Nashville Number System

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 19 Feb 2004 2:05 pm

A few days ago John Bresler posted a thread that asked for the chord progression to “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” I answered, informing John I was sending him a Number Chart on the song. Since then I have received several emails asking about Number Charts. I thought it might be helpful to some of you who are not familiar with the “Nashville Number System” if I posted a little information about it. If you already know the Nashville Number System, ignore this thread. And, if you have further questions, or if you want a sample chart, or if you find errors in the chart I am including below, please email me.

When I was active in music many years ago, this kind of chart was unheard of. I, myself, just learned how these charts work a few months ago when I found Number Charts to be an absolute necessity when playing steel guitar shows with musicians who may not be familiar with the songs I play at these shows.

The concept is quite simple. Numbers are used to represent chords in a progression. The diatonic scale is used as the basis for the numbers. The diatonic scale is the normal musical scale made up of five whole tones and two half tones – e.g. Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do. As an example, in the key of C the C note is the root and the scale is C D E F G A B C. If we start on the root note (C) and number the notes, we will have C=1 D=2 E=3 F=4 G=5 A=6 B=7 and (back to the root note) C=8. While this series of numbers represents the progression of NOTES within a scale, we can use this same series of numbers to represent a progression of CHORDS. For example, if the progression of chords for a particular song is C chord, F chord, G chord then back to C chord, we can say the progression is 1, 4, 5, 1.

Now, you may wonder why not just call the chards what they are – C, F, G, C. That would be fine if we never wanted to play the song in any key except C. By using the number system and writing the progression as 1, 4, 5, 1, and anyone who is familiar with the Nashville Number System can play the correct progression in any key. Let’s say for example that you always play a certain song in Eb, but you have charted the song using the number system. Now, you sit in with a band that has always played the same song in C and does not know the chord progression in your key. Since you have charted the song using numbers, the band can play it in your key very easily, because 1, 4, 5, 1 now means Eb, Ab, Bb, Eb – because in the key of Eb, the “1” chord is Eb, the “4” chord is Ab, and the “5” chord is Bb.

Study the chart below, and you will see how the numbers at the top of the chart can represent any progression in any key.

<pre>
Key 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (Octave)
C C D E F G A B C

C# C# D# F F# G# A# C C#
Db Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

D D E F# G A B C# D

D# D# E# G G# A# C D D#
Eb Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

E E F# G# A B C# D# E

F F G A Bb C D E F

F# F# G# A# B C# D# F F#
Gb Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F Gb

G G A B C D E F# G

G# G# A# C C# D# E# G G#
Ab Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

A A B C# D E F# G# A

A# A# C D D# E# G A A#
Bb Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

B B C# D# E F# G# A# B
</pre>

[This message was edited by Roy Ayres on 19 February 2004 at 02:06 PM.]

Steve Geis · Post by **Steve Geis** » 20 Feb 2004 6:08 am

Roy, excellent job & explanation. Without taking anything away from you thread, I'd like to take the liberty of adding a small comment. Out side of the "Nashville" Number System, the much of the music industry (& music educators) used Roman Numerals in the Number system where upper case characters/capital letters represent major chords and lower case/small letters represent minor chords.

So, as in your example in the Key of C, if we have a progression that goes C Amin, F, G, the Dmin, G, and back to C, we could write it this way:

I vi IV V ii V I

As a side-bar, I have been on studio gigs where the charts are in regular letters, using upper and lower case letters for Major and Minor,...so our example above in the key of, say G for example would look:

G e C D a D G

Again, your thread was excellent without my input,...hope I just made a small contrubution to your otherwise perfect explanation. Regards, Steve

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 20 Feb 2004 8:45 am

Yes it is a great explanation. Except it always amazes me at the audacity of Nashville to call it the "Nashville number system". I learned that in mid school in 1960 in a classical orchestra class. 1 is root 2 is the 2nd tone in the scale and so on. That is as old as western music itself. Say 400 years or so. The first time i heard it called the "Nashville number system" I cracked up..............

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 20 Feb 2004 10:53 am

Steve,

Thanks for the additional remarks. You are right -- and, in fact, there are about as many ways to write number charts as there are people who write them. There is really no "standard" way. Some use roman numerals as you described, some use arabic numbers with superscript, some with subscript, some use "min" for minor and "Maj" for major while others use "m" and "M". Some use "+" for augmented and others use "aug". I use large numbers (26 point font) for the chord numbers and smaller font (16 point) for the variations such as min, Maj, aug, dim, 7, 9, b5, etc. I suppose it really depends on what circles you run in. Most of the guys I play with like it the way I do it, and several have said the very large numbers allow them to lay the the charts on the floor and read them from a standing or sitting position -- as most don't have music stands in front of them on the bandstand. As I said in another thread, I copped the style I use from John Hughey. I figured if they work for John, they should work for me. In the end, however, it's a matter of personal preference.

