Some examples that could be applied to practice is the 1-4-5 chord progression. In the key of B ♭, 1/3 stands for B ♭/D, 5/7 stands for F/A, 6/5 stands for Gm/F, and 4/5 stands for E ♭/F.ĭepending on the style, chord inversions can be used to achieve an alternative sound when using the Nashville Number System. Just as with simple chords, the numbers refer to scale degrees specifically, the scale degree number used for the bass note is that of the note's position in the tonic's scale (as opposed to, for example, that of its position in the scale of the chord being played). In the key of C, C/E (C major first inversion, with E bass) is written as 1/3 G/B is written as 5/7 A/G (an inversion of A7) is written as 6M/5 F/G (F major with G bass) is 4/5. A 2 means "add 2" or "add 9".Ĭhord inversions and chords with other altered bass notes are notated analogously to regular slash chord notation. Other chord qualities such as major sevenths, suspended chords, and dominant sevenths use familiar symbols: 4 Δ7 5 sus 5 7 1 would stand forĮ ♭ Δ7 F sus F 7 B ♭ in the key of B ♭. In the key of C, 2 is D minor, 2M is D major.
Similarly a major chord can be noted with a capital M. Minor chords (outside the key) are noted with a dash after the number or a lower case m, In the key of D, 1 is D major, 1- or 1m would be D minor. In the key of C major, an E ♭ triad would be notated as ♭3. If a chord root is not in the scale, the symbols ♭ or ♯ can be added. If the song includes other chords besides these triads, additional notation is needed. ♭7 ("flat 7") represents a B ♭ major chord in the key of C, or an A ♭ major chord in the key of B ♭, or an F major chord in the key of G.Ī number by itself represents the enharmonic triad (music) on the scale degree: Here is an example of how two four bar phrases can be formed to create a section of a song.Īccidentals modifying a scale degree are usually written to the left of the number. Represents a four-bar phrase, in which the band would play a C major chord (one bar), an F major chord (one bar), a C major chord (one bar), and a G major chord (one bar). So in the key of C, the Nashville Number System notation: Unless otherwise notated, all numbers represent major chords, and each chord should be played for one measure. The only knowledge required is to know the major scale for the given key. They are simply relative to the new root note. The numbers do not change when transposing the composition into another key. The key may be specified at the top of the written chord chart, or given orally by the bandleader, record producer or lead singer. In the key of C, the numbers would correspond as follows: It is also similar to roman numeral analysis however, the NNS instead uses Arabic numerals to represent each of the scale degrees. The Nashville Number System, (also referred to as NNS) is similar to (movable-do) Solfège, which uses "Do Ré Mi Fa Sol La Ti" to represent the seven scale degrees of the Major scale. It has been around for about four hundred years but sometime during the past fifty years Nashville got the credit. It is an easy tool to use if you understand how music works. The Nashville Number System is a trick that musicians use to figure out chord progressions on the fly. The Nashville Number System was compiled and published in a book by Chas. It resembles the Roman numeral and figured bass systems traditionally used to transcribe a chord progression since as early as the 1700s. It was developed by Neal Matthews in the late 1950s as a simplified system for the Jordanaires to use in the studio and further developed by Charlie McCoy.
The Nashville Number System is a method of transcribing music by denoting the scale degree on which a chord is built. ( June 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations.