The Nashville Number System and Sam Broussard's Chord Charts

Note: The content below was generously provided by Sam Broussard. Sam is a guitarist who now plays with Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys and has played with several famous Cajun bands over the years. In addition, Sam has a wide range of interests and extensive other musical experience (see the Sam Broussard website). Note that the following is information has been transcribed and interpreted by the page owner, Sheridan Scope. Please direct question and comments to her.

You must know the Nashville number system to understand my charts. For example in the key of C, the 1 chord is C. To know what the 5 chord is, count the alphabet from C on your fingers; you will arrive at G on the fifth finger. The 2 chord is D, the 4 chord is F, and so on. Notice that after G we started over with A. There is no H chord, obviously; music only uses the alphabet from A to G.

This number system is very old and was adopted in Nashville and is used exclusively there where it is called (of course) the Nashville Number System. There are books on it, but I just explained it. It's not brain surgery, just confusing.

You don't need either charts or the number system if you are going to sit with a record and memorize all your songs. But if you need to quickly communicate a song to someone, it's unbeatable. For example: "How does Quelle Etoile go?" It is "Forty-one fifty five, fifty-five eleven." i.e., 4155 5511, which in the key of C would be FCGG GGCC.

For additional discussion of the Nashville number system, see here.

Sam's Additional Symbology

"2S" means two-step. "W" means waltz. A minus sign "-" means that chord is minor. However, please keep in mind that these are notes to myself. I often didn't bother making a minus sign after a 6; you'll have to verify the quality of the chord yourself. You see, there aren't many 6 chords in Cajun music, and what few there are, are minor. I knew this, you didn't, thus me not bothering to notate the minor. A rare example of a 6 major chord is in 'Tits Yeux Noir, the E chord that follows C (if you're playing in C). Some musicians like an E minor, however. You never know down here. It's not like anyone is going to tell you. The accordion and bass will play the same notes anyway. Fiddle players and guitar players like to know, and you can hear them find out the first time the chord hits.

Sometimes you'll see a letter after the name of the song, this means the song is in that key. For example "C" means the key of C. This can be combined with W for waltz ie, WC means waltz in C.

T means the turn of a song, or the B part or the second part. It's not always identified with a T if that section was obvious to me.

"acc" means accordion. Sometimes that accordion's solo has a different shape that the rest of the tune; it will skip a pause that the singer includes.

"instr" means the instrumental part of the song, while "vocal" means the vocal part of the song. This note was probably made for the above reason.

Sometimes you'll see a 1 or a 5 after a title. That told me that the song was either primarily a "push" song on the accordion (putting it in the key of C on a C accordion, the instrument's 1 chord) or a "pull" song (putting it in the key of G, the instrument's 5 chord). For an alternate way to understand this, speak to an accordion player and have him/her demonstrate. (Or ask a harmonica player; they deal with the same issue, the instruments being almost identical in the way they're laid out.)

Sometimes you'll see two numbers crowded together like this:
1 41 1 41. It means that the 4 and the 1 are both in the same bar. In 2/4 counting, the 4 gets one beat and the 1 gets one. If you see this in a waltz, you'll have to figure it out yourself; usually the second chord in a grouped bar will fall on the third beat. I think.

The repeat symbols are [: and :]. This means the musical phrase in between the symbols is repeated. For example in Al's version of Courtableu, [:1144 5511:] [:5525 5525:], means the first phrase, 1144 5511, is played twice then the second phrase, 5525 5525, is played twice.

A number followed by an "X" means the phrase is repeated that number of times. For example, "4X" means repeat four times.

"7" means b7. There are seldom, if ever, true 7th chords used in Cajun music, so I dispensed with the flat symbol, which takes up space. A true 7th in the key of G is an F sharp diminished (or D7 w/ F# bass note), which you will never see in Cajun music, I promise. Using the key of G, 7 means an F chord.

The biggest problem is that if you see eight numbers, you don't know whether to read them as a continuous line or if a section of four numbers is played four times before the next set of four. These things were obvious to me; if it wasn't, I put a T for "turn" in front of a section. See "T" above. By listening to the song, one should be able to figure this out.

Crooked songs

Some Cajun songs are "crooked", meaning they drop and/or pick up beats. The opposite of crooked is square. Country songs are almost always square. The vast bulk of modern pop is square. This means that things happen more or less where you expect them to happen, informed as you are by your own familiarity with songs in general. If you listen to the old blues guys, Jimmy Reed for example, you'll hear him change chords when he damn well pleases, and if you listen close you can hear the other musicians trying to cope. The results are often pitiful, but there you go. Cajun music is vastly more organized, in that the dropped beats and added pauses have become part of the song in many, many cases. Not all, but many. And many melodies are written crookedly. After a while you don't notice it. (A "while" could be "years," but there you go. Cajun music is not for sissies.) A good example of a crooked song is Johnny Can't Dance (see.Sheridan's Chord Charts).