And, Ron, you make a valid point also. I know the number system existed many years ago -- but I had always been accustomed to writing out the actual chord names. I only swiched to the number system because several musicians in backup bands I played with suggested that it was more common now-days. In the reading I have done on the subject, it received a lot of exposure and became popular with studio musicians in the Nashville studio arena, as one never knows what key any given singer may want to record a particular song in. Do an internet search on "Nashville Number System" and you will find that to be the name the system is commonly referred to, and you will find numerous books about the system available for purchase. The concept is so elementary, though, I'm not sure why one would need an entire book on it.

Sherman Willden · Post by **Sherman Willden** » 20 Feb 2004 12:18 pm

My first Air Force stint was in Lompoc, CA. There and in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Oro Grande we could jump in with the regular band from time to time. If we wanted to perform a newer work and the band was only somewhat familiar with it we held up fingers to indicate the progression. Pointer finger was I, four fingers was IV, five fingers was V, and so on.

Sherman

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 20 Feb 2004 2:25 pm

That's a very clear explanation. I would only add that when you get to the octave it's probably more common to say "1" again instead of "8."

-Travis

Sam White · Post by **Sam White** » 24 Feb 2004 3:54 pm

Roy thank you very much for this number system. I have been wondering about that system. I hope this helps me with the cord changes.
Sam white

Terry Sneed · Post by **Terry Sneed** » 5 Mar 2004 7:29 am

Roy, I sent you an e-mail.
Thanks for the explanation.

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TW Sneed

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 5 Mar 2004 11:21 am

Terry,

I replied to your email and attached number charts for a couple of gospel songs.

If anyone else who has Microsoft Word wants sample number charts, just email me. I will attach them to an email in "Word" format.

Roy

Steve Geis · Post by **Steve Geis** » 5 Mar 2004 5:57 pm

Here's another interesting "number" related story. At the NAMM show in Nashville last July, I went to Legend's to see John Hughey play on a warm Saturday night. The singer looked over his shoulder and said, "Key of F, fifty-five eleven intro" and then Dixie (the drummer) counted the tune off with her sticks.

Since the song was in the Key of F, the intro was 2 bars of C and 2 bars of F, i.e. his "fifty-five eleven" intro. A standard number chart would look like this: V V I I

Later I heard him name a particular key, and said, "forty-four fifty-five eleven intro. And so on,...

I have enjoyed this thread. Any other interesting comments with regards to numbers? Steve

John Pelz · Post by **John Pelz** » 27 Oct 2004 4:48 pm

How would a non-diatonically based chord be notated by the number system? For example, how would F#dim be notated in a song that's in the key of F? I#m?

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 27 Oct 2004 6:24 pm

I always use Arabic (1,2,3) instead of Roman (I,II,III) numerals, but the principle is the same. There are many variants of this shorthand system, but there are some standards that the studio guys use to denote a push (syncopate slightly before the beat), what instrument does what, timing on measures with more than one chord, or other stuff. Look at the example. It's from http://www.nashvillenumbersystem.com .

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 27 October 2004 at 07:30 PM.]

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 30 Oct 2004 6:50 am

John,

I answered your question via email a few days ago. I'm repeating it here for the benefit of others. Let's say you are in the key of C and the song toes to a G# (or Ab, which is the same chod with a different name.) You could write 5# or, since the chord can also be called Ab you coule write it 6b.

I hope this helps.

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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.

John Pelz · Post by **John Pelz** » 31 Oct 2004 6:21 am

I hope this helps.

It sure does. Thanks, Roy.

Donald Jeunette · Post by **Donald Jeunette** » 8 Nov 2004 7:20 pm

Needs a bump ^^^^ please

Chippy Wood · Post by **Chippy Wood** » 9 Nov 2004 6:42 am

Thank you to all who contributed to this thread, I have found it extremely interesting and useful, I'm sure it will benefit many forumites.

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Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Carter SD10

[This message was edited by Chippy Wood on 11 November 2004 at 07:36 AM.]

Smokey Fennell · Post by **Smokey Fennell** » 6 Dec 2004 9:41 am

How does the numbering work if you are in a minor key? Let's say Am.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 6 Dec 2004 11:40 am

Another twist to consider in this numbers game is that the numbers are useful for much more besides just noting chord progressions. Any of the "rules" which we use can be thought of, learned, and remembered through numbers. For example, most folks know that a "four" chord can be substituted or augmented with a "2 minor"- ie: A song like "Help Me Make It Through the Night" has a verse progression of I-IV-V-I (or G-C-D-G in the key of G). Adding this substitution makes it: I-IV/IIm-V-I (G-C to Am- D- G). Again, most of us know that whenever we move from a I to a IV chord, we can transition through a I7 (or I augmented, or I# diminished), and the same going back from a V to a I, so the progression then becomes: I-I7-IV-IIm-V-V7-I (G-G7-C-Am-D-D7-G) In this way you can remember these kinds of progressions and options for any key, by keeping the number system as your "base math" for keeping track of it all. This stays as simple, or gets as deep, as you want... for instance, a jazzer's trick to get all the altered notes (b5,#5, b9, #9) that sound so "hip" against dominant chords, is to play out of the scale or arpeggio that is up a flatted fifth interval from the target chord. In simpler form, playing Db dominant scales over G dominant chord yeilds the b5,#5,b9,and #9 of G... a lot easier than playing/remembering a completely altered G scale. There are many more such uses for the number system. I think it's the single greatest tool for speeding up our comprehension and retention. You just can't go wrong by using the system in your study and communication.

