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🎹 The Unforgiven Piano

JAMES HETFIELD, KIRK HAMMETT, & LARS ULRICH · Intermediate · 565 notes· Tempo 70 BPM· 6,000 views· Update 25/12/2025 · Piano
🎭 Emotional Character
Aching with nostalgia, joy and loss in the same breath, stepping carefully without any rush — active and densely woven throughout.
Minor Slow tempo Moderate dynamics Busy texture Wide-ranging melody
📥 Downloads
▶  Play on Youtube 📄  PDF Download
3 pages
👤 Suggested For
📖 Early Learners 🎓 Intermediate Students ✋ Average Hand Size
⏰ Estimated Practice Time
3
weeks to performance-ready
Expect a few weeks of regular practice to get it up to tempo cleanly.
4hper week
18htotal est.
3hard segments
* Estimate assumes ~4h focused practice/week for an average-level student at this difficulty tier.
🎯 Difficulty Assessment
Intermediate
39 / 100
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedExpert

Moderate - requires coordination between hands

565
Total Notes
51%
Interleaved
3.12
Avg N/Beat
0
Ornaments
⚠ Challenges
🤝 Some hand coordination ↕️ Some hand jumps 🎵 Melody & accompaniment
✅ Accessible
📏 Comfortable note range ⏳ Short & manageable
🎚 Dynamics
f
Moderate dynamics (f avg) - clear expression required
Avg velocity 80/127  ·  Spread 47  ·  Range 49–96
pppmpmfffffff
🎹 Note Range - Piano Keyboard
Upper dot = RH (Right Hand) Lower dot = LH (Left Hand) White dot on black key = sharp/flat note used
📐 Note Range per Hand  ·  Sheet Preview
Sheet music preview - The Unforgiven Piano 📄  Download PDF
🤚 Left Hand
LowestD1
HighestD4
Span36 st (3 Oct)
Notes212
Widest leap24 st  A3→A1
🖐 Right Hand
LowestA2
HighestG5
Span34 st (2Oct+m7)
Notes353
Widest leap12 st  B3→B2
🖐 Hand Span & Chord Density
Left Hand
Max chord span: 12 semitones (Oct)
0 stOctave2 Oct
Avg chord: 2 notes  ·  85 chords
Right Hand
Max chord span: 12 semitones (Oct)
0 stOctave2 Oct
Avg chord: 3.3 notes  ·  3 chords
↪️ Scales & Thumb Crossing
No significant scale runs detected — this piece does not heavily rely on thumb-crossing technique.
🔁 Repeating Phrases
49%
Repeated
23 of 47 bars contain repeated phrases — a good portion of the piece recycles earlier material, reducing the unique learning load.
Repeated bar Unique bar
🎯 Suggested Practice Passages ?Each "passage" is 2 consecutive measures (ô nhịp). The algorithm scores every passage by note density and interval leaps, then picks the 3 hardest for focused practice.
The hardest passages in this piece — spend extra time here before running the full piece.
📍 Measures 2–3
Hardest
📍 Measures 4–5
2nd hardest
📍 Measures 25–26
3rd hardest
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is The Unforgiven Piano on piano?
The Unforgiven Piano is rated Intermediate on PianoMetric's piano difficulty scale, with a score of 39/100. It was composed by JAMES HETFIELD, KIRK HAMMETT, & LARS ULRICH. Players should be comfortable with moderate hand independence, chord playing, and consistent rhythm. The piece runs approximately 2m 41s. It contains 565 notes in total.
How long does it take to learn The Unforgiven Piano?
Based on PianoMetric's analysis, learning The Unforgiven Piano to a performance-ready level takes approximately 3 weeks (~18 total practice hours) for a intermediate level student. Expect a few weeks of regular practice to get it up to tempo cleanly.
Where can I download the piano sheet music PDF for The Unforgiven Piano?
You can download the piano sheet music PDF for The Unforgiven Piano directly on this page. The sheet is 3 pages long. Click the 'PDF Download' button above to get the full score.
What piano level is required to play The Unforgiven Piano?
The Unforgiven Piano is suited for Intermediate level pianists (difficulty score 39/100). You'll need to be comfortable with both hands independently, chord patterns, and steady rhythm before tackling this piece.
What is the mood or feel of The Unforgiven Piano?
Aching with nostalgia, joy and loss in the same breath, stepping carefully without any rush — active and densely woven throughout. It belongs to the Piano genre. The piece is played at 70 BPM.