Numbers and chords
The Nashville Number System is a universal way to write chord progressions without locking them to one key. It is a simple piece of music theory that makes a chord chart easier for any musician to pick up. Every chord in a key is assigned a number based on its place in the scale, so the songwriting stays focused on chord relationships instead of only the letter names.
The simple tool below shows how numbers map to chords. Choose a key to see the chord names change while the numbers stay in the same places.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chords | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B° |
Read the progression
The power of the Nashville Number System is that it lets the shape of a chord progression lead the songwriting process. Songwriters often write a song in one key, practice it in another, and record it in still another. Nashville Numbers make it easy to transpose the song without rewriting the chart every time.
Our built-in Chord Chart editor lets you write either Nashville Numbers or letter-name chord charts, then transpose them as the song develops. That means each song in Make More Songs can be written once and carried into whatever key the moment requires.
Numbers belong next to the song
You can write Nashville Numbers on a simple chord chart, above lyrics, or beside section names. A short chart might look like this: [1]Meet me where the [4]morning opens / [6m]I will find my [5]way again.
The numbers are not a replacement for listening or playing. They are a compact way to keep the harmonic shape visible while the song is being written, rehearsed, or moved to another key.
Try the pattern in a real chart
The easiest way to learn the system is to change one familiar progression into numbers, then hear what happens when you change the key. Start with 1, 4, 5, and 6m. Once those feel familiar, you have a useful first map for writing and rehearsal.