elfman’s renditions.

The Dark Knight and Batman Begins

The Dark Knight is a different take on both Batman and Joker. Although Two-Face makes an appearance, he is not one of the major characters.

Batman – Christian Bale – Hans Zimmer

In this film, you get the first look at Hans Zimmer’s theme song for Batman. He collaborated with James Newton Howard to produce the theme. Zimmer used a two-note theme. Again you can get a sense of Bruce Wayne’s journey but from a slightly different viewpoint. He already is Batman, so there is no transition from normal person to hero. However, it builds in The Dark Knight with the depth of Bruce Wayne’s journey into the much darker world of Joker.

One of the more interesting things about this piece is that it utilizes two different approaches, one for Batman and a slightly different one for the selfish playboy Bruce Wayne.

Although the movie takes a dark turn, the music does not necessarily continue the darker trend. If you enjoy the ride this takes you on, you can learn how to play Batman’s theme on guitar or piano. It is a complex and impressive piece of music.

Joker – Heath Ledger – Hans Zimmer

Joker’s character and music in The Dark Knight are much more chaotic than in the earlier movies despite it being only a one-note theme song. The one-note theme provides a stark contrast to the two-note Batman theme song. This is in part due to Heath Ledger’s unusual performance as Joker. Hans Zimmer manages to create the feeling of chaos without using lyrics.

The Dark Knight Rises

Most say this is the weakest work that both directors Nolan and Zimmer produced. In many respects its score is unremarkable but there were some high points.

Bane

For Bane’s theme music Zimmer kept to using a drum-centric theme. It fits perfectly with the character’s overall attitude and style.

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

Although not well received, the combined themes of both Batman and Superman were rather chaotic in this film. Written by both Zimmer and Junkie XL, the overall effect was considered by many as disjointed, messy and very loud.

This score was also lacking in the darker more impressive undertones that previous films had. Some blame it on the fact that Zimmer just wrote the score for Man of Steel with Zack Snyder while others simply think it was a product of combining these two artists.

Overall, Batman’s theme song and all of its variations are relatively easy to learn. Many of them are based on formulaic movie music styles found in dozens of other stories.

If you are interested in learning how to play Batman’s theme song, check out the Musicnotes App. You can enjoy instant access to the sheet music for many of the characters mentioned here. You can enjoy sheet music on the go with Musicnotes.