Here are some adaptations to crookedness:

Parentheses around a number means that the bar is cut in half i.e., has only one beat. Thus, if you're counting a two-step in 2/4 (which is best), that chord/bar will have only one beat. For example: PERRODIN 2S(2-step) 1 1 (1) 5 (1). This is an odd way to play it, but it's done. It's just as easily done like this: 1 1 5 1.

On a related point, "scott" means the very standard crooked shape that appears in so many songs such as the Scott Playboy Special. This shape is: 1 1 (1) 5 (1) 1 1 (1) 5 1. This shape is the turn or B part of many songs, and is the entirety of others, like the Scott Playboy Special and Creole Stomp. It is a difficult thing to get, but once you get it you will see it repeated all through the repertoire. It's one of the most fascinating aspects of Cajun music - to me - appearing as it does so often. It's the only piece of Cajun crookedness that I would call a formula. I'll never know how it came about, but so many of the melodies seem to be written so that no other chord changes will fit.

A copyright symbol, a C within a circle, is a result of this file being transferred from Word to the Mac version of it. You're on your own here.

Remember, there is more than one way to play these songs; these are just the versions that I had to play in certain bands!

Sam Broussard Chord Charts

by Sam Broussard


These are my charts that I made on the gigs I did some years ago with Al Berard and Robert LeBlanc and others. This is from a time when I was first learning Cajun music and had to learn a lot of it fast. Robert is unknown to many of you outside of our area, but all you need to know is that he's wonderful and has an older repertoire; many LeRoy Broussard songs, if I'm not mistaken. I also have charts from my time playing with Cheryl and Russell Cormier, some New Orleans gigs with Jonno Frishberg, and a few with Kermit Venable.

I had a notebook on those gigs and would write what I remembered of the song's shape when it was finished - if I had time (which explains the question marks here and there). You will see many songs that you've never heard of, I'm sure.

The charts I made when learning the Playboys' repertoire are too complex to include here, since they were specific to my guitar parts - you wouldn't understand my notes to myself, and I can't reproduce actual musical notation here in this document.

Please, remember these charts are a guide. You're doomed if you rely on them exclusively. Like I often was. They were written fast, and I haven't bothered to correct them because there is no "correct" way to play these songs. That knowledge, coupled with the fact that these notes were for me, a long time user of the number system and its other shorthand symbols, should tell you that some familiarity with either the song or the way your friends play the song is essential for an accurate performance of these songs.

Al Berard Songs

ALLONS A LAFAYETTE 2S 4 4 1 1 5 5 1 1
BACK OF TOWN 2S 7411 7411(1) T-scott
BEAUSOLEIL WALTZ 5 [:1416- [:16-16-152-4:] 152-4:]
(Here, the repeat symbology means repeat the entire form, and repeat the mid-section each time you do.)
BÉBÉ CREOLE 1 1 6- 5 1 acc: 1 6- 4 1
BLUES FRANÇAIS 1411 1155 1411 1511
BON TEMPS ROULER 1W 1442- 5551
BRUNE DE LA COMPAGNE 1 instr 1111 1155 4545 4511
vocal 1111 1155 5555 5511
CAJUN EXCERCISE 1 scott T- 1151
CA FAIT LA PEINE 1144 1144 1144 1511 T- 5525
CHAMOUX 1115 5551
CHENEVERT 111 444 111 555 511
CHERE BÉBÉ CREOLE W 1111 4444 1511
CHOUPIQUE 1 STEP (DENIS) D-D-D-(F) C C C C C © F
D-D-F
C C C C C © F
F (F) G- (G-) C C CF
F (F) G- (G-) C C C C CF
CLEOMA`S BLUES 5 blues with long 5
CORRINA 1 1111 6-6-11 5511
COURTABLEU [:1144 5511:] [:5525 5525:] (5)
COWBOY WALTZ F 1155 5511
COWBOY WALTZ 2 1511
CREOLE STOMP scott
DENIS Song? [:1177 1477:] 4477 4477
DENIS Song? [:C C BbBb C F BbBb:] F F BbBb F F BbBb
DERNIERE WALTZ 5 1411 1155 4422 5511
EUNICE 2-STEP 5 1144 1151 T: scott
EUNICE WALTZ ? T: 1411 1511
FIFI PONCHO 1 1 (1) 5 (5) 1 T: 1151 115(5)1
GRAND BOIS/MECHE 1411 1511 T 1111 1511
HACKBERRY HOP 1111 1551
HAPPY ONE-STEP F 1411 4X 1415
HAPPY ONE-STEP 2S G [:1 4 1 1 1 4 15 1:] T: 1514 1514
HEY MOM 1 1 5 51 1 1 5 51 T: 4411 4415
HIGH POINT 4411 5511
J`AI LAISSÉ DE LA MAISON 1 1114 5551
JE VAIS TE POISIONIER 1115 5551
LAKE ARTHUR STOMP 1 1 5 51 1 1 5 (5) 1
vocal: 1 41 1 41 1 41 1 41
LA TRAMP SUR LA RUE 1 111 111
444 444
111 115 2
555 1 1 15

