πΈ Nashville Number Chart Generator
Turn chord progressions into number charts, then transpose them to any key.
Nashville number chart
Legend: 6- means minor six, 7 dim means diminished, b7 and #4 are chromatic chords. Chord qualities (m, 7, dim, sus) are preserved when transposing.
How to Use This Generator
Enter the chords of your song exactly as you play them, pick the song's key, and the generator converts every chord into Nashville Number System notation. Choose a target key to see the same progression transposed, spelled with the correct sharps or flats for the new key. Copy the chart to take it to rehearsal or the studio.
Type your chord progression into the box, separating chords with commas, spaces, or line breaks. Chord qualities work too: Am, G7, F#m, Bbdim, Csus4, and similar are all understood.
Select the song's key from the Song key dropdown. This tells the generator which scale degree each chord root sits on.
Read the number chart: plain numbers are major chords, a dash means minor (6-), a small circle means diminished, and b or # marks chromatic chords like b7 or #4.
Pick a Transpose to key to see every chord rewritten for the new key, then press Copy Chart to grab the numbers for your setlist or chord sheet.
How Nashville Numbers Work
The system treats the major scale as seven numbered slots: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Each chord takes the number of its root's slot, and the chord's quality is marked with a compact symbol. In the key of C, the diatonic chords are 1 = C, 2- = Dm, 3- = Em, 4 = F, 5 = G, 6- = Am, and 7 dim = Bdim. That compact line of symbols replaces a full page of chord names, and it never needs rewriting when the singer decides the song sits better a step higher.
Chromatic chords, the ones borrowed from outside the key, get an accidental relative to the nearest scale degree. In C major, Bb major is the b7 chord (a whole step below the 7th degree), F# is the #4 chord, and Eb is the b3 chord. Nashville charts also use rhythmic shorthand: a diamond around a number means hold the chord, and underline marks or slashes divide beats within a measure, but the numbers themselves are the core of the system.
Worked Example
Take the progression G, Em, C, D in the key of G. The G major scale is G(1), A(2), B(3), C(4), D(5), E(6), F#(7). G is the 1 chord, Em is the minor chord on degree 6 (6-), C is the 4 chord, and D is the 5 chord, so the chart reads 1, 6-, 4, 5. Transpose to the key of A using the tool, and you get A, F#m, D, E, the exact progression countless songs use in A.
Now try something chromatic: in the key of C, the progression C, Bb, F, C becomes 1, b7, 4, 1. The b7 is the giveaway of a Mixolydian rock flavor, heard in songs from Sweet Home Alabama onward. Because the chart says b7 instead of Bb, a horn player reading it in Eb instantly knows to play Db without anyone rewriting the chart.
Practical Tips
Learn to think in numbers and you will start recognizing that most pop, country, and worship songs recycle a small set of charts: 1-5-6--4, 1-6--4-5, and 6--4-1-5 cover an enormous share of the radio. When you learn a new song, convert it to numbers with this tool and file the number chart instead of the chord chart; next time you need it in a different key, the transposition is already done.
At rehearsals, calling numbers instead of chord names keeps everyone together when the key changes mid-set. Drummers and bass players especially love number charts because the numbers map directly onto scale degrees they already think in. One caution: always confirm whether the bandleader wants the dash-style minor marking (6-) or the lowercase Roman style, since players trained in classical theory sometimes expect vi instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nashville Number System?
The Nashville Number System represents chords as numbers based on their scale degree instead of letter names. In the key of C, the progression C, G, Am, F becomes 1, 5, 6-, 4. Because the numbers describe each chord's function rather than its pitch, the same chart works in every key, which is why Nashville session players can play a song in any key on sight.
How do I read the numbers in a Nashville chart?
Each number is the scale degree of the chord root: 1 is the tonic chord, 4 is the chord built on the fourth scale degree, and so on. A dash after the number means minor (6- is the six minor chord), a small circle means diminished, and a 7 means a seventh chord. So 1, 4, 5, 5 in C major means C, F, G, G.
Who invented the Nashville Number System?
The system was developed in the late 1950s by Neal Matthews Jr. of the Jordanaires, the vocal group behind Elvis Presley. It spread through Nashville's session scene because it let arrangers hand players a single compact chart and then call out any key at the session, saving expensive studio time.
How do I convert chords to Nashville numbers?
Find the scale degree of each chord root in the song's key. In G major, the scale is G(1), A(2), B(3), C(4), D(5), E(6), F#(7), so the progression G, Em, C, D becomes 1, 6-, 4, 5. This generator does the conversion for you, including accidentals like b7 and #4, and minor, diminished, and seventh chord qualities.
Can I transpose a song with Nashville numbers?
Yes, that is the system's greatest strength. Once you have the number chart, pick any target key and each number maps to the chord on that scale degree. Enter your progression and key above, choose a target key, and this tool shows the transposed chords instantly with correct sharps or flats for the new key.
What do b7 and #4 mean in a Nashville chart?
They are chromatic chords: chords whose roots are not in the major scale. The flat or sharp is measured against the major scale degree, so in the key of C, Bb is the b7 chord and F# is the #4 chord. These show up constantly in rock, blues, and pop, for example the b7 in a Mixolydian-flavored chorus or the #4 in a Lydian lift.