If you like these lessons, definitely check out www.zombieguitar.com/ It is a one-of-a-kind site dedicated to helping guitarists to understand the fretboard and create their own music. You will love it!!
Hi Brian I've played guitar for eons now and had a stop start relationship to theory. For me you've helped cracked the code to teaching for simpletons like myself. Not quite ready for the tattoo yet.Cheers from down under
If anyone would take anything out of this I would hope it would be: "EVERYTHING is derived from the major scale" Thank you for the clear to the point statement bro, I'm hoping more people pick up on that one
I'm using something kind of in between these 2 systems. I use Roman numerals but only from Major perspective but I also like to use slash chords (ie V/V) as I like to view chords through functional harmony
Been watching a ton of music theory and learning techniques for a long time and you finally help it all make sense with this video and you 8 week lead video! WOW Thanks
Working on a stage with new musicians with no charts I use a fingering system. No, not that one, although sometimes I have considered it. I use the actual keys. If we're in the key of G, one finger held up for 1 # for the key of G major. If I go to the key of D, two fingers held up for the key of D. 2 #'s. If I have to go to the key of F, one finger held down for 1b, which is the key of F. If the progression goes to Eb, three fingers held down. If the progression goes to the key of C, the OK or zero fingered symbol is used. This means, "no sharps or flats". If the tune starts out in G minor, I hold up one finger and then make a "slash" sign which means key of G minor. This system works great if you're doing a gig with an orchestra behind you which plays for the other acts and you want a "Taa-Daaaaaaa", or "circus ending" for your tune. Talk to the orchestra leader beforehand if possible, who understands your system, and ask him to watch you. When the song ends, with your hand to your side or behind your back, whichever is easier for the leader to see, make the proper fingering. Fingers up for sharps, fingers down for flats. The group I worked with had a guitarist who would signal the orchestra behind us, and they would always give us what I call the "circus ending". The audience thought the orchestra was part of our act. Give it a try.
Really great video again! At 14:35 you say the most important sentence. Even though a song is in minor you count the numbers of the chords from the major perspective. I always was confused how to view the numbers for minor songs. :D thanks for clearing this up Brian! ;)
There are different ways to think about this which can be confusing. Personally if I am in A minor key I prefer to think of Aminor as my one chord not as the 6th of the key of C. I then know to flatten the third sixth and seventh of the A major scale and I don't think about C at all. I get the other way which you prefer thinking of it as key of C and playing a 6 1 5 4 or whatever but as above works better for my way of thinking. Each to their own but need to understand both to communicate properly. Good video
That was amazing of you to explain something so twisted up . And then untwist it for us. Quite a great accomplishment. I have been really wondering which is overall the most efficient method in trying to share musical concepts with other musicians. You clarified things extremely well........Thank You Brian 🤜🏻⚡🤛🏻
Great lesson, Brian. I am working hard on trying to understand this type of information right now in my playing, so videos like this are a great help. I have saved this video to go over it a few times. Thanks.
@@zombieguitar No Brian... Thank you from every guitarist that has had difficulty understanding chord structure, theory and applying theory to practical playing. Well done sir.
For me it's more natural to name Am the i if song is in Am and name it vi if song is in C. But I do understand Brian's point too, having one name for the Am in C key signature
Great lesson Brian. Incorporating the printed charts really helps me a bunch. Hearing something spoken doesn’t always make its way to the memory bank, not for me anyway. If I read it at least once it might stay put…maybe….You’re very good at explaining what seems at first glance to be very confusing. And, as far as the Roman numeral system, I’ll stick to the Nashville system.
Very Cool video, I'm surprised I've never heard of using digits for chords is called "The Nashville System". I learned something new! I love your theory lectures!
Man, you look like someone I wouldn't want to mess with on the bus, but holy crap you are an awesome teacher!!! And getting the circle of fifths tattooed, that's badass. Thanks for the great video.
Been using Nashville system (originally learned Roman numeral) for years (bass player here). Been trying to get the rest of my band(s) into the Nashville system. Slowly but surely they have been , sort of, understanding it but often revert to just naming the chords in the progression. It’s problem for them to some degree when the female singer says during rehearsals “ I want to try this a few steps lower/higher.” By knowing the Nashville method I can quickly tell them the actual chords to use. I think they secretly hate that the bass player can tell them that information lol. I’ll send them a link to this lesson. It’s so well done Brian.
