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Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Your idea is a great one. Are you by chance talking about the so-called "Nashville Number System?"

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Well, I would imagine they could use this number system in Nashville. Ever thought about how much you have to know about playing the accordion to be able to hold up a finger or fingers to tell the band how to start the song? One would have to know how to play his or her accordion in all 3 positions and possibly have other accordions on standby that are in different keys and know how to do the same on them. At what point does an accordion player get this good and achieve such experience? Does he only get such experience by playing the accordion along with other musicians that play fiddle, guitar? Does he have to know how to play fiddle and guitar to be able to get it? Or does he have to be told or shown by the "Insiders" when they think he is ready? Because I can tell you that many older, traditional Cajun accordion players don't know much about calling what key the song is going to be played in unless they have learned it in college, or been told about it, or took years to figure it out on their own, some of them never. You'd think it would be square one of learning any kind of Cajun instrument. Ever saw that CD cover with Marc, Ann, and Mike Doucet where they were holding all of their instruments upside down or backwards? I think was Illuminati Insider symbolism for something similar to what I'm talking about.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Sorry 33rd, maybe I misunderstood. The Nashville Number System enables a band that has never played a song to play it with breaks, an intro and an outro. Maybe you might be meaning something else. :- )

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

I learned the nashville number system a long time ago and find it very useful.

But, like you say, it's about the chord progression and arrangement. Not sure it's applicable to playing the accordion.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

I wish Jamie Bearb would comment on this. He is the exact person I heard mention this number system. He mentioned it in an interview on the radio with Megan Brown. Even explained it. *What ever key the accordion is...that is the number 1. Say it is a "C" accordion. Well that accordion could play songs using the numbers 1,5,4 which represent the keys of C,G,or F. Each musical key a,b,c,d,e,f,g is assigned a number, but they change according to the key the accordion was built in.* This is my interpretation of what he said anyways. He came on here not long ago to sell an accordion. The one and only post under the name Jamie Bearb. He is a very good Cajun musician. Plays fiddle, sings, plays some accordion and probably a few other instruments. I would love to hear his take about an accordion player being able to learn along side an established fiddle player and how that would help him or her learn accordion much more efficiently in less time. Such as in the case of Steve Riley and Dewey Balfa.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

OK, that sounds like the nashville number system, and it is about the chord progression and arrangement.

On a C accordion, if you are playing on the push key, or in the first position, it is the key of C. If the chord progression goes from C to G to F, you would say it is 1-5-4.

But, if you were playing on the pull key, or second position, that is the key of G. Then G would be the "1". You could have a 1-5-4 chord progression in G, which is G-D-C.

The thing that makes the nashville number system useful is that the numbers are relative to the key you are playing in. You don't have to think G-C-D, you think 1-4-5. That makes it real easy if you need to change to say a D accordion. You move your fingers in the exact same way, and you can still think about that you have a 1-4-5 chord progression. You don't have to concern yourself too much with the fact that you are now in the key of A, and playing A-D-E instead of G-C-D.

That is one of the strength of the nashville number system is that it makes it real easy to transpose to another key to fit a different singer's vocal range, for example.

Lots of references about the nashville system on the web.

There are many good references on the web which explain the nashville number system in great detail. There are several Youtube videos too. And books. I bought a good one long time ago.

It's a very useful, and easy to understand system. And it is widely used.

Re: Lots of references about the nashville system on the web.

What still amazes me is the lack thereof of hard hitters (Pro Cajun Musicians) that have yet to comment and enlighten us on exactly what the system is. I think the Cajun number system is more simple than the Nashville system, in that it only lets the band know what key the song starts in or will be played in. Since Cajun music only boast 2-3 chords per song, the rest is a given. "Figure it out by ear after we start the song dam you." I would have thought the Cajun Pro's would have been frequent visitors to the bravenet??? What's going on? Is there a conspiracy of silence amongst them or they just to busy? Now we're getting to the grit of it all. Where are the modern day artists that make a living off of Cajun music? Are they hoping we don't learn too too much at risk of there being thousands of awesome Cajun accordion players running amuck all over the world? LOL, funny if you think about it, and then it's sad at the same time. If everybody knows how to do the same thing equally good.....then what's your worth? That's right....it's not worth much. It would be like everybody on Earth having a million dollars. The million dollars wouldn't buy a loaf of bread. Food for thought. HAHA<<3

Re: Lots of references about the nashville system on the web.

You mentioned Jamie Bearb before and some system he uses. You should ask him.

But, if using numbers 1,4,5 to represent the chords and also for setting the key, that's the Nashville number system.

It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. A long time ago, I would print out a set list for the band. I would add a note about the key, and a very brief Nashville chord progression, like so:

Joe Pitre, key F, 1111 5511

I might add some additional notations, like the tempo: BPM (beats per minute) 160 for a two step, BPM 145 for a Slide, BPM 120 for a waltz. I might add something about the time signature (4/4, 3/4, 6/8).

You can make it more elaborate if you want to, but adding information about Intro, Outro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge.

But I don't do it any more, probably because I don't really need to. But when I did use it, everyone immediately understood it.

I am not sure what you mean by hard hitter Cajun Pro musicians. I am not from Louisiana, and I lean more to the Zydeco side of things than Cajun in recent years (although there is a huge amount of overlap). But, I do get a lot of paying gigs, and I've been doing it for almost 30 years. So maybe I qualify. I can only tell you what I know. Maybe in Louisiana, they're doing something different, but I don't know why they would bother. The Nashville system has been around for a very long time, it is effective, it's easy to learn and lot's of people know it.

I don't know if it really matters what anyone else does. If you are looking for a system to use, the Nashville system is very good and it will work for you. Just do it!

Re: Lots of references about the nashville system on the web.

Number system I was talking is simply the Nashville number system. It's no big secret system, or a cajun system. Majority of musicians I play with have used it for years. And everyone who explained it here, explained it correctly.
I was taught the number system by Rufus Thibodeaux years ago, and has been very helpful playing along some of the great talents I've been fortunate to play beside.
Someone asked why musicians like me don't come on this forum and comment. Are we too busy? Lol. I'm not really a person who participates in social media. I don't even have a Facebook page. Old school I guess. I stumbled upon this forum post by accident and thought I'd respond. Thanks for the interest and many kind words.

Re: Lots of references about the nashville system on the web.

One thing I find useful for working out this kind of thing is the "chord clock".
Keep one on the inside cover of my song folder.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Still a lurker Pig sad sad sad

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Randy, You think that I am Jerry Moody? Funny, Jerry Moody was the first person to offend me on this discussion page. It had something to do with "Pink Panties". Remember?

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

Did you find any more information that you were looking for?

I still think it will end up being the nashville number system, or something based on that. It would be interesting to know.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

I'm keeping my eyes and ears open David. Anything more I find out I will let this discussion know by post. So far, I've gone with a permanent marker on each of my accordions and marked the 3 keys of the 3 different positions of each accordion I have so I can see them directly and not have to think about it. I put the markings on the top of the stop knobs. Looks "novice", but it works for me. I hope someone ask about it so I can blast them with the information. LOL. C accordion = C G F. D accordion = D A G 1st, 2nd, and 3rd position respectively. But everybody should already know this. It's how to communicate with the other musicians that's not so easy to decipher. at least my open display of the Keys directly on my accordion should open some discussion and thinking when others see it.

Re: Grand Master Cajun Musician

No my comment was directed to used to be that mother fker is Jerry hoooo Moody



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