Ben, the advantages to using numbers as opposed letters include, in no particular order:

Seeing the relationship between the chords, which affects your choices of things to play.

Being able to transpose instruments that don't use capos.

Being able to talk to the sax player, the piano player and the guitar player with the capo at the session without having to say things three times.

Being able to try the same song in different keys for a singer.

Being able to use the same chart for cutting the male and female version.

I think in numbers whether I'm playing guitar, bass, keyboard, mandolin or when singing. I can sing most melodies using numbers just as fast as I can using the words. I know there's a half step between three and four and between seven and one. Also, it makes seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords make perfect sense. It means right here, in my mind's ear, I can hear a minor seven flat five or an add nine or a minor/maj7. I couldn't do any of this after college or after years of teaching music theory, but I can after years of reading and writing charts.




You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music