The Nashville Number System: How to Read and Write Number Charts

Walk into a recording studio in Nashville and you might not see a single chord name on the music stands. Instead you'll see charts full of numbers: 1, 4, 5, 6-. This is the Nashville number system, developed by session players who needed to read a song once and play it in any key the singer wanted, often on the first take.

It's not just for pros. Once you understand it, transposing becomes instant, songs become easier to learn, and you start to see how almost all music is built from the same few patterns. This guide shows how it works, from the basics to reading a real chart.

The basic idea: chords as numbers

Every major key has a scale of seven notes. Number them 1 to 7, and each number names the chord built on that note. In the key of G:

Number	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Scale note	G	A	B	C	D	E	F#
Chord	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F#dim
Written as	1	2-	3-	4	5	6-	7°

The 1, 4 and 5 chords are major. The 2, 3 and 6 are minor, written with a minus sign (or a lowercase m). The 7 is diminished and rarely used. This pattern is identical in every major key, which is the whole secret.

If this looks familiar, it's the same idea as Roman numerals (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°) in classical theory, just simpler to write and read on the fly. Our guide to guitar chord progressions uses Roman numerals, and they translate one to one.

One chart, every key

Here's the payoff. A progression written as numbers can be played in any key:

Numbers	Key of C	Key of G	Key of D	Key of A	Key of E
1 – 4 – 5 – 1	C – F – G – C	G – C – D – G	D – G – A – D	A – D – E – A	E – A – B – E
1 – 5 – 6- – 4	C – G – Am – F	G – D – Em – C	D – A – Bm – G	A – E – F#m – D	E – B – C#m – A
6- – 4 – 1 – 5	Am – F – C – G	Em – C – G – D	Bm – G – D – A	F#m – D – A – E	C#m – A – E – B
2- – 5 – 1	Dm – G – C	Am – D – G	Em – A – D	Bm – E – A	F#m – B – E

Learn the pattern once and you can play it anywhere. This is also the fastest way to understand why so many songs sound alike: they share the same numbers. Our key guides go deeper on each: G, C, D, A and E.

How to read a Nashville chart

A typical chart lists the key at the top and then the song section by section. Each number usually represents one bar (in 4/4 time, four beats):

Key: G     4/4

INTRO   1    1    4    1

VERSE   1    5    6-   4
        1    5    4    4

CHORUS  4    5    6-   6-
        4    5    1    1

In G, the verse is G – D – Em – C, then G – D – C – C. The chorus is C – D – Em – Em, then C – D – G – G. If the singer wants to try it in A, nothing on the chart changes; you just think "1 is A."

Split bars

When two chords share one bar, they're grouped together. Different players mark this differently: underlined, boxed, or in parentheses. Two numbers in one bar usually means two beats each:

VERSE   1    (4 5)    1    (2- 5)

In G, that's G for a bar, then C and D for two beats each, G for a bar, then Am and D for two beats each.

Common symbols

Symbol	Meaning	Example in G
6- or 6m	Minor chord	Em
5⁷ or 57	Dominant seventh	D7
4Δ or 4maj7	Major seventh	Cmaj7
2-7	Minor seventh	Am7
5sus	Suspended chord	Dsus4
1/3	Slash chord: 1 chord with the 3 in the bass	G/B
♭7	Chord built on the flatted 7th	F
◇ (diamond)	Play once and let ring	Hit G and hold
^ or < (push)	Play the chord early, ahead of the beat	Anticipate the change

Slash chords like 1/3 and 5/7 are everywhere in pop and country. Our guide to slash chords explains how to play them.

Chords outside the key

Songs often borrow chords from outside the key. Nashville charts handle these with flats and sharps in front of the number:

• ♭7: a major chord a whole step below 1. In G, that's F. Common in rock.
• ♭3 and ♭6: in G, B♭ and E♭. Common in rock and power ballads.
• 2 (major): written plainly as 2 when it's major instead of minor. In G, A major.
• 3 (major): in G, B major, often as 37 (B7) leading to 6- (Em).

What about minor keys?

There are two approaches, and you'll see both:

• Relative major numbering: the song is numbered from its relative major, so the home minor chord is 6-. A song in E minor is charted in G, with Em as 6-. Many Nashville players prefer this.
• Minor numbering: the minor chord is 1-, and other chords are numbered from it. Em – C – G – D becomes 1- – ♭6 – ♭3 – ♭7.

Whichever you use, write it at the top of the chart so everyone reads it the same way. See our guides to E minor and A minor for how minor keys work.

How to write your own number chart

1. Find the key. Usually it's the chord the song starts or ends on, and the one that feels like home.
2. Number the chords. Count up the scale from the key: if the key is D and the chord is G, that's 4.
3. Count the bars. Write one number per bar; group chords that share a bar.
4. Mark the sections: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and any repeats.
5. Add the details: pushes, diamonds, stops and slash chords.

Start with songs you already know. Writing out a chart is also one of the best ways to memorize a song. Our guide on how to memorize songs on guitar uses this idea.

Why guitarists love it

• Instant transposing. Change keys without rewriting anything. See how to transpose guitar chords for the manual method.
• Capo friendly. Think in numbers, then choose the capo position and shapes that suit you.
• Better ears. You start hearing "that's a 1 – 4 – 5" or "that's the 6- chord," which makes learning songs by ear much faster.
• Easier collaboration. Call out numbers in a jam and everyone can follow, whatever key you're in.

Practice exercise

Take the progression 1 – 5 – 6- – 4 and play it in G, then C, then D, then A, using the table above. Say the numbers out loud as you change chords. Then pick a simple song you know, work out its key, and write its chorus as numbers. Within a week, you'll find yourself recognizing number patterns in songs on the radio.

Two practice charts

Play each chart in G, then in C, then in D. Say the numbers out loud as you go.

CHART 1 (4/4)
VERSE   1    4    1    5
        1    4    5    1

CHART 2 (4/4)
VERSE   6-   4    1    5
CHORUS  4    5    6-   6-
        4    5    1    (4 5)

Chart 1 is the classic country and folk pattern. Chart 2 uses the minor 6 chord for an emotional verse and a split bar at the end of the chorus. In G, Chart 2's verse is Em – C – G – D; in C, it's Am – F – C – G. Same chart, different keys, no rewriting.

Fretwork's path teaches the number system as part of its theory lessons, alongside transposing and the capo, so you can play songs in any key. The first two stages are free, no card required.

Frequently asked questions