Learn the Nashville Numbering System. The Nashville Number System is a shorthand method of writing musical arrangements that was developed by It was developed by Neal Matthews, Jr. in the late ’50s as a simplified system for The Jordanaires to use in the studio and further developed by Charlie McCoy. It is based on the degrees of the scale (do, re, me, fa, sol, la, ti ..). It is a powerful tool in the written communication of music. Using the Nashville Numbering System, or NNS, you can chart out a song and play it in any key and use the chart without having to transpose.

Here is a brief explanation, lets take the key of C, the diatonic scale for the key of C is C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. In this example, C is what we would call the root, or the 1 (you can also use Roman Numerals). The three main chord that you use in the key of C are C, which we already know is the 1, F and G. If you count up from C to F, C-1, D-2, E-3, we arrive at F, the 4. One step up and G is the 5.

Take the song Amazing Grace, it is written in A^b but we will use the key of C for demonstration purposes.

We are going to write out a basic chord chart for the song Amazing Grace, we are going to use just three chords, the C, F and G. We are going to write the chord for each measure even if it is the same as the chord before it. In addition, if there are any chord changes within a measure, we will write that too. The chords are above the words and the | indicates the measures.

C                  C                     F                   C
Amazing |Grace how | sweet the | sound

C                C                      G       G
That | saved a | wretch like | me. |

C                   C               F                 C
I | once was | lost but | now I’m | found

C                    G           C     C
Twas | blind, but | now I | see |. |

Now here is the chart for Amazing Grace using just the Chord Names with no lyrics

C    C    F    C
C    C    G    G
C    C    F    C
C    G    C    C

But, there is a problem with this, Amazing Grace is in the key of A^b not C, so now we have to transpose it to A^b

A^b A^b D^b A^b
A^b A^b E^b E^b
A^b A^b D^b A^b
A^b E^b A^b A^b

But we still have a problem as a guitarist, guitar players are most likely going to use a capo and play in G with the capo on the first fret so now we have to transpose this yet again to the key of G

G    G     C    G
G   G     D    D
G   G     C     G
G   D     G    G

But, what if you were playing with a pianist and you were going to play the song in D, no big problem for the guitar player we already have a chart in the key of C, its what we started out with, we just put our capo on the first fret and use our chart for the key of C, but now the pianist is going to have to make a new chord chart in the key of D. But, if you are using the Nashville Numbering System, you only have to make 1 chart and all of your band members can use it. Here is Amazing Grace using the Nashville Numbering System.

1   1   4   1
1   1   5   5
1   1   4   1
1   5   1   1

Now, all we have to know is what key to play in because  chord progression of 1 -4 is the same no matter what key,  In the key of C a 1-4 progression is C to F, (C being the 1, D being the 2, E being the 3 and F being the 4)  in the key of G it is G to C (G becomes the 1 because it is the root, A the 2, B the 3 and C the 4)

So theoretically,  If a guitar player were to learn all the chords in the key of G and the key of C, then you could use a capo and a Nashville Numbering Chart and play any song in any key. Of course you will want to learn the minor and seventh chords as well. In the Nashville Numbering System and actually in most progressions, the 1, 4 5 and 7 chords are usually major chords, the 2, 3, and 6 are usually minor chords but this will be noted in the chord chart, but more on that later.

The voice box, or larynx, is a muscle, and as a muscle you should take care of it. Just like a weight lifter can tear a muscle by trying to lift too much weight, you can tear your larynx by over-singing and screaming. It is also imperative that you warm up. Just as a runner stretches and loosens and warms up his muscles before running, you need to take the time to warm up before singing, but warm ups is another tip for another time, let’s look at some techniques that will help increase the volume of your choir.

One of the first things that I will do when teaching a Choir Workshop, and this may seem simple, is tell the choir to open their mouth. When singing, you should be able to take three fingers, your index, middle and ring finger, turn them so they are parallel with the index finger on the top and the ring finger at the bottom, insert them into your mouth (only the lips not all the way into the teeth). This is how wide your mouth should be open when you are singing. If you were to take a couple of songbooks and lay them on the speakers of your car audio system, it would greatly muffle the sound. Your lips are the same way, if you don’t open your mouth, they will muffle and decrease the volume.

Another simple thing to do is smile. I know, that seems overly simple, but if you will smile, raise your eyebrows just a little (as if you were surprised) you will be amazed at the increase in volume not to mention the fact that it looks much more pleasant to see someone smile when they sing.

I will also have the choir memorize and quote Ecclesiastes 9:10a “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; I will have them quote this, increasing their volume each time until they reach an acceptable volume level. Again, they are speaking slightly above speech level, not screaming.

If you have a 30 member choir, and you will do these simple exercises with them, you will increase your volume by at least 50%