*** Nashville Number System ***

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 17 Nov 2009 8:11 am

Tune in to TSGN's UStream TV broadcast Nov 19th at 8:00pm CST. We will be discussing THE NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM. There will be a LIVE chat room during the broadcast. Just click on the link and your there.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/steel-guitar-show

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 18 Nov 2009 6:21 am

We will be talking about how to chart a song etc.
ONE Example: What does 5511 Intro mean

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 19 Nov 2009 4:13 am

How to use the number system to find the cord progression of a song.

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 19 Nov 2009 1:16 pm

I wonder if Beethoven learned it in Nashville.

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 19 Nov 2009 2:46 pm

Ron you are correct; Nashville didn't invent the number system. It's been around a long, long time.

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 20 Nov 2009 3:39 am

Hank !...dont worry about Ron Sodos..He's a friend of mine so I will handle him !!!!!!!

Actually he is right...I have heard my classically trained musician daughter talk in numbers when jamming with her sister....and when the three of us play together...we just talk 1411..or 1451..stuff...no problem.
Cheers Tony
P.S. Hey Ron.....How you doing ??

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 20 Nov 2009 9:21 am

Interpreting chords as based on numbered degrees of a scale is not new, or unique to Nashville. But there is an excellent book on the number system and how it evolved and is used in Nashville, by my friend Chas Williams.

http://www.nashvillenumbersystem.com/

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 20 Nov 2009 10:11 am

5511 means, if the song is (for instance) in G, there are two bars in D, coming back to G. Is this correct?

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 20 Nov 2009 1:09 pm

Joachim
You are correct

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 20 Nov 2009 3:24 pm

do re me fa so la ti do
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C

IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 21 Nov 2009 12:05 pm

so what's that in Ab?
what's the vi chord in that key?
what's the III?

quickly now

not always THAT simple, methinks

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 21 Nov 2009 2:19 pm

Larry Bell wrote:so what's that in Ab?
what's the vi chord in that key?
what's the III?

quickly now

not always THAT simple, methinks

I think you have to retune to play in keys like that.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 21 Nov 2009 2:35 pm

You be outta luck if you play with the singers I play with.

Gianni Gori · Post by **Gianni Gori** » 22 Nov 2009 2:39 am

Ron Sodos wrote: do re me fa so la ti do
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C

IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT

found 3 mistakes in italian note names in the scale sequence above

the correct ones are:
"MI" instead of "me" (although pronounced "me")
"SOL" instead of "so"
and "SI" instead of "ti"

.... do re mi fa sol la si do

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 22 Nov 2009 6:44 am

Actually, Si to Ti is interchangeably correct depending on the linguistic origins.

I, bII, II, b or mIII, IV, bV or susIV, V, aug.V, VI, bVII, MVI.

There are a variety of ways to label sharps and flats.

But keep in mind, the number "system" was the FIRST system used to explore, explain and later -and still today- organize music. See Pythagoras on Wikpedia. It is the foundations to "standard" musical notation which would and could not exist without numbers either (Those who master "standard musical notation" and would like to belittle the simplicity of using numbers to analyze and organize music, should not forget, that if numbers would be subtracted from "standard" musical notation it burst like a pinched party balloon.
Just like "standard" musical notation, the "Nashville number system" was a spin off and then simplification used to organize "uneducated" musicians flocking into town in the early years and mainly limited to the write out of the song's -back then mostly simple- progressions.

Numbers are universally applicable to ANY key and adapts especially well to the steel guitar which is one of the few instruments on which every scale looks like any other.

Suggested reading:
Phytagoras on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras ... stigations
Phytagorass Mathematicas and Music: http://www.davesabine.com/Music/Article ... fault.aspx
Maurice Anderson's "The Missing Link".

... J-D.

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 22 Nov 2009 12:39 pm

Whew!

Brian Pelky · Post by **Brian Pelky** » 22 Nov 2009 1:06 pm

Larry,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Ab Bb C. Db Eb F. G. Ab

Vii chord is F
Iii chord is C...still pretty simple really.

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 22 Nov 2009 2:18 pm

Thanks Guy's for all your comments.

There will not be a broadcast Nov 26, because of Thanksgiving. The next broadcast will be Dec 3. The subject will be " The Number System Part 2 "

Also if you would like to be a co host please contact me. I will walk you through on how to setup to be a co host.

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 26 Nov 2009 2:58 pm

bump...

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 30 Nov 2009 5:18 am

Next broadcast is Dec 3rd. Subject will be the NUMBER SYSTEM Part 2. Have a pencil and paper ready.

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 30 Nov 2009 8:01 am

I saw part of a pbs special with concert clips from rock and roll hall of fame shows. When the Beatles were inducted and they were having the big all star cluster jam, Billy Joel was holding up fingers to tell the other "pros" when to change to the 4 and 5 on the chorus. I found this pretty amusing that this would have been necessary for anyone who deserved to be on that stage, playing such a well known and simple tune.

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 30 Nov 2009 8:18 am

Bobby, I've found some pro's struggle to play a song, they may not know very well, without a chart. It's better to give hand signals then to have a train wreck.

Hank Ruf · Post by **Hank Ruf** » 1 Dec 2009 6:48 am

Nashville Number System Chart:
http://steelguitar.ning.com/forum/topics/charts-more

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 1 Dec 2009 4:29 pm

I have a letter-to-number chart for all 12 keys in Microsoft Word format that I would be happy to email anyone who wants it. For the non-natural keys, it shows both the sharp and flat name. (Example: the key between D and E is shown as D# as well as Eb.) Send me an email via my Forum email, as I will not be watching this thread.

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