The Star-Spangled Banner

John Stafford Smith (1750–1836)

At a glance

Voicing
SATB
Language of the text
English
Key
A♭ major
Series
Choir
Available voices
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Score
PDMX / MuseScore, Public domain licence

Chapters, Soprano part

  1. Intro
  2. FIRST LISTEN — the whole piece, all voices
  3. RHYTHM READING — the words in rhythm, on one note
  4. SLOW — your part only
  5. FULL TEMPO — your part only
  6. IN PAIRS — your part and Alto
  7. WITH THE CHOIR — your part highlighted
  8. BALANCE CHECK — all voices equal
  9. End screen

Chapters, Alto part

  1. Intro
  2. FIRST LISTEN — the whole piece, all voices
  3. RHYTHM READING — the words in rhythm, on one note
  4. SLOW — your part only
  5. FULL TEMPO — your part only
  6. IN PAIRS — your part and Soprano
  7. WITH THE CHOIR — your part highlighted
  8. BALANCE CHECK — all voices equal
  9. End screen

Chapters, Tenor part

  1. Intro
  2. FIRST LISTEN — the whole piece, all voices
  3. RHYTHM READING — the words in rhythm, on one note
  4. SLOW — your part only
  5. FULL TEMPO — your part only
  6. IN PAIRS — your part and Basso
  7. WITH THE CHOIR — your part highlighted
  8. BALANCE CHECK — all voices equal
  9. End screen

Chapters, Bass part

  1. Intro
  2. FIRST LISTEN — the whole piece, all voices
  3. RHYTHM READING — the words in rhythm, on one note
  4. SLOW — your part only
  5. FULL TEMPO — your part only
  6. IN PAIRS — your part and Tenore
  7. WITH THE CHOIR — your part highlighted
  8. BALANCE CHECK — all voices equal
  9. End screen

Practise with the player

Notes on the piece

The national anthem of the United States: the text is by Francis Scott Key (1814), the tune by John Stafford Smith (1750–1836), written for a London music club. Its wide range is a challenge for every voice.

Written with AI assistance

Text and translations

Original text · English

O! say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs burst - in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there;
O ! say does the Star-spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Source of the text: en.wikisource.org (Riverside song book)

Score

The source and licence of the score are acknowledged; the editions below are for cross-checking.

PDMX / MuseScore · Licence: Public domain

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