Question about the Nashville Number symbol

bayoubill


What does the figure ( 1/3 ) in a progression mean? I saw this and it was used like this; 1 6 2  5x7 then (2  1/3 )

Thanks for any help!

Is it like if you are in the key of C the same as writing, D C/E or regardless of key II I/III?

Sounds to me like I'm supposed to do the 1 6 2 5 seven times followed by a measure on the 2 and then a measure split between the 1 & 3. The main bit seven times followed by a turn around 2 measures long using three chords.

There's got to be a producer around here some place.

^xactly!

I think he's missed a chord off the end.
 
I need a resolution to that progression.

craigb


It's the amount of time you can reasonably expect the drummer to be on time (with 1/3 of the time being behind the beat and the remaining 1/3 being ahead of it).

HTH.

Actually it's funny you should say that but the only reason I'm a bit familiar with the notation style at all is because it gets used quite a bit where people like me are notationally challenged.
 
In a situation where nobody has the time to write down fancy charts and chord symbols it's really easy to quickly write down some changes that everyone quickly gets, (including the drummer) so you'll get some amendments to a score someone will give you a piece of paper with the changes on then it's easier to say come in for 12 bars on the 2nd 5 for example.
 
Of course those who know what they are doing, unlike myself, can transpose easily too without needing to re-write anything.
 
It can be a real time-saver when time is money or you've only met some players half an hour before you are due to play and they want to do a few things differently.
 
It can make it seem like you actually know what's going on... 

bayoubill


I was expecting an E/C but a C/E(1/3) looks and sounds too out of key. C Am D G7 then D to E/C but C/E? So looks like its D 4 beats then C 2 beats then E 2 beats.

Thing is normally the divisor signifies a slash chord, or rather  but no two people write nashville notation the exact same way.  However 1/3 would be pretty universal and hard to think of as anything but I/III or C/E in C.  The same thing struck me when I said it didn't seem to resolve with the C/E I thought there must be a chord missing off the end or it was just jazz.
 
I'd check with your bass playing buddy to make sure, you might just be meant to be playing a straight E or C and his part is supplying the inversion an octave down or summat.
 
Who knows? You know what them bass players are like!
 
But the two beat thing you are saying would show up like this (2 - 1 3) so he's either put '/' that in by mistake or that ain't it.  It would be more likely that he's playing that E note over your C chord on the 5th beat of that bar (assuming 8ths and the key of C again).
 
Here I just googled this it might make more sense to you than me.
 
You will also find poly chord notation used. If you want to use the common 5 chord over the 1 chord you will see something like this:
1 5/1 4/1 5/1
The "/" is used to indicate a different bass note from the root of the chord. A few common non-root bass notes are:
1 1/3 4 4/6
5 5/7 1 5 
  
It seems difficult to convey when you are all in different places across the world but if the three of us were in the same room it would take two seconds to sort out and we'd all know what it meant thereafter.

craigb

Jonbouy


It's much easier to read than the similar III I V II system as sometimes all those 'I''s can give you double vision.  Also it's even worse if you already do have double vision. 

Would that make it a stereo mess mix?

Mooch could tell you.

Zactly!
 

It would be more likely that he's playing that E note over your C chord on the 5th beat of that bar (assuming 8ths and the key of C again).