Read a chart like a session player
A chart is a short map of a song. A session player is like a guest who is handed the map at the door and has to join the walk right away. If you can read the map fast, you can play with almost anyone, even if you have never heard the song.
- A chord chart shows the chords bar by bar. One chord in a bar means it lasts the whole bar. Two chords in a bar share it, each getting half.
- Nashville number chart: chords are written as numbers, 1 to 7, for the steps of the major scale. Minor chords are usually marked with an m or a dash, for example 6m. Chart styles differ a little from one musician to another, so read the key and legend at the top.
- Same chart, any key: the numbers stay and the key changes.
| Number | In G | In D | In A | In E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | D | A | E |
| 4 | C | G | D | A |
| 5 | D | A | E | B |
| 6m | Em | Bm | F#m | C#m |
- Road map signs (words and symbols for repeats):
- Repeat signs (a double bar with dots): play the section again.
- 1st and 2nd endings: play the 1st ending the first time, then repeat, and skip to the 2nd ending the second time.
- D.S. (dal segno): go back to the sign. D.C. (da capo): go back to the beginning. Coda: jump to the ending section. Fine: the end.
- Rhythm slashes on a staff mean "keep playing the chord in time". Slashes with note stems tell you the rhythm of hits to play.
- Transposing in your head: find the number of each chord in the old key, then say the chord with the same number in the new key. A capo moves the key without changing your shapes (Guitar 2, Lesson 4).
- Take a simple public-domain song you know, for example "Amazing Grace" in G (chords G, C, D, Em).
- Write each chord as a number: G = 1, C = 4, D = 5, Em = 6m.
- Write the chart with one bar per box and put the key and tempo at the top.
- Add a repeat sign and a 1st and 2nd ending on paper.
- Play it in G, then read your number chart and play the same song in D (D = 1, G = 4, A = 5, Bm = 6m).
- Play it a third time with a capo and open shapes in the key your singer wants.
- Check: you can play the song in three keys from one chart without writing the new chord names first.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Text on screen: 1 4 5 1] "A session player reads a map, not a story. This is one: one, four, five, one."
[Screen: the chart in G, then in D] "In G that is G, C, D, G. In D it is D, G, A, D. The numbers never change."
[Screen: repeat signs and a 1st and 2nd ending] "Repeat signs, first and second endings. Learn these signs once and you can read any chart."
[Host putting a capo on fret 2] "The singer wants it higher? Capo on. Same shapes, new key."
[Host] "Write the key, write the numbers, and always ask where the song ends."
- 10 minutes: write "Amazing Grace" as a number chart (one bar per box) and play it in G, then D, then A at 70 BPM.
- 5 minutes: add a repeat sign and a 1st and 2nd ending, then play it with the road map.
- 5 minutes: ask a friend for a key, then transpose your chart and play it without writing new chord names.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
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I'm learning "Guitar 4: Expert: session playing, arranging and teaching" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Read a chart like a session player". What the lesson teaches: - A chord chart shows the chords bar by bar. One chord in a bar means it lasts the whole bar. Two chords in a bar share it, each getting half. - Nashville number chart: chords are written as numbers, 1 to 7, for the steps of the major scale. Minor chords are usually marked with an m or a dash, for example 6m. Chart styles differ a little from one musician to another, so read the key and legend at the top. - Same chart, any key: the numbers stay and the key changes. - Number - In G - In D - In A - In E - 1 - G - D - A - E - 4 - C - G - D - A - 5 - D - A - E - B The exercise I'm working on: - 10 minutes: write "Amazing Grace" as a number chart (one bar per box) and play it in G, then D, then A at 70 BPM. - 5 minutes: add a repeat sign and a 1st and 2nd ending, then play it with the road map. - 5 minutes: ask a friend for a key, then transpose your chart and play it without writing new chord names. --- I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Read a chart like a session player" from the course "Guitar 4: Expert: session playing, arranging and teaching". Here's what the lesson says: A chart is a short map of a song. A session player is like a guest who is handed the map at the door and has to join the walk right away. If you can read the map fast, you can play with almost anyone, even if you have never heard the song. The activity: - 10 minutes: write "Amazing Grace" as a number chart (one bar per box) and play it in G, then D, then A at 70 BPM. - 5 minutes: add a repeat sign and a 1st and 2nd ending, then play it with the road map. - 5 minutes: ask a friend for a key, then transpose your chart and play it without writing new chord names. --- Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Colour chords: sus, add9, 6, maj7, 9 and slash chords
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Small rhythm parts on the top strings
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Fills, double stops and serving the singer
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Arranging a song: solo fingerstyle and small band
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Tracking, the studio and the stage: be easy to work with
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Teach a beginner and plan the lesson
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Final project
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Quiz
In a Nashville number chart in the key of G, what chord is a "4"?
C.
What does "D.S." mean on a chart?
Go back to the sign (dal segno).
What notes does a D sus2 chord have?
D, E and A (the 2nd replaces the 3rd).
What does C/G mean?
A C chord with G as the lowest note.
Which frets play the 2nd-inversion D triad on the top three strings?
x-x-x-2-3-2.
Why do session players often play small, top-string voicings?
They leave room for the bass, keys and the singer, and sound clear.
What notes are in G major pentatonic?
G, A, B, D, E.
When should you play a fill?
In the gaps between vocal phrases, not on top of the words.
What does the thumb do in Travis-style fingerstyle?
It plays a steady alternating bass on strings 6 and 4.
What is a click track?
A metronome sound in your headphones that keeps takes in time.
How many clear goals should one beginner lesson have?
One.
How long does copyright in Canada generally last after the author dies?
The rest of that calendar year plus 70 years.
Final exam
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Certificate
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