Nashville Numbering System
Over the years I have played the guitar with musicians who spent some time in
Nashville and many more who knew someone who spent some time in
Nashville. We have enjoyed many discussions regarding song structure, licks, riffs and chords. One old timer once explained song structure this way: He held out his left hand, palm up and said, “If I’m playing a song in the key of D, my little finger represents the D chord. I’ll call it a one. Then I count my ring finger as E or two, middle finger is F or three, and my first finger is G or four. The thumb is A or five.” Most songs use just three chords—one, four and five or C, F, and G.” As simple as that explanation is, it works! If the song is in a different key, G for example. The primitive method quickly tells the musician that the song probably consists of the G, C and D chords. Count it up on your fingers—E, A and B, or D, G and A. I would guess that more than half of all songs have just three chords. What about a song that is in some key such as Db, Eb, Bb or Ab? Well, these good old boys don’t play in those keys. The whole idea of the Nashville Numbering System is to simplify all or a part of a song. The system is quickly and easily mastered and the musician does not need to have more than a rudimentary knowledge of music to incorporate the NNS into his working repertoire.
Consider the key of C for a moment. It consists of the following chords: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bm7-5. The most often used chords in this list are C, F, and G just as the old-timer told me. Notice that the second, third and sixth chords are always minors. As far as the Bm7-5 goes, the old time pickers ignore it. They said, “Only Jazz
guitarists use that chord.” So this leaves us with three chords that are used in most songs and if the song is a bit fancier it will use one of more of the minors.
I once was part of a “backup” band which happened to find itself on stage behind a well-known
Nashville singer. As we began our performance it was obvious that most of the band was not familiar with the songs being played and there were several hundred people in the audience. The singer, realizing the dilemma, began to hold up one or more fingers behind his back as an aid to the struggling musicians. He was using a form of the NNS and it was pretty much to no avail because most of the musicians played strictly by ear and only by ear. In fact one musician said something like, “What’s he doing with his fingers?”
Many guitarists write out a numbering system chart to help them through songs that they do not yet know. A double line is commonly placed between the intro, verse, chorus and bridge. The symbol % means to repeat the previous measure. In music we have chord numbers—mostly 7ths, 6ths, 9ths, perhaps 11ths and 13ths. This may shock you but it is true—numbers don’t really count. You can ignore them, change them, add them or substitute one for another. Most country pickers have a good ear and add these numbers when it sounds like they should fit; and they probably do fit but aren’t necessarily written on the chart. The suspended chord has such a long name that it goes by the 4th or sus. What that means is that if you want to play a Dsus chord you need to add the fourth note, G, to the D chord. That is usually done by placing the little finger on the first string, third fret while a D chord is being played. The abbreviation for the augmented chord is a plus (D+) and the diminished uses the circle (D°).
As you are playing through an actual piece of sheet music or a NNS chart you will often notice a double line with a colon just to the right of it. That is not a repeat sign; it merely tells you where to go back to when you do repeat. The repeat sign has the colon on the left hand side of the double line. As you are moving along you will come to a number just above the staff. There is also a line just above the number. This line may be just one measure in length or is may be several. It identifies what is called the first bridge and you are to play it the first time you encounter it. You nearly always come to a repeat sign and are sent back to some earlier place in the song. The second time through you skip the first bridge and play the second bridge.
I have seen explanations of the NNS that require a degree from some music school to decipher. Remember that the idea is to present a song in a simple format. Many musicians use what we have so far outlined but add many of their own shortcuts. Sometimes you will see “mod” at the end of a song. It means to modulate; play it over but in a higher key. You may see the word “Charlie” written somewhere above a measure. Guitarists know that the “Charlie” is a fancy way to move from C to D in a song that is in the key of G. Take “Your Cheatin’ Heart” for example. When you reach the fourth measure of the song rather than just changing from C to D, try playing Am, F and then D.
A diamond around the chord name often means to strum the chord once and hold it until the next chord is called for. In regular music they call that a tacet. It is just a break in the music until the next note or chord appears. There are many other tricks and devices used by guitar players to get through complicated and even simple tunes. It is a philosophy that follows that old adage, “Whatever works.”
If you have read and digested all of that let us go to an actual chart as an example of most of the concepts mentioned above: “When The Saints Go Marching In” begins with an intro which is four measures in length and is contained within two double lines. A four bar (measure) intro is rather common. For this particular intro we are using the final phrase of the song—you could use the vocal and/or just the chords. Notice the verse which begins on line two, again with the double line. Measure one is played six times as indicated by the 6X underneath the first measure. In the seventh measure we have a chance to incorporate a “Charlie.” Most
Nashville trained guitarists immediately know what to do if the chart calls for such an idea which was explained briefly above. To further explain the “Charlie” let us consider the song as being played in the key of G. At the end of the first six measures rather than change from a G chord to a D, try Am and then F, two beats each, then go to measure eight which would be a D chord. If you have a decent ear you will hear many opportunities to use the “Charlie.” I think that it really dresses up a song, but as with any technique is should not be over used. Remember the numbers two, three and six are nearly always minors so the small m is not needed in the seventh measure. It is just understood that it will be a minor chord. In this song the two chord in the twelfth measure is not a minor as is usually the case but is a major—thus the Capital M after the two. As the end of the song is approaching someone will shout out (if you are not in a studio) “Tag it.” This means that you are going to repeat the last phrase and use it as an ending. In this case just after the song nears the end, we are referring to the line “When the saints go marching in.” Not all songs have an ending phrase which is applicable to use as a “tag” but many do.
When The Saints Go Marching In
Intro
|| 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 ||
Verse
Charlie Tag it
/ /
||: 1 | 2 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |2M | 1 | 5 | 1 | :||
\
6 x