I feel like one point of confusion with writing a chart in major or minor has to do with where the progression is going. So, near the end of the video you play the progression. Am-F-C-G and I would definitely chart that in major since there’s no V or even v to i relationship. So it would be confusing to write that in minor because there’s nothing to indicate minor. So, if I had a progression that was like Am-C-Dm-E7, I would write it as i-III-iv-V7. Because a key isn’t just what chord the song starts or ends on, it’s about the pull of the progression. If you choose to end somewhere other than tonic, you should feel a lack of resolution, or at least feel like you’ve modulated. I prefer using a sort of hybrid method where I use Roman numerals for the chords and Arabic numerals for the other stuff like the bass note of slash chords for instance. I’m not about to start using figured bass for a chord chart lol
You both have an extensive knowledge and the gift to convey it. I am trying to learn the pedal steel guitar. Without the Nashville numbering system it would be impossible. The pedal steel for country is tuned in E9 tuning. There are ten strings. The fifth Is on the 5th and 10th string, the third is on the 3rd and 6th, and the root, which is E is on the 4th and 8th. Then the other strings are 7th, 7th major and 9th. By position the bar, you play the chords, by hitting the different pedals and levers you get the different chords marked at I ii iii IV V vi vii diminished. The Nashville number system makes it easy to play and play in every key.
Here is a great video on it: ruclips.net/video/ewfJXmzXCJw/видео.html. Basically it is tuned to E9 chord and multiple pedals and levers change the chords. This diagram explains the layout and explains why the Nashville Numbering system is so important. On the pedal steel, you can play easily in any key, once you know the pedal and levers to get the I IV V and ii iii and vi chord, you just have to move the bar. i.ytimg.com/vi/ewfJXmzXCJw/maxresdefault.jpg
Every November in Norwalk, CT there is a great pedal steel show. Contact them, maybe you can do some talks. www.psga.org/ In Orange Virginia, Billy Cooper Steel Guitar has a big store. It is near many historic sights. This is a great place to get a pedal steel guitar. www.billycooperssteelguitar.com/ facebook.com/BillyCoopersMusic/
Here is a lesson where a pedal steel player explains the Nashville numbering system on the pedal steel by hitting different strings and pedals and levers. ruclips.net/video/mU1zoMRGWrQ/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/lG6qp7F9ODI/видео.html
Hi Brian, i have some questions for the numbering of a song which has the 7 as normal minor chord and the 2 as major (if i am right please check this :D) It is the song "All The Stars" by Kendrick Lamar which has the following progression: AbM7 - Fm7 x2 Cm7 - Gm7 Cm7 - Bb In the Nashville system i would write the following: 1 - 6 x2 3 - 7- 3 - 2+ So here my questions: Is the 7- and the 2+ the correct way (and the others of course too :D ) How would i add the additional chord information (like 7th or 9th)? Just put it behind the "Nashville number"? Thanks in advance.
9:50 i think you shoulda mentioned that what you just did was chord substitution, since V and viio are both leading chords they often replaced. and in fact it's often argued that diminished chord is incomplete V7b9 chord without a root, so playing G7 could totally pass as your "diminished"
I did mention that the V can be used in place of the vii°. I try and pick and choose what to talk about and what NOT to talk about to avoid information overload 😎
Love that Taylor guitar! Is that the 814? Also - really a big fan of your videos. Been a subscriber for a long time and I watch a lot of guitar-centric RUclips channels, but you always break down the theory in a way I can understand. Thanks for all of it!
hi Brian just to let you know, i think your lessons are great, you put them across in a really easy to follow way or should i say a good down to earth way of explaining things and i will be getting the lifetime membership sometime in the near future. You just seem too be able to make things jump out at me and let me understand a lot easier. Many thanks for your youtube lessons also i am a great believer in the circle of 5ths and you seem to be the only one that uses it all the time for referance, WHAT A GREAT TOOL IT IS. Any chance of a pic of your tattoo ot the circle of fifths as i have been thinking of having it done. MANY THANKS AGAIN. Keep on rockin in the free world.
