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Ships Are Sailing sheet music

Ships Are Sailing appears here in several score versions under related titles. The versions share a 4/4 opening time signature, but they differ in opening key signature: one begins with no sharps or flats and two begin with two sharps. One score is titled as a reel and credited 'after Chief F. O'Neill'. Compare those details before choosing a version.

Scores 1–20 of 38

Sheet music

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Comparing the versions

The scores titled Ships Are Sailing share a 4/4 opening time signature but not a single opening key: one begins with no sharps or flats, while two begin with two sharps. Titles vary between 'Ships are Sailing' and 'The Ships Are Sailing', and one version carries a reel designation. Use the title, opening key signature and notation together when choosing a score.

Reading the opening key

An opening key signature of no sharps or flats differs from one of two sharps, so the scores do not all start from the same tonal centre. If you need a particular key for a playing group or arrangement, check the opening signature and the notation rather than relying on the title alone.

Attribution and tune-type labels

Only one score carries both the reel designation and the credit 'after Chief F. O'Neill'. Such labels describe that particular score; they do not by themselves establish the tune's origin, full compositional history or whether every version shares one setting.

Scores to open first

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Common questions

What key is Ships Are Sailing in?

The scores titled Ships Are Sailing do not all begin with the same key signature. One version opens with no sharps or flats, while two open with two sharps; a two-sharp signature can indicate D major or B minor, so the notation itself is the reliable guide to the key.

What time signature is Ships Are Sailing in?

Each of the scores titled Ships Are Sailing opens in 4/4 time. That shared time signature means the versions have a four-beat opening metre, even though their opening key signatures differ.

Is Ships Are Sailing a reel?

One score carries the title 'The Ships are Sailing' (reel), which identifies that version with the reel designation.

Who is credited for Ships Are Sailing?

One score is credited 'after Chief F. O'Neill'; the other two listed scores carry no composer credit. The word 'after' is part of that score's attribution, but the listings do not explain whether it refers to O'Neill as arranger, source or earlier setting.

Do the scores of Ships Are Sailing represent the same version?

The scores differ in opening key signature and title, and only one is labelled as a reel and credited to Chief F. O'Neill. Those differences mean the versions should not be treated as identical without comparing the notation; the available details do not confirm a single common setting.