TOPIC: Nashville numbering system

I know I have been improving some on my playing, but in class, when fretmentor starts calling out chords using the numbering system...I get lost. So I bought 2 copies of the Nashville Numbering System, written by Neal Matthews...who invented the system. One copy is for the drawing in class. I haven't finished the book yet, but I think it is a good supplement for what I have been learning from Fretmentor in the private lessons. Still don't get it yet.

To me the Nashville numbering just calls out the interval rather than the note so everything is valid for all keys. The I is the root, the 2 is a second (whole step), 3 a third, 4 is a perfect 4th, 5 is perfect 5th, etc. This carries on for the 7, Maj. 7, etc.

It's just a quick way of conveying the chords in a way that holds true even if you modulate.

Pretty straight forward, unless I'm missing something.

Hey brilind: What is a "perfect fourth" or "perfect fifth?" Are there imperfect versions? What's the difference?

The 4ths and 5ths are called perfect since they are theoretically neither majors or minors. This has to do with harmonic theory which is presently above my head also.

See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_fourth

Good luck.