Hey thanks a lot Denis. I really appreciate it! Here in this lesson, I posted a picture of the tattoo about halfway down the page. Check it out! www.zombieguitar.com/understanding-diatonic-chord-progressions-triads-and-7th-chords/
Extensions don't change the chords functions. In C, you could have a progression that goes: Cadd9 - G11 - Am7 - Fmaj#11... That's still just a I - V- vi - IV progression 😁
Hey Paul, thanks for joining!! I actually need to redo this video. Someone from Nashville told me that I wasn't explaining the Nashville system correctly. The explanation of the Roman numeral system and circle of 5ths system was correct, but he said that the Nashville system uses all major chords, and dashes are used to indicate minor chords. I thought that it was essentially the same as the Roman numeral system, but I was wrong. I need to fix that. That said, since you are capitalizing all of the Roman numerals in your I VI II V progression, then that would mean that they are all major chords. In the "correct" Nashville numbering, which uses all major chords, it would simply equate to 1 6 2 5. However, I think what you really meant to ask was for a I vi ii V progression... In the corrected Nashville system that would equate to 1 6- 2- 5. The 6 and 2 are minor chords, so they have a dash after them!
@@zombieguitar Thanks again, Brian. Actually, I did mean all major chords. It's kind of ragtimey...think "Save the Bones for Henry Jones" or "Frim-Fram Sauce".
I do not play the guitar rather I play the piano. However, Can you please tell me how you would count the way you strummed the guitar at 11 minutes. I am trying to play a rhythm that accompanies the guitar player in my band but I do not know how the count the various ways the strum. Any resource you could point me to on youtube that explains how they count would be helpful as well. Thank you. Great overview video!
I just took a listen. It sounded like the count was 1 . 2 . . & 4. If counting the eighth notes along with a metronome, just play on 1 2 & 4. Give that a shot!
Great lesson Brian.With the circle of fifths diagram I was getting confused trying to remember which direction to go( clockwise or counter clockwise) to find the chord number.Ten I realised you just have to follow the musical alphabet. Is that correct?
When referring to the vi chord as the tonal center (aka. the Aeolian mode), I call that "the minor perspective". When the I chord is the tonal center (Ionian mode), I call it "the major perspective" 😁
There are no minor chords in the Nashville Number System scale! The NNS scale is as follows using the C scale... 1=C Major, 2= D Major, 3= E Major, 4= F Major, 5= G Major, 6= A Major, 7= B major. See?...no minor chords, no diminished chords, all Major chords. This scale (1,2m,3m,4,5,6m,7dim) is NOT the NNS. It is similar to Roman numeral and figured bass systems which date back to the 17th century.
I disagree 100%. If you said "1 5 6 4 in C" in the NNS, that would mean C G Am F... It is a way to communicate chord progressions from one musician to the next with the understanding that both musicians understand which diatonic chords are major and which are minor in the key.
@@zombieguitar You can disagree 1000% it is still wrong. THERE IS NOT ONE PROFESSIONAL NASHVILLE MUSICIAN THAT WOULD PLAY THE 6 AS A MINOR! There is no need for musicians to communicate which chords are major or minor. They are always major unless there is a suffix attached as in 2- or2m. Chas Williams has written the best book on the NNS. It is the book Berklee College of Music uses to teach the NNS. On page 15 he writes "A major chord needs no symbol. The number by itself always means that it is a basic major chord. Minor chords carry a minus sign to the right of the chord number, 6-." The key word in that quote is "ALWAYS." There are many so called "experts" spouting this false concept about the NNS...sadly, they are all wrong. I've been working in Nashville as a musician and producer, using the authentic NNS for more than 45 years...still use it every day, and I can tell you without question that ALL THE CHORDS IN THE NNS SCALE ARE MAJOR! I wish you would research this with some working Nashville musicians. I truly believe you are sincere in your teaching and I pray you learn the truth.
@@zombieguitar That's correct....you get it!! Go online and type in... NUMBER THEORY THE NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM - PAUL FRANKLIN. Paul is a world class Nashville musician. There you will see that he says exactly what I'm telling you. I'm just trying to get the truth out there. There are too many well meaning folks who are "drinking the koolaid" and preaching this misconception. Don't let any of them dissuade you. Let me know your thoughts after you see Paul's video.
