Stackapella Open the app

Bully in the Alley: the melody (soprano)

The melody of Bully in the Alley, sung by the soprano, in G, from D4 to D5. Hear it on its own or with the others, then sing it and watch each note light up.

Is the shantyman: sings the opening refrain's two "So help my bob I'm bully in the alley" lines alone, and in each verse its first line and "Bully in Tinpot alley", most often on G, then B and A, from its low D on every "So" up to its top D on every "I'm", on "our" in the first lines of verses 1 and 2, on the second "the" in verse 3's "She's the girl in the alley." and on "in" in every "Bully in Tinpot alley".

Range
D4 to D5
Key
G
Guide voice
The app's own voice

Switch part

Slow it down, loop a phrase and record yourself in the app.

Learn this part in the app

How to learn the soprano part

  1. 01 · Your part

    Hear your part on its own until the tune of it is in your ear.

  2. 02 · With the others

    Hear it with the others, so you know where it sits in the chord.

  3. 03 · Sing it

    Sing it with the others under you and watch each note light up as you land it. The mic listens only while it plays, and nothing is recorded.

About Bully in the Alley

Words: traditional sea shanty (as sung by John Short, Watchet; printed 1914)

Tune: traditional sea shanty (as sung by John Short, Watchet; printed 1914)

Bully in the Alley is a pulling shanty that Cecil Sharp took down from John Short of Watchet. Sharp wrote that he had no other version of it and knew of no printed one. He marks with arrow-heads the notes the crew pulled on, two in each chorus, on "Way" and on the "bully" right after it. Our arrangement is read from his English Folk-Chanteys of 1914, in G as printed, on the harmony of his piano part, with verses 2 and 3 made from the two lines he prints after the tune. This is the refrain and three verses for 2 to 4 singers: the soprano is the shantyman, and everyone answers "Way ay bully in the alley".

All about Bully in the Alley More sea shanties, part by part

Free tools by Stackapella

You've heard your part. Now sing it with the others.

Stackapella teaches you to sing harmony one part at a time, right in your browser.

Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up.
  • A guide sings your partHear your line over the others, slow it down, then take your turn.
  • Your notes light upEach note shows where you landed, and a hint when to go up or down.
  • Record every part yourselfStack your takes in time until you're the whole choir.
Learn this part, free Open the app How Stackapella works

More free tools

No account, no ads. Each one keeps working offline once you've opened it.

See all 17 tools