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Drunken Sailor: the melody (soprano)

The melody of Drunken Sailor, sung by the soprano, in Em, from D4 to E5. Hear it on its own or with the others, then sing it and watch each note light up.

Is the shantyman: sings "What shall we do with a drunken sailor" alone, then leads the chorus, up to its top E on "sailor" and "rises".

Range
D4 to E5
Key
Em
Guide voice
The app's own voice

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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 Drunken Sailor

Words: traditional sea shanty (as printed by R. R. Terry, 1921)

Tune: traditional sea shanty (as printed by R. R. Terry, 1921)

Drunken Sailor is the shanty everyone knows. The sea captain W. B. Whall wrote that the whole crew sang it together at a quick march, walking away with the rope, and that it dropped out of use when crews got too small to walk away with anything. Richard Terry, who printed this tune in 1921, named it as one of the shanties in the old modes, not a modern major or minor key. Our arrangement is read from Terry's book, on the harmony of his piano part, a whole tone higher. This is the verse and the chorus for 2 to 4 singers: the soprano sings the verse alone, and everyone comes in on "Hooray and up she rises".

All about Drunken Sailor More sea shanties, part by part

Free tools by Stackapella

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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.
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