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Guitar chord forum - chordie → About Chordie → Using Chord numbers rather than names
For those of us that know just enought to be dangerous, it would be excellent if the transposing engine could make the chords print out in number format, rather than name. You know, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii7, ect. Is this possible, or is it already in the Chordie vocabulary? Thansk, and I love the site!
I Second that, Printing out in numbers would be cool.
Can someone explain this system and its benefits ? I got no idea at all what this kind of thing is at all . It sounds like a whole lot more learning - when i have spent 30 years learning chord shapes . Thanks , but as i say , I have no idea at all.
As I understand the Nashville numbering system it goes like this;
Whole Step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step
Key of "A"
A......A#/Bb......B......C......C#/Db......D......D#/Eb......E......F......F#/Gb......G......A......
[.....................][......][.....................][.....................][................][..........][......]
WS HS WS WS WS HS HS
1.....................2.......3......................4......................5................6...........7......1
In a 1 - 4 - 5 progression 1 = A, 4 = D and E = 5.
The 1st, 4th and 5th chords will be majors, 2nd, 3rd and 6th chords will be minors and the 7th chord will be a diminished chord. (keep in mind the 5th chord of a key could be a shown as "57". If / when this happens, as in the key of "A" that chord will be played as a E7 chord. Also, a minor chord could be shown as a seventh chord. If a chord, in any key is shown as "27" then that chord would be as a seventh (Key of "A" a chord listes as "27" would be played as a "Bm7" chord) Anyway, that's the general idea. Chords for any key can be determined by writing out the notes, as I did above, then using the Whole Step, Half Step, Whole
Step principle then applying the numbers 1 thru 7.
Nela
jeez .... thanks for the time and effort nela . but i got to admit - i cannot grasp it myself. thanks again .
jeez .... thanks for the time and effort nela . but i got to admit - i cannot grasp it myself. thanks again .
I second that!
i really have nooo idea what you are talking about........
Actually, I can see the system but I'll stick to the chord letters! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Sounds like I opened a can of worms or some thing like it... Nela, I haven't seen it explained that way, but it certainly works, and I like it. The way I learned is roman numeral "I" is the root of the major scale. a small "ii" would mean a minor cord, and a viidim is the 7th diminished.
For you that don't get it, it is really easy, once you picture it. Remember, it's just a scale.
It is useful if you play with other people, and they learned a songe in G, but you learned it in C. Oh crap, if you can't transpose quickly, or don't have a capo handy, your not going to be able to keep up.
But imagine you know the songs cord progression as " I V IV V I" or "1 5 4 5 1", you can change keys really easy. In G it would be "G D C D G" and in C it would be "C G F G C" and in A it would be " A D E D A". YOu get the idea. (Refer to Nela's post)
THe folks that let me play with them call the key for a particular song to fit the vocal range of whoever's turn it is to sing. I can sing some songs in G, but some I have to do in C, even though they might not of been recorded that way.
I hope I haven't totally confused ya'll.
JRW
This system is incredibly useful *IF YOU KNOW YOUR SCALES.* It allows you to transpose into any key immediately. It is also very popular with jazz players. It is also very popular with me. 
I will make absolutely 0 sense to anyone who doesn't understand their scales, and how they relate to chords, though.
Here is a scale, in any key.
I ii iii IV V vi vii7
Plug in your notes, and there you go.
In C major, for example.
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim7 C
Scales. Learn 'em. Know 'em. Live 'em.
The chart I posted is something that was drilled in me by a music teacher I had in Denver, Colorado. His main goal was for me to learn to transpose songs to different key's in order to be able play as the song is being sung and not how it was recorded. Since I had told him I would only be in Denver working for a short while he felt that this was the most important thing for me to learn due to my circumstances. My work keeps me away from home and I only get home 2 weekends a month. While I am away I take my acoustic guitar, CD player, CD's, song book and my computer with me. I will download the song from the internet, find the CD, listen and learn the song as the CD is recorded. Now my wife sings mostly in the key of "G" so if the CD is in another key I have to change everything. A lot of songs I download don't have the chords shown or even the key. I try to listen to the CD, try to figure out the Key, the strum pattern ( I play rythem), where the chords change and write that all down. I have learned almost a hundred songs doing this. For the most part I am self-taught since I have only had 8 half hour lessons since I started playing about 2 years ago. I play 1 to 2 hours a day, 7 days a week, and more if I can. I am 56 years old and my ear is nowhere as good as it should be. This has become a passion for me and I want to continue to learn. I practice all the time but find myself practicing "songs" rather than improving my skills and I know that is wrong. I know some scales but am not as good as I should / could be. I find myself following the patterns and not knowing the notes themselves. Anyway, thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
Nela
Guitar chord forum - chordie → About Chordie → Using Chord numbers rather than names
