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Sea shanties, part by part

Learn your part of a sea shanty, then sing it with friends or your choir. Free, in your browser, no account.

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Drunken Sailor4 voices · 0:00 / 0:44

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Switch a part off to mute it. Sing yours alone, then bring the others back in.

All of Drunken Sailor, from "What shall we do with a drunken sailor, What shall we do with a drunken sailor, What shall we do with a drunken sailor", in its parts: the tune with the others under it. Your part is the Bass. Press a voice to take it out of the harmony or bring it back.

Stage selectThe shanties

Pick your part, or press play to hear how each shanty begins.

1P selectI sing
Stage 01No. 01

Blow, Boys, Blow

G major · Beginner

Learn Blow, Boys, Blow
Stage 02No. 02

Blow the Man Down

F major · Beginner

Learn Blow the Man Down
Stage 03No. 03

Bully in the Alley

G major · Beginner

Learn Bully in the Alley
Stage 04No. 04

Drunken Sailor

E minor · Verse and chorus · Beginner

Learn Drunken Sailor
Stage 05No. 05

Haul Away, Joe

C♯ minor · Intermediate

Learn Haul Away, Joe
Stage 06No. 06

Haul on the Bowline

D major · Intermediate

Learn Haul on the Bowline
Stage 07No. 07

Leave Her, Johnny

E minor · Beginner

Learn Leave Her, Johnny
Stage 08No. 08

Shenandoah

F major · Verse 1 · Intermediate

Learn Shenandoah
Stage 09No. 09

Spanish Ladies

A minor · Beginner

Learn Spanish Ladies

Bars show each part on one scale, E2 to G5. The line is middle C.

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Where these shanties come from

Shanties were the work songs of sailing ships: the shantyman usually sang a line and the crew answered as they hauled on a rope or marched round the capstan, so the singing kept everyone pulling together.

These are our own four-part arrangements of the tunes and words that W. B. Whall, Cecil Sharp and R. R. Terry printed from 1909 to 1921, and each song's page says which job it was sung for.

Directing a choir? Learning tracks for your singers⁠

Free tools by Stackapella

Found your part? Sing it with the others under you.

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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