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New Released in April 2026
The Nashville Number System, Explained With Examples
The Nashville number system writes chords as numbers instead of letters. 1 is the chord on the first note of the key, 4 the chord on the fourth, and so on. In G, 1 4 5 means G C D; in E, the same chart means E A B. One chart, every key.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
The numbers in a major key
- 1: the key chord (C in C major).
- 2m: minor chord on the 2nd (Dm).
- 3m: minor chord on the 3rd (Em).
- 4: major chord on the 4th (F).
- 5: major chord on the 5th (G).
- 6m: minor chord on the 6th (Am).
- 7°: diminished chord on the 7th (B°). Many charts write 6- instead of 6m.
Extra symbols you will meet
- 57 or 5^7: a dominant 7th on the 5.
- 1/3: the 1 chord with the 3rd note of the key in the bass (C/E in C).
- A number with a line under it or a split bar: two chords in one bar.
- b7 or b3: a chord on a flattened degree, like Bb in C.
The Nashville Number System, Explained With Examples
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoRead one chart in three keys
Chart: 1 5 6m 4. In C: C G Am F. In D: D A Bm G. In A: A E F#m D. Singers change key and the band reads the same page, which is why studio players love this system.
Train numbers and names together
Knowing the numbers is fast; turning them into chord names in a new key is the skill. ChordRunner can keep every chord inside one key, so a round in D sends D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm until 1 to 6 in D are reflexes, on a MIDI keyboard or a piano or guitar through the microphone.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
What is the Nashville number system?
A way of writing chords as scale-degree numbers, so 1 4 5 means the chords on the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of whatever key the song is in.
How are minor chords written in Nashville numbers?
With m or a minus sign after the number, like 6m or 6-. In C, 6m is Am.
How do you write inversions in Nashville numbers?
With a slash and the bass degree: 1/3 is the 1 chord over the 3rd note of the key, like C/E in C major.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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