How to write half measure in nashville numbers

Wolfgang Mrazek · From: Sweden

Hi!
Quite many songs have half measures. I try to use nashville number system but I don't know how to write this. Can someone help me?

Best regards,
Wolfgang
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WBS 10 lefty

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

. . . .
6 / 2

Not very good at computer codes etc., but this is an example of what would be considered a split measure within 4 measures as convention for the NNS.

The slash dividing the chords with dots over each indicating the number of beats ea. part gets.

FI, if it called for 3 beats on the first part and only 1 on the second, then there would be 3 dots over the first and 1 over the second. If the measure was split equally in half the dots would not be necessary and shown as 6/2.

3 --- 3 --- 6/2 --- 5 random example.

Make sense, I hope.

You can probably find some better examples online or within Chas Williams Nashville Number System booklet.

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Two other ways to chart split measures are to put them in parentheses (2 6) or underline it.
I don't do the beats per chord dots unless it differs from two beats per chord.
Find what your guys are comfortable seeing and go with it.

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

For my own use, I don't write out every measure. After I have heard the song once, I can usually get by with just a sort of cliff notes on the changes. And yes, I will note a split measure as like 4/1.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Harlow Dobro

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

Here's 1 way

Another (hybredized)
The notation with words is the harmony I attempt

Wolfgang Mrazek · From: Sweden

Thanks, you are so great! Dave, that was very good examples of how to mix whole and half measures. Nice to have both the sheet notation and nashville notation together. Is this written with some software or special fonts?
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WBS 10 lefty

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

Some years ago I got an application call something like "Nashville Number Chart". It was really only a set of fonts that you installed. Then there were a few updates that included more fonts. I just tried to google it and can't find it. Maybe the guy quit messing with it.

I do the charts with regular old Microsoft Wordpad (stock item in windows). The notation that I need is done with Finale Printmusic. Just print the printmusic output as a .jpg. Then crop it and paste into the wordpad chart. I have to do some jiggling with font sizes, margins and line spacings to get it to come out right for my ipad screen. Print that as a .pdf and load into the ipad app called 'Gigbook' by 'Deep Dish Designs'.

I've done hundreds of them by now and can pop one out in less than an hour. There IS a learning curve!

Wolfgang Mrazek · From: Sweden

I did some googling and found a font for Nashville number symbols:

http://www.robhainesstudio.com/numchart/

... and samples of it:

http://www.robhainesstudio.com/numchart/sample_charts.htm

Maybe it's the one you originally had, Dave?

Thanks everyone for your info, it's very useful for me, as a new steeler in two bands with 40-50 new songs to learn in each band... (and also learn how to play steel ... ;0).

For some parts of the songs I use TablEdit for the sheet and tab notation. Then I have to take a screen shot of the TablEdit window, paste it to Paint, cut out some parts and paste it to ms word where I have my Nashville notation. It works but is tedious.
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WBS 10 lefty

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

That looks like it!

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Were I being given a chart, I'd prefer to see 6..2 instead of 6/2.
Seeing VI/II makes me think of a six chord with a 2 bass.

The handiest thing about NNS is its simplicity. Trying to convey too much starts a discussion about what is meant,
which is also an OK way to arrange music, unless you're already on stage.
This example is from http://www.robhainesstudio.com/numchart/sample_charts.htm

By this line, we'd be having a discussion.

I think the slash should be reserved for chord/bass.
Dots within the measure are good for delineating time.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Dave Little:

Looks like you must have played 'Always, Patsy Cline' and have added the vocal part!

Nice job!
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Bill Cunningham · From: Atlanta, Ga. USA

I have a few tunes charted for steel shows where there are three beats on one chord and on beat 4 a passing chord into the next measure. I used parentheses as Roger mentioned and placed three dots above the first chord and one dot above the beat 4 chord. Seems to work with the players who have sight read it, assuming they were generally chart literate.

Where the measure has two beats on each chord simple parentheses or / seem to work.

As was mentioned above, get the Nashville Numbers System book by Chas Williams. There is weath of information on various styles in that book.

I am becoming more of a believer in standard notation chords on line and staff assuming the band can read it. I just bought a subscription to Sebelius. $6.95 a month. The program seems pretty intuitive and that system has been standardized for a little while now. Laughing

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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA

Michael Holland · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

I see that some use parentheses for split bars. It's more common that the split bar is underlined to show that the two (or more) changes occur within the bar designated by the underlined section (measure). If the chords within the measure are of differing duration that is often noted above the chord names or numbers by, for instance, a half note followed by two quarter notes, denoting that the first chord in the measure receives two beats, while each of the following chords in the same measure receive one beat each.
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"I am certain of nothing", Anthony Bourdain

Kyle Everson · From: Nashville, Tennessee

There are many different ways to approach a Nashville number chart. Some are unique to the session leader/producer that wrote them. To add to what Dave posted up above, here is another way to write the intro to "Set 'Em Up Joe." The parentheses show a 2/4 bar (half bar) and the underlined portion is a 4/4 bar where each chord gets 2 beats. Keeping in mind that there's no wrong way to do it, as long as everyone on the session understands the labeling beforehand.

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