Re: [Harp-L] Nashville number system explained

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

It seems to me that the number system might be best understood by not studying it directly but by studying the diatonic scale mapped on the chromatic scale in 12 places. You can make a simple slide-rule for that. Considering the chords as stacks of major and minor third intervals mapped on the chromatic scale is also helpful.  You can also make a slide-rule for that. Then the notions of key signatures and chord numbers become clear.  

I think that I understand it very well.  Regurgitating it at tempo is another matter. I suppose that is a function of my dedication and amount of practice.  Music talent may also be a part of the mix.  
I think that the musically talented get more "mileage" from each hour of practice.  

I got serious about music after I retired.  I think that starting at a younger age is also an advantage.

Vern

  
On Apr 19, 2010, at 9:04 AM, michael rubin wrote:

> When I first understood how helpful the numbers system could be, I
> basically devoted all of my practice time to get to the point where I
> could read any key as fast as any other as long as they were written
> in numbers.  There is no question that my ability to communicate with
> other musicians has shot through the roof and has helped keep me in
> many bands.
> 
> Although I was already teaching harmonica, I believe the idea that I
> could help others understand the numbers concept was the real
> incentive to becoming a full time teacher/performer.  It seemed the
> key to mass producing great harp players.
> 
> My analysis after years of teaching:  Everybody learns differently.  I
> still encourage everyone to understand as much about the numbers
> system as possible.  After hundreds of students I have yet to meet one
> who connects to it as much as I do.  Many people have a very tough
> time grasping the concept.  But more importantly, learning the time
> management skills necessary to finding these five minutes a day for
> one year that Larry talks about is hard for most people.  When people
> can learn to create a regular practice schedule, it is difficult to
> convince many people that of all the many things one could choose to
> practice that the numbers system is important enough to choose.
> 
> I instead think of my lesson time as an immersion into the country of
> harmonica where we talk in the language of music.  For one hour a
> week, my students have to communicate using many facets of this
> language, tablature, numbers, note names and if you request it,
> written music.  One hour a week adds up, and many students find
> themselves talking and thinking in the numbers system without any
> outside practice.  I have had many students tell the story of how they
> were sitting in, at a gig, rehearsal or practice and people were
> talking in numbers and they could follow and join in the conversation.
> 
> So I am more in agreement with Vern.  It is a hard system for many
> people.  Certain people have more of a knack for it than others.
> However, so many musicians use it to communicate that it is worth the
> effort.
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com
> 
> On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 7:25 AM,  <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>> It is easy and simple - it just doesn't happen overnight. If you commit to ONE YEAR of 5 min/day and spend one month on each key, you will have that Nashville Knowledge before you know it.
>> 
>> 
>> I'm not saying that it can't be done, just that it doesn't
>> seem either simple or easy to me!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>
>> To: Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; harp-l Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Sun, Apr 18, 2010 9:05 pm
>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Nashville number system explained
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Apr 18, 2010, at 2:28 PM, Ken Deifik wrote:
>> 
>>> Phil wrote:
>>>> If you've always wanted to know how the Nashville Number System worked,
>>>> here is a link to a Primier Guitar page that explains it.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> .................However, if you're a chromaticist and you can improvise
>> around chords and the music stays in the same key and doesn't modulate, and the
>> producer wants you to improvise all over the place, the number system becomes
>> highly useful.  (Donna Lee doesn't sit well in the Nashville number system.)
>>> 
>>> And if you're hired to play one of those instruments that was considered a
>> real instrument by the American Federation of Musicians before 1949, like say
>> guitars, pianos, basses, etc, the number system is positively golden.
>> 
>> The Nashville number system isn't much different from the roman numerals used to
>> designate chords in "music theory" or "tonal harmony" classes.  They add arabic
>> numeral superscripts for four-note chords and use lower-case for minor chords.
>> In Nashville, they use arabic numerals and - for minors...not a huge difference.
>> 
>> 
>> The advantage of the number system is that it is not key-specific.  Once you
>> write it down, it works for any key.
>> 
>> The disadvantage is that you must mentally associate a different chord in every
>> key with a number.  How many of you know immediately (without counting on your
>> fingers) that the -6 chord in the key of E is C#m (C#, E, G#)?  If you can do
>> that for 12 keys and 7 numbers for 84 combinations and 253 sets of 3 notes, you
>> have my admiration.  I'm not saying that it can't be done, just that it doesn't
>> seem either simple or easy to me!  If the vocalist wants to go up a halftone
>> from C to Db, I have a problem even if I'm looking at the chord numbers.
>> 
>> I always took the fact that the Nashville session players could use the number
>> system as proof that they were very accomplished musicians.  If you don't know
>> all of the chords by number in all of the keys, the Nashville number system
>> won't help you.
>> 
>> Vern
>> 
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