This is my song, What Kind of Fool, from my latest release, Love Again.
This is also my song, What Kind of Fool…
Huh?
I’ll admit, when I first saw this, I had NO IDEA what I was looking at.
I was in a Nashville recording studio with some of Nashville’s A-list session players (holy crap, they were AMAZING). As we prepped for the day session, my producer, Clliff, handed us our charts.
He might as well have handed me a page of hieroglyphics.
What exactly am I looking at?
He explained this was my song, expressed in the Nashville Numbering System – a shorthand studio musicians use to work faster and stay perfectly aligned.
While it looked cryptic to me, to them, it was clarity and simplicity.
Speaking in numbers makes it easy to maneuver.
Let me briefly explain the system so you can see the significance to you…
Instead of tying musicians to a specific chord(s) or key, the numbers denote the scale degree on which a chord is built relative to the key the song is in.
Let me explain using What Kind of Fool.
The first number you see is a 6. Since the song is in key of C, the 6 is an A, six steps up the scale – (C…D…E…F…G…A)
The minus sign, “-“, indicates a minor chord, so 6- is A minor. The 3 is the next chord, in this case an E (C…D…E) and the 7 exponent makes it a seventh chord. (E7)
Now here’s where the numbers are valuable…
If you need to change the key for any reason, no problem! The numbers still guide you. If you change to the key of D, because it fits the singer’s range better, the “6” is now a B. (D…E…F…G…A…B)
The “6” is always the “6” no matter what key the song is played in. The relationship remains constant even when the key changes.
Why is this helpful?
Because seeing the numbers, rather than fixed chords, helps them:
- Transpose any song to any key, instantly.
- Stay locked in together without stopping to explain.
- Make adjustments on the fly without confusion.
They don’t need new charts. They don’t waste time. They just play.
(If you are curious, you can learn more about the Nashville Numbering System here.)
Ok….how does this apply to me?
Your world is constantly changing – new systems, reorganizations, shifting priorities. And when chaos hits, we tend to:
- Overcomplicate things
- Create rigidity by adding more processes and procedures than are necessary
- Waste time getting everyone aligned
What if you had your own version of the Nashville Numbering System?
A shared language that helps you instantly refocus and adapt without missing a beat?
When everything around you shifts, you know exactly what core set of principles you default to and how you continue to act relative to each other and the work itself. For example, when things become chaotic, as they tend to do, we will all, always, default to:
- Simplicity – Do less, not more. Focus on what matters.
- Adaptability – Create flexibility by building foundations instead of pyramids.
- Shared language – Communicate clearly and consistently.
When the unexpected happens:
Simplicity guides you.
Adaptability empowers you.
Shared language keeps you together.
It isn’t always easy.
But it is simple when you commit to a shared language.
Rock on.
Oh…and listen to the music. It sounds incredible, thanks to the amazing musicians who played on it!