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Charles Turpin · Post by **Charles Turpin** » 6 Dec 2004 12:35 pm

Smokey you are talking about a minor key. Have i been missing something in my music all these years or is there such a thing as a minor key. I have always went to the relative major chordal scale then when i was writing i used naturals and sharps and flats to alter the notes to the other chords that went with the minor chords there self. I am not being smart but just thought i would ask.
On the nashville number system i am like the man that wrote this ad. It is a real good thing. We always used it then used a back slash to add the extended notes. Like say a 1/9 would mean a major ninth or say in a key of C that would be a Cmajor9th chord.
The only thing that realy loses me on the number system is what inversion of the chord is to be played. How do you write say a 1 chord with the third note on top. or the notes from the bass up (E_G_C)
On the old fashion country music this worked great but i just thought i would ask.

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Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 8 Dec 2004 8:27 am

Charles,

For my own personal use, the main purpose of number charts is to communicate a chord progression to the other musicians in the band when I am playing a steel solo. For my own use, I see no need to specify the inversion you want played by the others. The bass will usually stick to the root of the chord (or alternate the root and fifth) and the other musicians in one combination or another will form the chord. The choice of the inversion should be left up to the backup musicians unless for some reason you particularly need a certain instrument (say, the piano) to play a certain inversion at some point in the song to enhance your lead at that point. In that case, there is nothing wrong with specifying the inversion above the chord number on that particular musician's sheet. In general terms, it is my opinion that the inversion should be left up to the individual players. If it is really important to you to have specific inversions played by specific instruments, you should use conventional music notation rather than number charts.

(Please note that I started this post with the words "For my own personal use . . ." so this is just my opinion.)

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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.

Larry Lorows · Post by **Larry Lorows** » 26 Feb 2005 6:00 pm

This is really a good thread. some one asked how to write a diminished or augmented chord. the way I've always done diminished is to add a small circle after the chord. C diminished =Co, only the circle is up at the top more. C minor=C- Caugmented is C+ I guess you could use the number system the same way. 1o 1- 1+ etc. Larry

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U12 Williams keyless 400
Evans SE 150, Nashville 112, Line 6 pod xt

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 1 Mar 2005 10:29 pm

Every time I see a thread on here about the "Nashville" number system I just don't understand why the word "Nashville" is in the title. I am 57 years old and learned the number system when I was 9. I was taught by my first music teacher this system. I was taught that it is as old as the major scale which goes back many hundreds of years. I was using 1,4,5,1 in elementary school in the late 1950s and into the 1960's. I played in bands as a kid and everybody I played with knew a 4 diminshed was written "4-" and a 5 augmented was written "5+". So I don't understand the association with "Nashville" at all.[This message was edited by Ron Sodos on 01 March 2005 at 10:32 PM.]

Mike Wheeler · Post by **Mike Wheeler** » 5 Mar 2005 4:01 pm

Ron, I think the reference to "Nashville" was not intended to imply ownership, but rather the adoption of the system as a primary format of comunication among very time-pressed musicians and producers. As stated previously, there are many variations of the "number system's" format...Roman Numerals, Letters, etc. The Nashville guys boiled it down to one specific form that came to be known as the Nasville Number System to distinguish it from other, similarly useful forms, and to make it clear in one simple phrase exactly what was being refered to.

I see no reason to think this is a rip-off or some sinister distortion of history. (just mo 2 cents)

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 2 Mar 2006 10:39 am

Here's a good piece of information regarding the "Nashville Number System" as told to me by Randy "Snuffy" Elmore more than Twenty years ago.

"Two wholes, and a half - Three wholes and a half". Meaning there is a WHOLE step between the 1 and the two, another whole step between the 2, and the 3, Only a HALF step between the 3, and 4- Then a whole step between the 4 and the 5, another whole step between the 5 and the 6, and yet another whole step between the 6 and the 7, and lastly a half step between the 7, and the 1 (8). hope this is as helpfull to some other folks as it was to me.

Here a 0 = a whole, or HOLE:
1-0-2-0-3/4-0-5-0-6-0-7/1
With this method, it's easy to make a chart in any key.

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 6 Mar 2006 12:17 pm

Basic music theory as taught to elementary school children long before Nashville was an incorporated city.