@@nickbruno8495 I'll check it out. It sounds like you know what you're talking about. Ill take this video down after confirming. Thanks for bringing this to my attention 😀
Hey im a beginner and does it matter if I solo in a c major key and the background is an a minor key? And vice versa for every major and their relative minor key??? AND is it true that the 6th degree of any major key that’s its relative minor???
If the background music is in a minor key, then the music is minor. You would be playing the diatonic scale regardless of whether is is a major key or a minor key. It is the same exact scale patterns for both major and minor. The rhythm section is what dictates whether the music is major or minor, not the lead guitarist. So to answer your question - can you solo in C major if the chord progression is in A minor? The answer is "no". The chord progression has dictated that the tonality of the music is minor. Therefore when you play the diatonic scale over top of it, it will be A minor. It will still share the same patterns and all the same notes as the C major scale, but it will be called the A natural minor scale...which is 100% dictated by the chord progression. Make sense?
Every lesson that I make, I put a link in the description to the ad-free website version of the video, which also includes a written lesson too. The written lesson for this one will be up by mid next week 😎
Outstanding lesson Brian! First time I saw the Roman numeral minor notation with bIII etc. If in a mode or other scale do people refer to that as the 1 chord? Like D Dorian or playing in F Harmonic minor. Thanks!
When working in a mode, you could still take multiple approaches to how you think about it. In these cases, I do like to think of the Dm as the 'i chord' for Dorian just to reinforce the fact that the tonal center has changed from C major to Dm. The reason I don't think that way for a basic minor key is because I tend to play more chords in the progression, and the song will usually jump back and forth between the major and minor. However whenever I'm writing something that is purely modal, I tend to usually stay in that mode the whole time. But again, it's always important to understand both ways of thinking 😎
Just call the chords by their name, for instance F#m, D, A and E, and let the bandmembers find out for themselves what the progressions and key are, and how they relate.
Or just play the chords and let them figure everything out by ear. Sure, it's great to exercise our ears, they are a musicians most important tool. But this is like saying: just show someone how to weave a basket (simple enough), or show them how to do trigonometry, but don't use any words to describe how it's done (not so simple, perhaps close to impossible). See what I'm saying? Music theory is just a language.
If you give them the numbers, then the key doesn't matter. Play it in C or play it in G#, and you don't need to change a thing about the chord progressions. If you call chords by their names, transposing becomes much more of a nightmare than it should be for decent musicians.
If you like these lessons, definitely check out www.zombieguitar.com/
It is a one-of-a-kind site dedicated to helping guitarists to understand the fretboard and create their own music. You will love it!!
@@robertbrawley5048 E minor is a scale, or a chord. The note E is a single note. Eb is also a single note too!
This is the best explanation you will find on YT of using the circle of 5ths.
For real. I've seen plenty of people explain it and always been confused but this instantly clicked.
Hi Brian
I've played guitar for eons now and had a stop start relationship to theory. For me you've helped cracked the code to teaching for simpletons like myself. Not quite ready for the tattoo yet.Cheers from down under
If anyone would take anything out of this I would hope it would be:
"EVERYTHING is derived from the major scale"
Thank you for the clear to the point statement bro, I'm hoping more people pick up on that one
I'm using something kind of in between these 2 systems. I use Roman numerals but only from Major perspective but I also like to use slash chords (ie V/V) as I like to view chords through functional harmony
Excellent instruction here takin what can a very confusing topic and effectively explaining it.
Been watching a ton of music theory and learning techniques for a long time and you finally help it all make sense with this video and you 8 week lead video! WOW Thanks
Brian, once again, an area that I believed I understood you brought to an other level. Thank you!
Working on a stage with new musicians with no charts I use a fingering system. No, not that one, although sometimes I have considered it. I use the actual keys. If we're in the key of G, one finger held up for 1 # for the key of G major. If I go to the key of D, two fingers held up for the key of D. 2 #'s. If I have to go to the key of F, one finger held down for 1b, which is the key of F. If the progression goes to Eb, three fingers held down. If the progression goes to the key of C, the OK or zero fingered symbol is used. This means, "no sharps or flats". If the tune starts out in G minor, I hold up one finger and then make a "slash" sign which means key of G minor. This system works great if you're doing a gig with an orchestra behind you which plays for the other acts and you want a "Taa-Daaaaaaa", or "circus ending" for your tune. Talk to the orchestra leader beforehand if possible, who understands your system, and ask him to watch you. When the song ends, with your hand to your side or behind your back, whichever is easier for the leader to see, make the proper fingering. Fingers up for sharps, fingers down for flats. The group I worked with had a guitarist who would signal the orchestra behind us, and they would always give us what I call the "circus ending". The audience thought the orchestra was part of our act. Give it a try.
