Nashville numbering system minor key

[Snarf]

I grew up with Roman numeral analysis. Used it all through college, and use it in teaching all the time. Think I started using some numbers charts back around 2014 on a church gig where they provided charts, and I realized their utility. I don't use them a ton for my own charts. Mainly I break out the numbers if there's a song where singers tend to request key changes, or if there's crazy guitar tuning stuff going on and there's a chance he's a half step in either direction. Numbers charts in those instances help if you don't feel like transposing a song you've never played on a gig where you met the band for the first time at load in. I've also shown up to a gig, get handed the set list, and realize "Holy crap, I did not see that one song in the email," run out to my car, listen to the song and scratch out a numbers chart.

Use one or the other, use both, I don't care. Just wanted to point out that the Nashville system is not superfluous and is extremely useful to many, many people. In my case, I have used Roman numerals for a longer period of time in academic settings, but find that in performance settings the Nashville system is more useful to me.

 

[SteveCS]

I grew up with Roman numeral analysis. Used it all through college, and use it in teaching all the time. Think I started using some numbers charts back around 2014 on a church gig where they provided charts, and I realized their utility. I don't use them a ton for my own charts. Mainly I break out the numbers if there's a song where singers tend to request key changes, or if there's crazy guitar tuning stuff going on and there's a chance he's a half step in either direction. Numbers charts in those instances help if you don't feel like transposing a song you've never played on a gig where you met the band for the first time at load in. I've also shown up to a gig, get handed the set list, and realize "Holy crap, I did not see that one song in the email," run out to my car, listen to the song and scratch out a numbers chart.

Use one or the other, use both, I don't care. Just wanted to point out that the Nashville system is not superfluous and is extremely useful to many, many people. In my case, I have used Roman numerals for a longer period of time in academic settings, but find that in performance settings the Nashville system is more useful to me.

Fair points. I guess it rarely shows up on my side of the pond. As in, I've never been given a NNS chart so never had any need to be fluent with it. If I have to knock something up quickly I just default to Roman. I think we agree - the right tool for the job is whatever gets the job done in the most efficient or effective manner on the day and by the person doing the job.

 

[TheOldFlatwound]

With minor key do you switch the number to overlay the Aeolian scale instead of the major scale?

Most often it would stay in key.

For example, if it was a minor blues sort of song and the chords were:
E minor
A minor
C major
B major

The key is still G major. The chords would be written on the chart as:
6-
2-
4
3 (note that 3 is a major chord, leading back to the 6-)


....it’s also possible to see it charted the other way, like in your question.
The chart would have the key as E- and the chords would be:
1-
4-
b6
5
This may be “less correct” harmonically, but still gets the job done and is also easy to read on the fly.

Writing charts this way makes changing keys easy, along with basic arrangement changes.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, it’s used in the studio here in Nashville, but I also teach it to students. It’s a great way to learn harmony and understand arrangements as part of a song. It organizes the song form into something easier to learn, and can be very helpful in getting songs together for a gig.

 

[TheOldFlatwound]

It’s also worth mentioning that things like blues rock/southern rock songs with a chord progression of, say:

A C D
Would be thought of as the “key of A” and charted as simply:
1 b3 4


If it was clearly an Aminor tonality, it would be called “key of Aminor” and charted:
1- b3 4