The Nashville Number System - Softcover

Chas Williams

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0963090674 ISBN 13: 9780963090676

Publisher: Chas Williams, 2023

Synopsis

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.

About this title

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.

From the Author:

String Of Pearls is an Extended CD / CD ROM. As well as high quality audio that will play in your cd player, you can insert the disc into your computer and watch animated number charts as you listen to the songs. On your computer, there will be a click track with each song and a highlight moving from chord to chord in time with the music. You can see exactly how to count each measure in real time with the music. Counting bars is probably the hardest part of the number system to teach. With this cd rom, you will be able to see, hear and feel how these charts work.
  I wrote all of the songs to demonstrate different feels, how to feel phrases and understand counting bars. For example, Winter Break is an 8ths Country Rock, Waylon is 6/8 with a Halftime feel and Pelican Shuffle is a 2 beat shuffle that goes into a Ray Price shuffle during the choruses.
  As you listen to the cd, you’ll be able to compare some of the different styles of notation and symbols Nashville musicians use to chart the same piece of music. The different charts show 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.

So, whether you are a songwriter trying to get your material performed, a band leader teaching songs from a record, a producer teaching an arrangement or a musician learning an arrangement  in the studio, The Nashville Number System is a great way of presenting your songs and musical ideas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chas Williams
• Publication date: 2023
• ISBN 10: 0963090674
• ISBN 13: 9780963090676
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• Number of pages: 129