Binks No Sake by Kohei Tanaka Piano Tutorial

📊 Level: Intermediate

This arrangement sits nicely under the hands, but it is more active than it first sounds. The texture keeps alternating between jaunty chord melody, quarter-note bass support, and singable right-hand lines like the phrase around bars 24 and 40. It is approachable if you can stay rhythmically steady.

✋ Left hand

Most of the left hand is built from clear quarter-note bass notes followed by matching chord support. You can hear that pattern immediately in bars 2-5, where single bass notes drop into three-note shapes. Treat each bar like a waltz-like pulse, even when the right hand gets busier. Practice the bass note and following chord as one physical gesture so the hand does not feel jumpy.

🤚 Right hand

The right hand moves between compact chord hits and a light melody. Bars 16 and 48 are a good example: repeated B-E-B shapes sit under a tune that still needs to sing. Later, bars 72-88 become more spacious, with rests that make the phrasing matter. Hold long notes their full value and do not rush into the next chord.

🎯 Biggest challenge

Keeping the playful bounce while changing between chord melody and more lyrical single-note lines.

⚡ How to practice it

1. Learn the left-hand quarter-note pattern first for the opening 8 bars.
2. Block the right-hand chords before playing them rhythmically.
3. Mark where the melody is on top of the chord and lean into that note.
4. Keep the later resting bars calm so the tune still breathes.

Binks No Sake, often written as Binks' Sake, is one of the most beloved songs in One Piece. In the anime and related releases, the music is associated with composer Kohei Tanaka, with lyrics created by series author Eiichiro Oda. Within the story it is treated like an old pirate song, which gives it a special place in the world of the series rather than making it feel like a standard insert track.

That story context is what makes the song memorable. It can sound cheerful and communal, but it also carries a deep undertone of farewell, memory, and endurance. One Piece uses it in a way that lets the same melody feel like a tavern song, a sea shanty, and an elegy depending on the moment. Few anime songs shift emotional meaning so effectively while staying instantly recognizable.

On piano, that flexibility is a strength. The tune is easy to hear and phrase, and the accompaniment can be played lightly and playfully or shaped into something more reflective. That makes it a rewarding tutorial piece: it is not only about learning the notes, but about deciding which side of the song's personality you want to bring forward.