No Notes . . . . Just Numbers

[J Wilson]

THIS is as good a tutorial for The Nashville Number System as you're going to find. It does NOT replace standard notation, but IF you're working inside a particular style (of course, this came along in the days of 1-4-5 country tunes when 3 hour sessions frequently resulted in three or four finished tunes and guys had to work fast) and everyone's on the same page, you can really make time with this. I've used and seen it a lot, and the best thing about it (particularly with 5 or 6 string basses where transposing is so easy) is that it utterly breaks you of thinking in terms of playing often in the same key(s) and you automatically get a better ear for the intervals, 1-4, 2-6, whatever comes along.

 

[Bassinthemudd]

THIS is as good a tutorial for The Nashville Number System as you're going to find. It does NOT replace standard notation, but IF you're working inside a particular style (of course, this came along in the days of 1-4-5 country tunes when 3 hour sessions frequently resulted in three or four finished tunes and guys had to work fast) and everyone's on the same page, you can really make time with this. I've used and seen it a lot, and the best thing about it (particularly with 5 or 6 string basses where transposing is so easy) is that it utterly breaks you of thinking in terms of playing often in the same key(s) and you automatically get a better ear for the intervals, 1-4, 2-6, whatever comes along.

Great video. Thanks for posting!

 

[monsterthompson]

I was aware of bits and pieces. It’s great to get a summary like this. Thanks!

 

[logdrum]

Maybe not for big band with horns -- but maybe it's possible , I must have missed how you do Major7th. and is it the diamon or you fo this form 5M7. Keeping everything Major as the key signature was an interesting bit -- not sure what to do with harmonic and melodic and dorain He did keep saying commercial music but an orchestra hired to do a score or play with say a rock band is also commercial music, Those guys probably have to be given standard notation

I am also a sax/woodwind player but I do not sight read a lot these days, so I have a vocabulary of riffs for funk horns, Soloing I am very well versed but that's not what we are talking here. I like this system specially if are a supporting musician and I think the trick for me to transpose on the fly was my own version of a number system. I think I will buy the book -- I think there were 2 - 3 recommended ones.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Yeah, that's a good breakdown. A lotta folks miss or oversimplify the symbols, but if you're putting bass on a track - that's the ballgame. I got so I could listen down once or twice while looking at a number chart, and think out what I was going to play.

I found out too, it worked pretty well for fill-in gigs when a song came up you didn't know that well. It wasn't a panic situation, somebody would just tell you the chords in the bridge part go "4/6min/4/5 and set up another verse" and you just listened for cues like 7th chords to tell you it was coming. Yeah, a little seat-of-the-pants, but it's good for you too.

 

[joeLowB]

Super helpful... appreciate the advanced details!

 

[dbflats]

A bit more to that than I'd imagined. I like this system a lot but do wonder if over time it's use has tended to fold back onto the music itself, i.e. modal, non-diatonic styles being less well suited to this notation and thus not incorporated into the writing as much.

 

[SC Bassboy]

THIS is as good a tutorial for The Nashville Number System as you're going to find. It does NOT replace standard notation, but IF you're working inside a particular style (of course, this came along in the days of 1-4-5 country tunes when 3 hour sessions frequently resulted in three or four finished tunes and guys had to work fast) and everyone's on the same page, you can really make time with this. I've used and seen it a lot, and the best thing about it (particularly with 5 or 6 string basses where transposing is so easy) is that it utterly breaks you of thinking in terms of playing often in the same key(s) and you automatically get a better ear for the intervals, 1-4, 2-6, whatever comes along.

I had to learn the number system back in the day. It made perfect sense to me, but it will also test your fretboard knowledge. It works great if you keep your hand in the same position.

 

[Karl Kaminski]

Yes, this is spot on. The Nashville method IMO is the fastest/simplest way for Gospel (unless you're just reading scores) since the key can shift multiple times within each song (modulation up) or week to week depending on the singer. Only limiting factor is if you're also playing specific arrangement fills (but you can create your own symbolic notation for fills)

Typos can still leak in... bar 7 of the Chorus "Amen" should read 5/7

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Karl Kaminski]

A bit more to that than I'd imagined. I like this system a lot but do wonder if over time it's use has tended to fold back onto the music itself, i.e. modal, non-diatonic styles being less well suited to this notation and thus not incorporated into the writing as much.

