JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Music Theory and Education Nashville Numbers questions

Duke,

I'll try to do this fast so you can have some answers right away.

How do you designate a 7th chord? Exactly how do you write it? Say, a G7 in C major. 57? 5-7? When I write by hand, I just put the 7 up in superscript, which I can't type here. As for when typing the chords, I dunno.

Answer: I never type number charts, I write them with my purple mechanical pencil and put the seven as a superscript. There are programs for charts that superscript, but I can write a chart faster than program or type one. If I had to type one, I'd try to superscript it, but I've never typed a real chart, just the examples in the posts, and the same problem cropped up. I just don't type charts.

Second, how do you designate a minor? Like a Dm in key of C? Do you just write a 2 or a 2- or 2m? My feeble brain says that 2m is best, as to alleviate any chance of misinterpretation. (They may not catch the hyphen or dash or whatever you call that.)

Answer: We use a minus sign, it's faster when you are writing a chart real time to write a minus sign than an m. An m will work, but we almost never see that, rather a minus sign.

Third, how do you designate a major chord which is normally a minor in that key? Such as a D-major chord in key of C. 2maj or 2M or just what?

Answer: We simply don't use the minus sign, all numbers are major unless designated otherwise.

EDIT: Fourth, how do you write a flat? Do you write is like b7 or 7b?

I, personally, write the flat before the number as in flat-seven, this way the flat won't be accidentally read as a six, as in a seven sixth chord. Remember, I write in pencil. Maybe one out of every twenty sessions or more do we see a typed or computer generated chart. A lot of charts, though, put the flat or sharp behind the number.


Lastly, do you use sharps in charts as well as flats? Someone said something about not using sharps, which confused me.

Answer: Many times people use sharps because they are guitar players and the guitar is sharp key friendly, but in pure music, the key of A flat is easier to read and write than the key of G#, for example: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab as opposed to G# A# B# C# D# E# F##(double sharp) G#. We use sharps usually when referring to a note in a chord as in: minor seven sharp five, or two major with a sharp four in the bass. Generally, though, in a key, we'll call chords 1 b2 2 b3 4 5 b6 6 b7 7 1

Thanks, I appreciate the help. I don't have time to rehearse much with them for this important gig.

Answer: no problem. By the way, most of these are answered in the posts, I'll let you find which ones All kidding aside, please feel free to ask any and all. I like to answer questions or I wouldn't be a forum moderator.

Good luck with the gig.
Mike

------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 03-15-2006).]