The Nashville Number System [Spiral-bound]

Chas Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2005

THE NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM
In the late 50's, Neil Matthews devised a musical number system for the Jordanaires to use in the studio. Charlie McCoy and fellow studio musicians began adapting Matthews' number system into chord charts. The Nashville Number System has evolved into a complete method of writing chord charts and melodies---combining Nashville shorthand with formal notation standards.  
The Nashville Number System is 130 pages with a step by step method of how to write a Nashville number chart for any song. Included with each NNS book in Edition 7 is the cd, "String Of Pearls". This is a 10 song cd of  instrumentals, including, Amazing Grace. I walk you through the details of each song and explain the Number System tools used to write the charts. Now, while listening to the cd, you can see and hear how Nashville number charts work.
THE NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM includes a collection of handwritten number charts for the songs on the cd, String Of Pearls. Each song is charted by hand from the cd by:
  • Charlie McCoy (Hee-Haw)   • David Briggs (Session Keyboardist/Arranger) • Eddie Bayers (Session drummer)   • Jimmy Capps (Studio guitarist, Grand Ole Opry Staff Band) • Brent Rowan (Studio guitarist/Producer) • Lura Foster (Charts for TV shows: Nashville Now, Music City Tonight, Primetime Country) • John Hobbs (Session Keyboardist) • Mike Chapman (Session Bassist) • Biff Watson (Session Guitarist) • Chris Farren (Producer/Guitarist) • Tony Harrell (Session Keyboardist/Studio Owner)
Each of these musicians wrote 5 number charts in his or her style from the String Of Pearls cd.
For example, the song, String Of Pearls, has charts written by: Charlie McCoy, Brent Rowan, John Hobbs, Jimmy Capps and Biff Watson.
The song, Waylon, has charts written by Tony Harrell, Lura Foster, Chris Farren, Biff Watson and Eddie Bayers.
The idea is that you’ll be able to compare, side by side, some of the different styles of notation and symbols you can use to chart the same piece of music. So, as you listen to a song on the cd, you can flip between different charts written of the same song.
These different charts represent the kinds of numbering techniques that you are liable to run into in almost all of the major recording and television studios, clubs, showcases, rehearsal halls, and other situations where music is performed in Nashville.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"NNS is as valid in Boston as in Nashville. Berklee is using NNS to prepare students for the recording industry." -- Robert Stanton: Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music

"The Nashville Number System is the most informative book for learning this system." -- Eddie Bayers

"The Nashville Number System, is a book I really needed when I moved to Nashville." -- Mark O'Connor

"The Nashville Number System, is a book I really needed when I moved to Nashville." -- Mark O'Connor

"This book seems to be the definitive answer to those desiring to understand the Nashville Number System." -- Brent Rowan

Chas' book is valid in Boston as in Nashville. Berklee is using tNNS to prepare students for the recording industry. -- Robert Stanton, Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music

From the Publisher

The Nashville Number System was originally written and published in 1988 by Chas. He has rigorously updated and edited the book for each of 7 subsequent editions. Featured here is the 2005 printing and 7th edition of The Nashville Number System; expanded with the inclusion of the cd/cd rom, String Of Pearls. By word of mouth, this book has become the most recommended source for learning the Number System.

The Nashville Number System is used as a text at Berklee College of Music, in Boston; Belmont University, in Nashville, MTSU in Murfreesboro,TN and Morehead State University in Kentucky; and other schools that are preparing students for a music career in Nashville.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 130 pages
• Publisher: Chas Williams; 7th edition (July 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963090674
• ISBN-13: 978-0963090676
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nashville Cat Who Knows the Nashville Technique!, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Nashville Number System (Spiral-bound)

Charles does it right ... if you want to understand the Nashville Number System, in plain simple english, this is the book I recommend in my tutorial at GuitarNotes.Com and at my site.

~~Alan Horvath

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for an excellent tool!, May 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Nashville Number System (Spiral-bound)

So, what happens is, you're playin' with a bunch of Nashville dudes, see? They're cuttin' this song, and the big-shot says, "progression is 1, 4, 5 ... the chorus goes: 4, 5, 6minor - three times; fourth time, it goes 4, 5, 1." What do you do? You go, "what key is it in?" 'Course, you should be able to figure that out by a quick listen, and a tap or two on your guitar ... but even if you don't, someone's bound to think you're just lazy, and blurt out, "It's in G, man!" So, okay ... big deal. You can count! You know the song goes G, C, D ... exept in the chorus, which goes C, D, Em - three times, and then C, D, G the fourth time. The cool thing about it, is when the vocalist arrives and he/she can't sing in the key of G! ... it has to be in the key of D! Nothing changes. The progression is still 1, 4, 5, etc. -- only now you're starting from D as #1 and counting. So, now we're gonna play D, G, A ... and the chorus goes G, A, Bm - three times; fourth time is G, A, D. Pretty simple, huh? Everybody can do their private math, quietly, and, in ten minutes when the tape starts to roll, everybody sounds like they knew what was up all the time. The vocalist is very impressed! And, most of all, the guy cutting the checks is smiling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars of Great Benefit to bands / musicians., July 24, 2008

By 

David Swart (Oak Park, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nashville Number System (Spiral-bound)

I wouldn't say much of this book is original, but nevertheless very very useful. Having played with multiple bands over the past 15 years, it would be so helpful for musicians to learn this method to make playing together in different keys / transposing / writing etc be so much easier in a band format.