Introduction to the Nashville Numbering System
The Nashville Number System is a shorthand method of writing musical arrangements that
was developed by Nashville studio musicians to allow them to write only one chord chart.
This system uses Roman Numerals ( I II III etc. ) or Arabic Numbers (12 3 etc..) instead of
chord letters. This is because people do not always play the same song in the same key.
Also, with guitar some will use a capo, while others will not. This system prevents the
musician from having to rewrite chord charts to reflect his/her own key preference.
All numbers are relative to the key you decide to play it in. For example, the "3rd" in a C
chord is an E note; using the root (C) as the number one, and counting upwards i.e. C = 1, D
= 2, and E = 3, etc. The chart below will help you understand it better and help you to figure
out the chords if you need help.
was developed by Nashville studio musicians to allow them to write only one chord chart.
This system uses Roman Numerals ( I II III etc. ) or Arabic Numbers (12 3 etc..) instead of
chord letters. This is because people do not always play the same song in the same key.
Also, with guitar some will use a capo, while others will not. This system prevents the
musician from having to rewrite chord charts to reflect his/her own key preference.
All numbers are relative to the key you decide to play it in. For example, the "3rd" in a C
chord is an E note; using the root (C) as the number one, and counting upwards i.e. C = 1, D
= 2, and E = 3, etc. The chart below will help you understand it better and help you to figure
out the chords if you need help.
With the Nashville Numbering System, we can then base these Roman Numeral or Arabic
Numbers by Key to find what they are.
The numbers are the notes in the scale in order. For example, in C we have:
C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
or in NNS:
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 1
In the NNS a / is used to indicate measures.
So let's take a classic bluegrass chord progression pattern in the Key of G, that in a traditional
scale chord progression chart appears like the following:
G / G / C / C
G / G / D / D
G / G / C / C
G / D / G / G
Converting this to the Nashville Numbering System, the chord progression looks like this
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 1 / 5 / 5
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 5 / 1 / 1
Since this is in the Key of G:
1 = G chord
4 = C chord
5 = D chord
Now if we need to change this chart to the key of B, in a traditional chart, we would have to
transpose everything and rewrite the chart. Using the NNS, we just need to make a mental
note, that 1 4 5, now equates to B, E & F# chords respectively.
4M7 = The forth note of the key, Major 7th
3m7 = The third note of the key in minor 7th
6m = sixth note of the key, minored
This works for most bluegrass songs, though NNS can get much more complex.
Don't think this is cheating, since reducing a chord chart to a numerical expression, is nothing
new. "Figured bass" was used in Bach's time, and the solfeggio method, (the do, re, mi's,) of
Italian musical pedagogy performed a function similar to the number system. What these
approaches share is the naming of scale degrees. Do, Re, Mi; one, two, three; tonic,
supertonic, mediant; and l, ll, lll all name the degrees of the diatonic scale.
Numbers by Key to find what they are.
The numbers are the notes in the scale in order. For example, in C we have:
C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
or in NNS:
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 1
In the NNS a / is used to indicate measures.
So let's take a classic bluegrass chord progression pattern in the Key of G, that in a traditional
scale chord progression chart appears like the following:
G / G / C / C
G / G / D / D
G / G / C / C
G / D / G / G
Converting this to the Nashville Numbering System, the chord progression looks like this
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 1 / 5 / 5
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 5 / 1 / 1
Since this is in the Key of G:
1 = G chord
4 = C chord
5 = D chord
Now if we need to change this chart to the key of B, in a traditional chart, we would have to
transpose everything and rewrite the chart. Using the NNS, we just need to make a mental
note, that 1 4 5, now equates to B, E & F# chords respectively.
4M7 = The forth note of the key, Major 7th
3m7 = The third note of the key in minor 7th
6m = sixth note of the key, minored
This works for most bluegrass songs, though NNS can get much more complex.
Don't think this is cheating, since reducing a chord chart to a numerical expression, is nothing
new. "Figured bass" was used in Bach's time, and the solfeggio method, (the do, re, mi's,) of
Italian musical pedagogy performed a function similar to the number system. What these
approaches share is the naming of scale degrees. Do, Re, Mi; one, two, three; tonic,
supertonic, mediant; and l, ll, lll all name the degrees of the diatonic scale.
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