Really great video again! At 14:35 you say the most important sentence. Even though a song is in minor you count the numbers of the chords from the major perspective. I always was confused how to view the numbers for minor songs. :D thanks for clearing this up Brian! ;)
There are different ways to think about this which can be confusing. Personally if I am in A
minor key I prefer to think of Aminor as my one chord not as the 6th of the key of C. I then know to flatten the third sixth and seventh of the A major scale and I don't think about C at all.
I get the other way which you prefer thinking of it as key of C and playing a 6 1 5 4 or whatever but as above works better for my way of thinking. Each to their own but need to understand both to communicate properly. Good video
Chris, good stuff.
I’m wrestling with the best way to think about this.
Question: what do you personally do for other modes…?
That cleared up what I've been searching for and it's so helpful
Best teacher in the world!
That was amazing of you to explain something so twisted up . And then untwist it for us. Quite a great accomplishment.
I have been really wondering which is overall the most efficient method in trying to share musical concepts with other musicians. You clarified things extremely well........Thank You Brian
🤜🏻⚡🤛🏻
Great lesson, Brian. I am working hard on trying to understand this type of information right now in my playing, so videos like this are a great help. I have saved this video to go over it a few times. Thanks.
Thanks Brian. Your tutorial knocks it out of the park.
Brian, this lesson was an absolute EYE-OPENER.
Many thanks!!
Brian Kelly is the best music theory teacher on RUclips that I've found.
Thank you 😎
@@zombieguitar No Brian... Thank you from every guitarist that has had difficulty understanding chord structure, theory and applying theory to practical playing. Well done sir.
For me it's more natural to name Am the i if song is in Am and name it vi if song is in C. But I do understand Brian's point too, having one name for the Am in C key signature
Great lesson Brian. Incorporating the printed charts really helps me a bunch. Hearing something spoken doesn’t always make its way to the memory bank, not for me anyway. If I read it at least once it might stay put…maybe….You’re very good at explaining what seems at first glance to be very confusing. And, as far as the Roman numeral system, I’ll stick to the Nashville system.
Very Cool video, I'm surprised I've never heard of using digits for chords is called "The Nashville System". I learned something new! I love your theory lectures!
Brian you have a very good way of explaining music theory and how to apply it. Keep up the good work.
Man, you look like someone I wouldn't want to mess with on the bus, but holy crap you are an awesome teacher!!! And getting the circle of fifths tattooed, that's badass. Thanks for the great video.
Been using Nashville system (originally learned Roman numeral) for years (bass player here). Been trying to get the rest of my band(s) into the Nashville system. Slowly but surely they have been , sort of, understanding it but often revert to just naming the chords in the progression. It’s problem for them to some degree when the female singer says during rehearsals “ I want to try this a few steps lower/higher.” By knowing the Nashville method I can quickly tell them the actual chords to use. I think they secretly hate that the bass player can tell them that information lol. I’ll send them a link to this lesson. It’s so well done Brian.
I was always the theory nerd in any band that I was ever in too. It happens 🤷♂️
Another great lesson like all yours always are Thanks for your knowledge and time and sharing with us all.
Good lesson Brian. I need to go back and go over everything a few times to digest everything, but I got the main point. Thanks.
Awesome! Glad you liked the vid 😎
Thank you so much for explaining so clearly. Super handy for Steel guitar in ACEGACEG tuning
EXTREMELY GOOD EXPLAINATION.
Brian good lesson and very clear explanation. Rgds from Madrid (Spain)
Good lesson Brian, thank you for sharing.
I feel like one point of confusion with writing a chart in major or minor has to do with where the progression is going. So, near the end of the video you play the progression. Am-F-C-G and I would definitely chart that in major since there’s no V or even v to i relationship. So it would be confusing to write that in minor because there’s nothing to indicate minor. So, if I had a progression that was like Am-C-Dm-E7, I would write it as i-III-iv-V7. Because a key isn’t just what chord the song starts or ends on, it’s about the pull of the progression. If you choose to end somewhere other than tonic, you should feel a lack of resolution, or at least feel like you’ve modulated.
I prefer using a sort of hybrid method where I use Roman numerals for the chords and Arabic numerals for the other stuff like the bass note of slash chords for instance. I’m not about to start using figured bass for a chord chart lol
You both have an extensive knowledge and the gift to convey it. I am trying to learn the pedal steel guitar. Without the Nashville numbering system it would be impossible. The pedal steel for country is tuned in E9 tuning. There are ten strings. The fifth Is on the 5th and 10th string, the third is on the 3rd and 6th, and the root, which is E is on the 4th and 8th. Then the other strings are 7th, 7th major and 9th.
By position the bar, you play the chords, by hitting the different pedals and levers you get the different chords marked at I ii iii IV V vi vii diminished. The Nashville number system makes it easy to play and play in every key.
😯 that sounds crazy!! I'm gonna have to pick one of those up one of these days 😎
Here is a great video on it: ruclips.net/video/ewfJXmzXCJw/видео.html. Basically it is tuned to E9 chord and multiple pedals and levers change the chords.
This diagram explains the layout and explains why the Nashville Numbering system is so important. On the pedal steel, you can play easily in any key, once you know the pedal and levers to get the I IV V and ii iii and vi chord, you just have to move the bar.
i.ytimg.com/vi/ewfJXmzXCJw/maxresdefault.jpg
Every November in Norwalk, CT there is a great pedal steel show. Contact them, maybe you can do some talks. www.psga.org/
In Orange Virginia, Billy Cooper Steel Guitar has a big store. It is near many historic sights. This is a great place to get a pedal steel guitar.
www.billycooperssteelguitar.com/
facebook.com/BillyCoopersMusic/
@@GaryBook awesome! Thanks for the links!
Here is a lesson where a pedal steel player explains the Nashville numbering system on the pedal steel by hitting different strings and pedals and levers. ruclips.net/video/mU1zoMRGWrQ/видео.html
And
ruclips.net/video/lG6qp7F9ODI/видео.html
Well, this clears up a lot of confusion for me. Thanks!
Great lesson, broken down so even a simpleton like me can understand, thanks !
Great info. This gave me a breakthrough! Thanks
Good job of explaining Big B. Thanks as usual. 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸🎸
Brian..thanks. Great clear explanation!
This video is GOLD!!
Hi Brian, i have some questions for the numbering of a song which has the 7 as normal minor chord and the 2 as major (if i am right please check this :D)
It is the song "All The Stars" by Kendrick Lamar which has the following progression:
AbM7 - Fm7 x2
Cm7 - Gm7
Cm7 - Bb
In the Nashville system i would write the following:
1 - 6 x2
3 - 7-
3 - 2+
So here my questions:
Is the 7- and the 2+ the correct way (and the others of course too :D )
How would i add the additional chord information (like 7th or 9th)? Just put it behind the "Nashville number"?
Thanks in advance.
Great lesson as always Brian. Thanks for the upload. ^-^
Thank you! finally made sense.
You got this !!!!🎸. Thank you 🙏
9:50 i think you shoulda mentioned that what you just did was chord substitution, since V and viio are both leading chords they often replaced. and in fact it's often argued that diminished chord is incomplete V7b9 chord without a root, so playing G7 could totally pass as your "diminished"
I did mention that the V can be used in place of the vii°. I try and pick and choose what to talk about and what NOT to talk about to avoid information overload 😎
Love that Taylor guitar! Is that the 814? Also - really a big fan of your videos. Been a subscriber for a long time and I watch a lot of guitar-centric RUclips channels, but you always break down the theory in a way I can understand. Thanks for all of it!
Hey thanks Mike! It's actually a Taylor 214CE. I am in love with that guitar so much!!
I think my brain's ready to explode. Man, I just wanna rock!
A really good explanation that made it a lot easier to understand. Much appreciated
Great teaching !
hi Brian just to let you know, i think your lessons are great, you put them across in a really easy to follow way or should i say a good down to earth way of explaining things and i will be getting the lifetime membership sometime in the near future. You just seem too be able to make things jump out at me and let me understand a lot easier. Many thanks for your youtube lessons also i am a great believer in the circle of 5ths and you seem to be the only one that uses it all the time for referance, WHAT A GREAT TOOL IT IS. Any chance of a pic of your tattoo ot the circle of fifths as i have been thinking of having it done. MANY THANKS AGAIN. Keep on rockin in the free world.
Hey thanks a lot Denis. I really appreciate it!
Here in this lesson, I posted a picture of the tattoo about halfway down the page. Check it out! www.zombieguitar.com/understanding-diatonic-chord-progressions-triads-and-7th-chords/
Very informative, thank you.
This was great.
In the Nashville numbering system, how do you denote the upper extensions? You didn’t explain that part.
Extensions don't change the chords functions. In C, you could have a progression that goes: Cadd9 - G11 - Am7 - Fmaj#11...
That's still just a I - V- vi - IV progression 😁
Very helpful! So I just joined the Zombies.
Question: how a progression of I-VI-II-V7 or I-VI7-II7-V7 be expressed in Nashville Numbering System?
Thanks,
Hey Paul, thanks for joining!! I actually need to redo this video. Someone from Nashville told me that I wasn't explaining the Nashville system correctly. The explanation of the Roman numeral system and circle of 5ths system was correct, but he said that the Nashville system uses all major chords, and dashes are used to indicate minor chords. I thought that it was essentially the same as the Roman numeral system, but I was wrong. I need to fix that.
That said, since you are capitalizing all of the Roman numerals in your I VI II V progression, then that would mean that they are all major chords. In the "correct" Nashville numbering, which uses all major chords, it would simply equate to 1 6 2 5.
However, I think what you really meant to ask was for a I vi ii V progression...
In the corrected Nashville system that would equate to 1 6- 2- 5.
The 6 and 2 are minor chords, so they have a dash after them!
@@zombieguitar Thanks again, Brian. Actually, I did mean all major chords. It's kind of ragtimey...think "Save the Bones for Henry Jones" or "Frim-Fram Sauce".
I do not play the guitar rather I play the piano. However, Can you please tell me how you would count the way you strummed the guitar at 11 minutes. I am trying to play a rhythm that accompanies the guitar player in my band but I do not know how the count the various ways the strum. Any resource you could point me to on youtube that explains how they count would be helpful as well. Thank you. Great overview video!
I just took a listen. It sounded like the count was 1 . 2 . . & 4. If counting the eighth notes along with a metronome, just play on 1 2 & 4. Give that a shot!
Great stuff.
Great lesson Brian.With the circle of fifths diagram I was getting confused trying to remember which direction to go( clockwise or counter clockwise) to find the chord number.Ten I realised you just have to follow the musical alphabet. Is that correct?
Yup exactly!
Greetings, well done. Thank you. pax, PL
Dear Brian, "minor perspective" =tonal center minor chord; "major perspective"= major chord as tonal center. I'm right?
When referring to the vi chord as the tonal center (aka. the Aeolian mode), I call that "the minor perspective". When the I chord is the tonal center (Ionian mode), I call it "the major perspective" 😁
@@zombieguitar thanks, maestro.
There are no minor chords in the Nashville Number System scale! The NNS scale is as follows using the C scale... 1=C Major, 2= D Major, 3= E Major, 4= F Major, 5= G Major, 6= A Major, 7= B major.
See?...no minor chords, no diminished chords, all Major chords.
This scale (1,2m,3m,4,5,6m,7dim) is NOT the NNS. It is similar to Roman numeral and figured bass systems which date back to the 17th century.
I disagree 100%. If you said "1 5 6 4 in C" in the NNS, that would mean C G Am F...
It is a way to communicate chord progressions from one musician to the next with the understanding that both musicians understand which diatonic chords are major and which are minor in the key.
@@zombieguitar You can disagree 1000% it is still wrong. THERE IS NOT ONE PROFESSIONAL NASHVILLE MUSICIAN THAT WOULD PLAY THE 6 AS A MINOR! There is no need for musicians to communicate which chords are major or minor. They are always major unless there is a suffix attached as in 2- or2m. Chas Williams has written the best book on the NNS. It is the book Berklee College of Music uses to teach the NNS. On page 15 he writes "A major chord needs no symbol. The number by itself always means that it is a basic major chord. Minor chords carry a minus sign to the right of the chord number, 6-." The key word in that quote is "ALWAYS." There are many so called "experts" spouting this false concept about the NNS...sadly, they are all wrong. I've been working in Nashville as a musician and producer, using the authentic NNS for more than 45 years...still use it every day, and I can tell you without question that ALL THE CHORDS IN THE NNS SCALE ARE MAJOR! I wish you would research this with some working Nashville musicians. I truly believe you are sincere in your teaching and I pray you learn the truth.
@@nickbruno8495 well, I can't argue there. So I were to play a "6 4 2 5 in D"...that would mean B major, G major, E major, A major?
@@zombieguitar That's correct....you get it!! Go online and type in... NUMBER THEORY THE NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM - PAUL FRANKLIN. Paul is a world class Nashville musician. There you will see that he says exactly what I'm telling you. I'm just trying to get the truth out there. There are too many well meaning folks who are "drinking the koolaid" and preaching this misconception. Don't let any of them dissuade you. Let me know your thoughts after you see Paul's video.
@@nickbruno8495 I'll check it out. It sounds like you know what you're talking about. Ill take this video down after confirming. Thanks for bringing this to my attention 😀
Very good
thanks you so much man, b chords always confused me
What about the progressions that aren't Nashville and don't start with 1 or 6. I've seen them about.
One of my favorites is a 4 - 1 - 5 - 6 progression in any key 😎
Hey im a beginner and does it matter if I solo in a c major key and the background is an a minor key? And vice versa for every major and their relative minor key???
AND is it true that the 6th degree of any major key that’s its relative minor???
If the background music is in a minor key, then the music is minor. You would be playing the diatonic scale regardless of whether is is a major key or a minor key. It is the same exact scale patterns for both major and minor. The rhythm section is what dictates whether the music is major or minor, not the lead guitarist.
So to answer your question - can you solo in C major if the chord progression is in A minor? The answer is "no". The chord progression has dictated that the tonality of the music is minor. Therefore when you play the diatonic scale over top of it, it will be A minor.
It will still share the same patterns and all the same notes as the C major scale, but it will be called the A natural minor scale...which is 100% dictated by the chord progression.
Make sense?
@@zombieguitar ah yes thank you!!! Great video btw
Yup good info imo
Steve stines fuc$%ng ads are killing ur videos bro. 3 so far during this video
Every lesson that I make, I put a link in the description to the ad-free website version of the video, which also includes a written lesson too. The written lesson for this one will be up by mid next week 😎
Very concise explanation of both systems. Thanks Brian.
Outstanding lesson Brian! First time I saw the Roman numeral minor notation with bIII etc. If in a mode or other scale do people refer to that as the 1 chord? Like D Dorian or playing in F Harmonic minor. Thanks!
When working in a mode, you could still take multiple approaches to how you think about it. In these cases, I do like to think of the Dm as the 'i chord' for Dorian just to reinforce the fact that the tonal center has changed from C major to Dm. The reason I don't think that way for a basic minor key is because I tend to play more chords in the progression, and the song will usually jump back and forth between the major and minor. However whenever I'm writing something that is purely modal, I tend to usually stay in that mode the whole time. But again, it's always important to understand both ways of thinking 😎
@@zombieguitar Got it! I remembered your characteristic modal progressions and remember seeing the Dm as the "i chord". You the man🤘
Just call the chords by their name, for instance F#m, D, A and E, and let the bandmembers find out for themselves what the progressions and key are, and how they relate.
Or just play the chords and let them figure everything out by ear. Sure, it's great to exercise our ears, they are a musicians most important tool. But this is like saying: just show someone how to weave a basket (simple enough), or show them how to do trigonometry, but don't use any words to describe how it's done (not so simple, perhaps close to impossible). See what I'm saying? Music theory is just a language.
If you give them the numbers, then the key doesn't matter. Play it in C or play it in G#, and you don't need to change a thing about the chord progressions. If you call chords by their names, transposing becomes much more of a nightmare than it should be for decent musicians.
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Naketazo