Agreed if the music is very dense, then traditional written notation is the clearest way. But this method was designed to be a performance aid, a reference sheet. I find that its really easy to illustrate Sus/extended harmonies with accurate voicings.
4/1, 3/2, 2–/7, 6–/b7 ...but it can be a bit to 'take in' at the the drop of a hat

Ultimately I think the power of the system is that each player can use the system in a very personal way (not written for others) so theres lots of room for personal customization.

for example in the NS, the dorian ii or Aeolian vi would be written as 2 or 6, but I always add the 'minus' symbol 2– 6– since there is often 2 'major' and 6 'major' in the music im playing.

Since these charts are for my reference, I also simplify the system even more to just focus in bassline movement: 5 (6 7) | 1​

...which (in the key of C) would symbolize the bass line: G ( A B ) | C​

​

but sometimes the harmony follows the bass line: 5 4/6 5/7 | 1​

..which (in the key of C) would symbolize: G .F/A G/B | C​

 

[mambo4]

I'm used to Jazz real book chord symbols, and just knowing that the V of Bb is F7 etc...
with NN I understand the integers but always forget what the fractions , dots and diamonds are for.
This video makes me think I shoudl try spending time with it.

Are there sites with collections of NN charts, similar to TAB sites or jazzstudies.us ?

 

[logdrum]

I ordered the book in spiral binding form. There were a few to choose from. I chose the most recommended. I've been meaning for years

 

[bassbrad]

I learned to use the Nashville Number as well as the Roman Numeral forms of notation when working as a house musician in a demo lab. It was common for us to record several versions in different keys for most of the songs each day. The number systems made key changes easy. I use the number system for jazz charts as we play songs in different keys depending on the featured guest. I'm trying to get my band mates to learn these systems as well as the common fake book versions.

 

[J Wilson]

Yes, this is spot on. The Nashville method IMO is the fastest/simplest way for Gospel (unless you're just reading scores) since the key can shift multiple times within each song (modulation up) or week to week depending on the singer. Only limiting factor is if you're also playing specific arrangement fills (but you can create your own symbolic notation for fills)

Typos can still leak in... bar 7 of the Chorus "Amen" should read 5/7
View attachment 7517422

THIS is the heart of it right here, and how it breaks you of thinking in keys, and your sense (and ear-training) of intervals soars: I've seen lots of charts just like this and all you need to know is what note is '1'. And if 'Louis Big Lungs' stayed out too late last night (although this is a gospel chart) and today we need to play it in E-flat or D, you use this same chart.

 

[Karl Kaminski]

And if 'Louis Big Lungs' stayed out too late last night

Oh Louis fellowships hard on Sat night and still comes in early for Sunday service

 

[J Wilson]

Oh Louis fellowships hard on Sat night and still comes in early for Sunday service

SOMEBODY say AAAAAAAAAAAAA-MEN ! ! !

 

[dougjwray]

When I spent a couple of semesters at Berklee long ago, the teachers firmly told us NOT to use the Nashville system.

 

[robert_stuart]

When I spent a couple of semesters at Berklee long ago, the teachers firmly told us NOT to use the Nashville system.

Wat? And do what instead? This is relevant to me.

 

[dougjwray]

Wat? And do what instead? This is relevant to me.

Chord symbols specific to THAT key, not numbers.
So:
C maj7 l D-7 l G7
Not:
1 l 2 l 5
There are several reasons... one is that with the Nashville system, you run into trouble with a composition that changes keys every few bars, such as some of Wayne Shorter's, or Coltrane's "Giant Steps."
Also, I think they saw the Nashville thing as something provincial that wouldn't serve you anywhere else. You were taught to read standard notation and use lead sheets with chord symbols, "Real Book"-style.