Darrell Scott's song notation - is?

Subject: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 08:28 AM

I'm just watching the Transatlantic Sessions 3 series on DVD and - once again - am intrigued by the musical notation that Darrell Scott uses in preparing his songs. It's a series of 2-figure numbers, most underlined and some enclosed in circles, e.g.

41 54 41 54 41 (45)

I've never seen it before - can someone give me a clue as to how it might work?

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 10:46 AM

No clue. Perhaps it's a variation of the Nashville system?

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 11:01 AM

Ah - a clue there - thanks Wesley. It looks like what's called the Nashville system, which uses numbers to indicate the chord in any scale - 1=C, 2=D. etc., in the key of C. The two numbers underlined together seem to indicate that they are in the same bar.

The system, using Roman numerals instead of Arabic, has long been a convention in jazz progressions = I, IV, V, etc. - just never seen it done this way before.

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Nick
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 12:55 PM

Which song?

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 01:07 PM

The clip was one of those chat-to-camera clips in between the tunes - on DVD Disc 1. The tune it preceded escapes me now.

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Nick
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 01:43 PM

The underline is for a line of music

The numbers are (like Nashville) 1 --> 7

It's the chords for Open Door which they play after that clip

with a capo on 3 he plays on each line or phrase

CG (IV I)
DC (V IV)
CG (IV I)
DC (V IV)

etc

perhaps he didn't do Latin

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Nick
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 04:48 PM

From that series I loved 'Never Leave Harlan Alive'

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Will Fly
Date: 10 Apr 12 - 04:32 AM

That's a great song, Nick - watched it again yesterday and loved it just as much as ever.

A friend of mine met Darrell Scott at a workshop and got into conversation with him. His own family history was not dissimilar to his songs, apparently, with a grandfather who disappeared out West, changed his name and was never heard of again - or something to that effect.

Whatever, it's a superb song.

Subject: RE: Darrell Scott's song notation - is?
From: Wesley S
Date: 10 Apr 12 - 08:16 AM

Try this version. She does a fine job with it:

Patty Loveless