Convert a chord progression to Nashville numbers in any key — the shorthand session players use so one chart works for every key — or turn numbers back into chords.
| Number | Quality | In C major |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | major | C |
| 2 | minor | Dm |
| 3 | minor | Em |
| 4 | major | F |
| 5 | major | G |
| 6 | minor | Am |
| 7 | diminished | Bdim |
| b7 | major (borrowed) | B♭ |
On a Nashville session the singer might drop the key a whole step ten minutes before the take. If the chart says C–Am–F–G, everyone has to rewrite it. If it says 1–6–4–5, nothing changes — the players just think in the new key. That is the whole point: the number chart describes the function of each chord, not its letter name, so it is portable across every key.
This converter assumes a major key. Plain 1 4 5 are major; 2 3 6 are minor; 7 is diminished. A leading flat or sharp (b7, b3, b6, #4) marks a chord whose root is outside the key. Add a 7 for a seventh chord, an m to force minor, a slash plus a number for an inversion.
To see the diatonic chords of a key laid out, use the Circle of Fifths or the Scale & Chord Finder. To find the key of a progression first, use the Chord Progression Analyzer.
1. Choose the direction: Chords → Numbers, or Numbers → Chords.
2. Pick the key.
3. Type the progression, separated by spaces. The result updates as you type.
In the key of G, the chords G – Em – C – D convert to 1 6 4 5. Switch the key to E and turn 1 6 4 5 back into chords: E – C♯m – A – B. The chart never changed; only the key did. A chord outside the key keeps a flat or sharp in front: in G, an F chord is written ♭7.
What is the Nashville Number System?
A shorthand session musicians use to write chord charts by scale degree instead of by
letter. In any major key the tonic chord is 1, the subdominant is 4, the dominant is 5, the
relative minor is 6m, and so on. Because it is key-independent, one chart works for every
key — the band just transposes on the spot.
How do I read the numbers?
A plain number is the diatonic chord on that degree — 1, 4 and 5 are major, 2, 3 and 6 are
minor, 7 is diminished. A minus sign or lowercase m marks a chord that is minor when the
scale degree would normally be major (or vice versa). A 7 after the number adds a seventh. A
slash shows the bass note as a number, so 1/3 is a first-inversion tonic.
Does this handle chords outside the key?
Yes. A chord built on a non-diatonic root is written with a flat or sharp before the number,
for example b7 for the flat-seven chord common in rock, or b3 and b6 for borrowed chords.
Can I use it for a song in a minor key?
The converter works from the major key. Minor-key songs are usually charted from their
relative major — a song in A minor is written in C, with the tonic as 6m — which is the most
common Nashville practice. Some players number from the minor tonic instead (1m), so agree
on the method with the band.
How are bars and split bars written?
Each number usually stands for one bar. Two chords sharing a bar are grouped — underlined or
boxed together — and a diamond around a number means hit the chord once and let it ring.
Write the chart first, then add these marks where the rhythm needs them.