Nashville Number System

The Nashville Number System is a method of transcribing music by denoting the scale degree on which a chord is built.

[1] It resembles the Roman numeral[2] and figured bass systems traditionally used to transcribe a chord progression since the 1700s.

The Nashville Number System is a trick that musicians use to figure out chord progressions on the fly.

We don't get locked into an arrangement that we may feel is not as good as one we can improvise.The Nashville Number System can be used by anyone, including someone with only a rudimentary background in music theory.

The system makes it easy for bandleaders, the record producer, or the lead vocalist to change the key of songs when recording in the studio or playing live since the new key has to be stated before the song is started.

The Nashville Number System (also referred to as NNS) is similar to (movable-do) Solfège, which uses "Dó Ré Mi Fá Sol Lá Sí" to represent the seven scale degrees of the Major scale.

The key may be specified at the top of the written chord chart or given orally by the bandleader, record producer, or lead singer.

Conversely, the marcato symbol ^ over the number, or a staccato dot underneath, indicates that the chord should be immediately choked or stopped.

The "push" symbol ("<" and ">" are both used) syncopates the indicated chord, moving its attack back one-eighth note to the preceding "and".

If the measure is not evenly divided, beats can be indicated by dots or hash marks over the chord numbers.