Music theory is a subject that still intimidates even the best players, but it shouldn’t. I used to think that if I wanted to be a professional player, then I would have to learn how to sight-read sheet music.

Well I found out that’s not the truth.

Now it is important to have a basic music theory knowledge, but you can make a full time living being a highly paid musician, without knowing how to read a single note.

The reason why is that most major producers and studios don’t use sheet music.

They use the number system (Nashville System).

Music theory comes down to number not notes. To this day, I still can’t tell you what note I’m hitting right on the spot. All though if I look I can tell you quick, but I never think that I’m playing a C, D, E, I only think about the numbers that I’m playing.

The reason why the number system is so popular, is that you can quickly transpose music on the fly. Instead of spending hours re-charting out the notes in conventional sheet music.

The number system adds for quick communication among musicians in live playing situations, which breeds on the fly, creative compositions.

So what is the number system, and how do you use it?

Well the number system is based off the major scale.

If we go to the key of C Major, the we have the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

This is how you should play it on the guitar:

E|————————————————–|
B|————————————————–|
G|————————————————–|
D|——————-9-10—————————|
A|———-8-10-12———————————|
E|-8-10-12——————————————|

So forget about what the notes are for a second, just play the notes in the order above, and count to 8.

So instead of saying, C, D, E, F,:

Put a number to the notes, only refer to the notes as their number. I.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (octave)

All you need to know is the key, and you’re able to improvise on the fly.

Learn the major scale, because no matter what key you’re in the 2 chord is always in the same position, the 4 chord, is always in the same position. So you can play and transpose the music on the fly.

So instead of saying, play C-F-G, I just tell you; “Hey we’re in the key of C, and we’re doing a 1-4-5 progression”.

But if at the last minute I say switch the keys to Eb. Then you don’t have to try to run around figuring out what chords to play. You know where the 1 chord is, the 4 chord, and then the 5 chord.

Let’s say spontaneously I want to go to the 6 chord to take the music into a different direction. All I have to do if we were in the key of G is say the number 6 vs. trying to mouth go to E minor.

By studying the number system youÆll be able to increase your communication to any musician, and increased communication equals better music hands down.