Chords for Lyrical Guitarist Melanie Faye Discusses the Number System

[C] _ _ _ _ _ Hey, I'm Melanie [Dm] Faye and I teach with [Em] Lesson Face.
_ [F] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Am] _
_ _ [G] _ If you're [N] at the point where you've already learned [D] all your [G] open chords _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ [D] _ _
[N] and you've already
learned how to _
[C] recognize the [Dm] difference between major [Em] and minor, you've already [F] _ _ _ [Dm] [Em] learned a
few songs [B] and [A] you're pretty [C] comfortable [A] _ [F] moving up and down the fretboard, [Gbm] then I think you
should start looking into learning the [N] number system because it'll make you more independent
as a musician.
You can _ really play music in any setting.
You could [F] play live with [C] a band that you've never rehearsed with if they just [E] tell you
[F] the numbers and the keys of the song.
You can figure out a song [C] on the fly if you just understand the numbers behind it.
[D] The number system is just a way of [C] organizing _ _ music.
[G] _ _
[E] So basically, [Bm] [N] what it is is just instead of thinking of the notes as letter names, instead
of thinking of it as like, for example, D or C sharp, you think of the notes as numbers.
Everything starts with the C major scale and I'm just using C as a reference because it
has no flats and sharps so it's just easy to [E] remember.
Instead of thinking [Gb] of it as C, D, E, [N] F, G, A, B, C, you think of [C] it as [Dm] 1, [Em] 2, 3, 4, [A] 5,
[C] 6, 7, back to 1 again.
You've got 1, [Dm] 2, [Em] 3, [F] 4, [G]
5, [C] 6, [E] 7, [C] back to 1 again.
[Ab] Usually _ [N] I learn songs by ear or I almost always learn songs by ear, but what made that possible
was understanding the number system.
Basically how you would learn a song, you figure out the key [E] first, then you figure
[N] out the root note, the bass note of each chord, and then from there you use the [Em] number system
to figure out what chord that is.
Because the bass note is the number, that's the number.
So if _ _ you're in the key of C [B] and you're going D, G, [N]
C _ over and over again, then the chord
progression would be 2, 5, [C] 1.
_ [Bb] [D] 2, _
[Em] 5, 1.
[C] _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] In like a [Em] pop context, you know, it could sound something like.
[Dm] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Dbm] _ [Dm] _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Db] _ [Dm] _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ So basically when you learn the number system, it helps you to understand [N] the different patterns
of the chord structure _ and therefore you can transpose it to any key or learn any song
in any key without having to be confused by sharps and flats and having to understand
the different letter names.
It's just always 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Another example could be _ 2, 5, 1, 7, 3, 6, [G] which is like a very standard [B] gospel chord [C] progression. _ _
_ _ I [B] _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ [C] _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
started playing guitar because of Guitar [B] Hero 3.
I was really [E] fascinated by the song [Am] Cliffs of Dover.
That song [Em] made me want to play guitar.
[Dbm] That was like my favorite [G] song off Guitar Hero. _
I grew up on [C] R&B music though.
I grew up on _ [B] soul and R&B and [E] hip hop and stuff.
But I would [C] say _ being that I [Bb] studied jazz [Gm] guitar in high school [C] and college, [F] so _ [C] I have
like a jazz background, [B] but the thing is _ [E] R&B chords are jazz chords.
[Ab] And then like [N] certain elements of Eric Johnson's playing are jazz _ ideas.
And then _ _ gospel chords are also jazz chords.
A lot of _ genres are _ _ based in jazz.
That's like the foundation for a lot of modern genres.
A lot of the times when I'm playing lead [C] guitar, _ _ _ I'm really not _ trying to _ emulate a guitar player.
I'm more so approaching the melody in the way a singer would.
For example, a line _ [E] _ _
[C] like_
[A] _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ [N] _ That's like all mimicking a singer because I grew up on R&B music.
_ That's kind of like mimicking the way a melismatic, _ _ _ soulful singer would sing.
[D] So _ [Em] it's _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
not really intended to sound like I'm trying to be like a [C] in your face lead
shreddy guitar player.
It's just [N] like mimicking _ a voice.
So you can be inspired by different things that aren't necessarily guitar, you know,
and that can really open a lot of doors for you and make you a much more versatile musician.
And it can _ make your sound a lot more [Em] unique if you approach guitar in an [E] unconventional
sort of way.
_ _ _ [Gbm] _ _ [E] _ [Abm] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _
[Gb] _ [Gbm] _ _ [Dbm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ebm] _ [Fm] _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Db] _
[Abm] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Abm] _ [C] _ _
[Abm] _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ [Dbm] _ [E] _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [Abm] _
[Cm] _ _ [Abm] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _