Writing charts in Nashville Number System - show us how you would chart some example

[MikeVB]

I've known and extensively used the Nashville Number System (NNS) for many years playing in bluegrass, old-time, and Americana bands. However, I've never used written charts before. We would just tell everyone the progression beforehand and off-mic during songs.

Now I'm starting to chart songs so I can provide one-page cheat sheets for my rock/country band.

Writing very basic charts with only chords is easy enough. But how do ya'll communicate syncopated rhythm information for example?

Wondered if some experienced chart writers might help us through some examples posted here?

Let's start with say Amie by Pure Prairie League. How would you chart it out if you wanted a session musician to be able to recreate the main rhythm guitar part?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPgNbFni0oI

Sorry, can't get the video to actually embed here properly.

[amyFB]

For a 4/4 time I would write like this:

I I IV I for straight four beat.

I .I IV I to indicate a shorter second beat

I IV I. V to show a dragged out third beat.

And I would expect to explain the dots part of the notation because I think I just made that up for myself years ago.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wyllys]

Nice shorthand, Amy. I think another way is to just write a one or two bar "one-note" rhythm block. Something like this:

https://www.praisecharts.com/products/rhythm-charts/

W