Transposition isn’t something that always comes natural when playing an instrument. Sometimes, though, you need to know how to do this in order to play a song in a key that works better for you. Transposition is actually a skill that comes easier than it seems if you are familiar with Nashville Numbers.

Nashville Numbers
According to Sweetwater, “the Nashville Number System is a quick and easy way to write chord charts to songs in a way that others (well, others who are familiar with the system) can easily read. One of the main benefits is that it works regardless of the key of the song, and it clearly shows the song’s structure” (Sweetwater). It is a general overview of a song that usually fits consicely on one page (Liberty University). Basically, it is a process that helps a musician quickly and easily change the key of a song. A vocal group in Nashville, the Jordanaires, created it as “they weren’t being given sheet music — only lyrics — and wouldn’t have time to work out and then memorize their harmony parts for 12–15 songs per day . . . they came up with the idea of using numbers based on the key of the song (think of the “Do-Re-Mi” song from The Sound of Music) with ‘1’ being the tonic note of the key with the melody written above the words. The session musicians took that idea and modified it into what we now know as the Nashville Number System” (Sweetwater).
Using the Number System

According to one source, “The Nashville Number System (also just called the number system) is a way of writing the chords to a song in a ‘universal’ or neutral key using numbers instead of chord names. This way the song can be played in any key at any time without rewriting it” (Music Theory for Musicians). Say you have a song in the key of G. The chord progression for this would go as follows: G (1), Am (2-), Bm (3-), C (4), D (5), Em (6-), F# Dim. (7 Dim.). In order to play the song in a different key, you can translate these numbers to the other key. For example, if your chord progression uses the 1 (G), 4 (C), 5 (D), and 1 (G) chord of G, just use the 1st, 4th, and 5th chords of the desired key. If you want to play or sing in the key of C, this key goes as follows: C (1), Dm (2-), Em (3-), F (4), G (5), Am (6-), B Dim. (7 Dim.). So the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 1st progression discussed would be C (1), F (4), G (5), and C (1). This concept works in any key. You could pick the 1st, 4th, and 5th in any key desired in order to transpose higher or lower!
Bibliography
Martin, Dave. “The Nashville Number System Demystified.” Sweetwater. September 30, 2021. https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/the-nashville-number-system-demystified/
“The Nashville Number System: Today’s Way of Writing Chords.” Music Theory for Musicians. N.d. https://www.music-theory-for-musicians.com/nashville-number-system.html
Zwald, Nathan. “Nashville Number System.” Lecture, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2021.