{"id":4481,"date":"2021-08-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=4481"},"modified":"2023-05-05T16:19:20","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T23:19:20","slug":"the-number-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/the-number-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nashville Number System for Piano: A Beginner&#8217;s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Nashville Number System is a must-know tool for piano players of all genres. It helps you quickly transpose chords and communicate with other musicians. In this guide, we&#8217;ll explain the Nashville Number System as well as Roman Numeral Analysis. They both use a similar concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>1. The Nashville Number System for Piano<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#1-1\">C Major Example<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#1-2\">A Melodic Minor Example<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#1-3\">Diatonic Chords<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Roman Numeral Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#2-1\">Roman Numeral Analysis for Diatonic Chords<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. How to Use Numbers to Transpose Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#3-1\">Transposing a Progression From C Major to F Major<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>4. Advanced Symbols<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#4-1\">Chord Inversions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#4-2\">Slash Chords<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#4-3\">Seventh Chords<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#4-4\">Other Symbols<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#4-5\">Summary Table<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. BONUS! Figured Bass<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#5-1\">A Minor Melodic Diatonic Chords<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When talking about music in terms of \u201c1-5-6-4,\u201d it can <em>sound<\/em> complicated, but it really isn\u2019t. We&#8217;ll show you how this works, step by step!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\">\ud83d\udd25\ud83c\udfb9 <b><i>HOT TIP!<\/i><\/b> If you&#8217;re new to chords, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-piano-chords\/\">How to Play Piano Chords: Triads, 7ths, Chord Extensions and More<\/a>. It&#8217;ll tell you everything you need to know about the backbone to piano music: chords!<\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nashville\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>The Nashville Number System for Piano<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Nashville Number System, we assign a number to each degree of the scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-1\" style=\"font-size:28px\">C Major Example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at C Major. C Major contains the notes C-D-E-F-G-A-B. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C is the first note of the scale, D is the second, and so on. Each note of the scale is called a <strong>scale degree<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/C%20Major%20Nashville%20Number%20System.png\" alt=\"Nashville Number System explained on piano diagram with notes and scale degrees labelled, C major.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We assign each scale degree a number, and to be honest, that&#8217;s the gist of the Nashville Number System! <strong>We use these numbers, named after scale degrees, as a shorthand to name chords. <\/strong>We&#8217;ll cover that in detail in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To hammer in this concept, let&#8217;s take a look at a minor key example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-2\" style=\"font-size:28px\">A Melodic Minor Example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept for A Melodic Minor is similar, but a few extra markings are required to accurately label some scale degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can recall the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-scales\/#minor-scales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rules for minor scales<\/a>, a melodic scale is when the sixth and seventh notes are raised a half-step when we play the scale going up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-medium-font-size\" style=\"color:#f61a30\"><strong>A Minor Melodic Scale<\/strong><br>A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In A Minor, where by default there are no sharps and flats, this means we play F sharp and G sharp instead of F and G.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can represent this in the Nashville Number System by writing #6 and #7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/A%20Minor%20Nashville%20Number%20System.png\" alt=\"Keyboard diagram with A minor melodic notes labelled and scale degrees labelled underneath. 6th and 7th notes are labelled #6 and #7.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Scale degrees are pretty straightforward, but how are they used? Let&#8217;s look at some naming conventions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-3\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Numbering System for Chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone says &#8220;play a &#8216;one chord&#8217; in C Major,&#8221; this really means: &#8220;Play the chord built on the first scale degree of the C Major scale.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this concept sounds familiar, you&#8217;re on to something! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diatonic chords<\/a> are chords built on each degree of the scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you were going to play a triad shape on top of every note of the C Major scale, you&#8217;ll play this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/diatonic%20chords%20c%20major%20copy.png\" alt=\"C Major diatonic whole note triads with notes labelled at bottom and numbers 1-7 on top.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When we say something like &#8220;the 1-5-6-4&#8221; progression, this just means we&#8217;re moving from the 1 chord to the 5 chord, then the 6 chord and then the 4.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/nashville%20numbering%201564%20progression.png\" alt=\"Progression of whole note triads: C, G, Am, F. Labelled numbers on top: 1, 5, -6, 4.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In this example, &#8220;-6&#8221; is used to identify a minor chord. Some people also write minor chords as &#8220;6m.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/pop-piano-chord-progressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1-5-6-4 progression<\/a> is one of the most popular chord progressions ever. You&#8217;ll find it in pop songs everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"blue-text-block\">\ud83d\udcdc\ud83c\udfb9 <b><i>HISTORY BITE:<\/i><\/b> The Nashville Number System was developed in the 1950s for use by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nashville_Number_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Jordanaires<\/a>, who were recording music in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"romannumerals\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Roman Numeral Analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s take this one step further and talk about Roman Numeral Analysis. The advantage of using Roman numerals instead of Arabic numbers is that you can use uppercase and lowercase letters. <strong>We use uppercase letters to represent major chords and lowercase letters to represent minor chords.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we&#8217;ve mentioned, &#8220;-6&#8221; and &#8220;6m&#8221; can be used to notate minor chords too, but this is less common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-1\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Roman Numeral Analysis for Diatonic Chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the diatonic chords of C Major in Roman Numeral Analysis notation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/diatonic%20chords%20c%20major%20-%20roman%20numerals.png\" alt=\"C Major diatonic triads in whole notes along standard staff. Notes labelled underneath and Roman numerals on top: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viio. \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>*Sidenote: the little &#8220;o&#8221; symbol after the vii chord means this is a <strong>diminished chord<\/strong>. A diminished chord is a stack of minor thirds. A minor chord is a major third stacked on top of a minor third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, in major keys, the ii chord will always be minor, the V chord will always be major, and so on. Here are all the diatonic chords for D Major:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/diatonic%20chords%20d%20major%20roman%20numerals.png\" alt=\"D Major diatonic triads in whole notes along standard staff. Notes labelled underneath and Roman numerals on top: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viio. \"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Neat, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"transposition\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Use Numbers to Transpose Music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So what&#8217;s the purpose of learning all these symbols? Well, using numbers is a handy way to talk about music because you&#8217;re not tied to key this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your band writes a song in C Major, then decides mid-way through practice to play it in F Major, the number system lets you quickly transpose a song from C Major to F Major. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-1\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Transposing a Progression From C Major to F Major<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, take our favorite 1-5-6-4 progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p>Here&#8217;s the progression in C Major.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/nashville%20numbering%201564%20progression.png\" alt=\"C Major chord progression in standard notation with C, G, Am, and F triads labelled 1, 5, -6, and 4.\" width=\"539\" height=\"105\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p>And here&#8217;s the same progression, notated with the same numbers but transposed to F Major.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/F%20Major%20Progression%20Nashville%20copy.png\" alt=\"F Major progression of F, C, Dm, and Bb triads on standard notation and numbers 1, 5, -6, 4 above.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With Nashville numbers, you don&#8217;t have to go through the trouble of transposing everyone&#8217;s sheet music. You just need to write the chord chart in numbers, and then decide on the key later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nashville system is very useful among, say, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/worship-piano\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worship bands<\/a> who must adjust their key according to the congregation&#8217;s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"advanced\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Advanced Chord Symbols<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we&#8217;re comfortable discussing the Nashville Number System for piano, let&#8217;s explore it further. After all, we don&#8217;t just have major and minor chords. How about slash chords, inversions, and other stuff?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-1\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Chord Inversions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-inversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inversions<\/a> are notated in a similar way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/slash-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slash chords<\/a>. The number before the slash indicates the scale degree on which to build your chord. The number after the slash indicates the scale degree to be played with the left hand as a bass note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>As an example, take the first inversion of the C Major chord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The C Major triad in root position is C-E-G. C is the 1st note of the C Major scale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The C Major triad in 1st inversion is E-G-C. E is the 3rd note of the C Major scale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Therefore, C Major in 1st inversion is notated as 1\/3 in the Nashville Number System.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-huge-font-size\" style=\"color:#f61a30\"><strong>1\/3<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Roman Numeral Analysis system, inversions are notated quite differently. Scroll down to the <a href=\"#figuredbass\">figured bass<\/a> section if you want to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-2\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Slash Chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Slash chords are notated the same way as inverted chords. So a G chord in C Major with an E in the bass would look like this: 5\/3. (G is the fifth note of the C Major scale, and E is the third note of the C Major scale.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-3\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Seventh Chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To indicate a seventh chord, add a superscript &#8220;7&#8221; to your chord. So, in C Major, a dominant 7th (G7) chord will look like this: 5<sup>7<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-4\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Other Symbols<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You may encounter other shorthand symbols such as&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/5-chord%20diamond.png\" alt=\"5 in a diamond.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Diamond<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A diamond symbol means to let a chord ring out for the duration of the measure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/5-chord%20arrow.png\" alt=\"5 with &quot;&gt;&quot; symbol above.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Arrow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arrows symbolize a &#8220;push&#8221; in rhythm. &#8220;&gt;&#8221; often means to play the chord an eighth note later, while &#8220;&lt;&#8221; may mean playing the chord an eighth note earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Underlines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a chord changes mid-measure, this may be noted by underlining two chords that belong in the same measure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/underlined%20chords.png\" alt=\"Whole note C triad (C-E-G) labelled with 1. Followed by half note F (F-A-C) and G (G-B-D) triads labelled with 4 and 5 and underlined.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>People may write their chord charts differently according to habit. If you&#8217;re not sure what something means, just ask whoever wrote the music! Then, it may be a good idea to discuss what conventions to take so everyone&#8217;s on the same page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find some interesting examples of what chord charts by different musicians look like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harmonycentral.com\/articles\/guitars\/crunching-the-nashville-number-system-r494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/nashville-number-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-5\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Summary Table<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a handy chart that summarizes what we&#8217;ve discussed. Note: this is all in C Major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/number%20system%20table%20copy.png\" alt=\"Table summarizing what a chord looks like on standard notation, its notation in Nashville system, its notation in Roman numerals, and how it's read out loud. Row 1: 1 chord, I chord, &quot;one chord.&quot; Row 2: 5-7 chord, V-7 chord, &quot;five seven chord.&quot; Row 3: 4\/6 chord, IV-6 chord, &quot;four six&quot; or &quot;four chord in first inversion.&quot;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"figuredbass\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>BONUS! Figured Bass<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p>The Nashville Number System is similar to <strong>Figured Bass<\/strong>, which is a musical notation system that&#8217;s been used since the Baroque period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figured Bass is a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Figured_bass#Numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shorthand<\/a> used by musicians to improvise a bassline or accompaniment called <em>basso continuo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s an example from the 1689 opera <em>Dido and Aeneas<\/em> by Henry Purcell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/Dido%20figured%20bass.png\" alt=\"Figured bass example from &quot;Thy Hand, Belinda&quot; from Dido and Aeneas opera.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Thy Hand, Belinda&#8221; from Dido and Aeneas (1689) by Henry Purcell (<a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Purcell_diatonic_chromaticism.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, numbers in Figured Bass indicate what notes above the supplied bass note should be played. However, Figured Bass often omits many notes that are taken as &#8220;givens.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figured bass is a little more complex than the Nashville shorthand, but the useful thing about this system is that you can very precisely express inversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combined with Roman Numeral Analysis, the root, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion of the I chord in C Major can be expressed like this:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/inversions.png\" alt=\"Figured bass example in standard notation and Roman numeral analysis. Root, first inversion, and 2nd inversion C chord with intervals labelled and Roman Numeral analysis numbers: I, I-6, I-6-4.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;5&#8221; and &#8220;3&#8221; are omitted due to convention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-1\" style=\"font-size:28px\">A Minor Melodic Diatonic Chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Up for a challenge? Let&#8217;s take a stab at deciphering the diatonic chords of the A minor melodic scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/diatonic%20chords%20a%20minor%20roman%20numerals%20copy.png\" alt=\"Minor diatonic chords on standard notation with notes labelled and roman numeral analysis labelled: i, ii, III+, IV, V, #vio, #vii0.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Wow, what a doozy! Okay, let&#8217;s break down III+ and #vi<sup>o<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>III+<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>The uppercase &#8220;III&#8221; means this is a major chord, but the story doesn&#8217;t end here. After all, C-E-G is a major chord, so what&#8217;s C-E-G#?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C-E-G# sounds unique because it contains an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/understanding-piano-intervals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interval<\/a> called an augmented 5th. The augmented 5th is one half-step &#8220;larger&#8221; than a typical perfect fifth. A perfect 5th from C is C-G, so sharping the G extends the interval by one half-step.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/III%2B%20aug%205%20copy.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of the III+ chord. C-E-G# with augmented 5th labelled between C and G#.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>#vi<sup>o<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>A similar concept can be applied to this chord, except we&#8217;re going in the opposite direction and<em> narrowing<\/em> the fifth. Without the F#, the interval between F and C would be a perfect fifth. But by sharping F, we reduce the distance by one half-step and create a diminished 5th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sharp in front of the vi chord just means our bottom note, F, is sharped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Number%20System%20Rewrite\/dim%205.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of #vio chord: F#-A-C, with &quot;diminished 5th&quot; interval labelled between F# and C.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s it for now about the Nashville Number System! Every piano player should know this notation system. It&#8217;s simpler than standard notation, flexible to use, and gives you space to use your ear and improvise. The next time you write a chord chart, try using this system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Nashville Number System for piano assigns numbers to each degree of the scale and is a must-know tool for every pianist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[507],"tags":[1133],"class_list":["post-4481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chord-theory","tag-survey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4481"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13576,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481\/revisions\/13576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}