MALCHANCIEUX/UNLUCKY WALTZ 1111 5541
11155 5541
1111 1111
11511 11511
MARKSVILLE 2S 1 4411 5511 T: walk down 1 5/7 6-5 45
1 stop 2nd time
MERMENTAU WALTZ 5 1155 4511
MIDNIGHT WALTZ 1 1451 1151 T 1151
MY TRUE LOVE 1116- 16-51
T: 1111 14451
OSSUN 2S 5 1111 1111 1414 1414
PERRODIN 2S 1 1 1 (1) 5 (1)
QUELLE ETOILES 4155 5511
RENO WALTZ 1144 5511
TAILLE D`ERONCE 1 1151
T: scott
TRAVELLER`S PLAYBOY SPECIAL 1 1 4 5 5 1 45 11
T: 1511
TOUT LES SOIRS 1 444 111 555 111
VIENS ME CHERCHER 1 1155 4511
VILLE PLATTE 1-STEP 5511 4X 4511 4511 4516- 4511
LES VEUVES DE LA COULÉE 1144 1155 1144 1511
WALKER SPECIAL 1 1151
T: 5151

WALTZ OF NORTH AND SOUTH
116-6- 6-6-3-3-
116-6- 6-6-45
1116- 6-6-3-3-
1511 4511

Sheryl Cormier Songs

ANNIVERSARY WALTZ 1411 +? 

BOSCOE 1111 11151 1115 11151 VOCAL 1111 1(1)5(1)51
LA BOUTEILLE 1111 111
444 444
111 115
555 11
BAYOU NOIR 1 1 (1) 5 1 1151
CALCASHIEU W 5 1115 4451
C`EST TOUT FINI 1 111 44 55511
CHERE ALICE 44451 11511
CHERE JOLIE 1 1 1 5 5 5 1 5 5 1 1 15
CHERE TOU TOUT GW 1111 551
CHOUPIQUE 2S 1111 1151
COUNTRY GENT 5 4411 5511
DON`T CRY BLUE EYES W 1 1111 4411 4416- 1511 3
DON`T FORGET ME STRING BEANS 1111 1111(1)
DONNE-MOI MON CHAPEAU 5 1 1 1 15 1 1 1 (5) 1
DRUNKARD`S DREAM 5 1144 1155 1144 1511
EUNICE 2-STEP 5 1144 1151 scott
EVANGELINE SP 5 1151
EVANGELINE W 1 1 4 1 (1) 1 1 5 1 (1) half bars vocal only
GRAND NUIT SPECIAL 1 1151 1151 scott
GRAVEL RD 1 1111 4455 1155 5 5 1 15
HIP ET TAIAUT 1111 5511 1111 4411 4416- 1511
HERITAGE W 1 1111 5555 5511
J`AI FAIT MON IDÉE 1W 4 4 1 1 5 5 432 1
J`AI FAIT UNE GROSS ERREUR 1shuffle 1144 1155 1144 1511
J`AIMERAIS CONNAÎTRE W1 1 1 4 4 5 5 1 51
JOE PITRE A DEUX FEMMES 1111 5511
JOLIE FILLE 5 1144 1151
JONGLEZ A MOI 1 1115 5551
KAPLAN W1 play 4411 5511
vocal: 4411 5511 4411 1511
KLFY WF 1155 5511
KNEECAP SHUFFLE C 1111
LAKE CHARLES PLAYBOY WALTZ 1111 1155 5555 551
LOVEBRIDGE 5 1144 1151 1151 1151
MADAME SOSTENE 5 1141 1241
MARDI GRAS (Aldus) 1111 1111 1111 5 51 5 (5) 1
MARIE 5W 444 111 555 1411 drop last one for accordian
MAMA I`M STILL YOUR LITTLE BOY 1111 4444 1111 55511
MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MOVING C 1111 5511
MULE scott
MY HEART MY LOVE 111 444 555 115
NICOLAS 1111 1151 4411 4455 4411 1151
99 YEAR OLD WALTZ 1155 4511
NONC WILLY 5 1111 4444 1511
OUVRE LA PORTE E 1115 5551
OLD FASHIONED 5 1151
OST SPECIAL 1151
OSSUN 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (1) 1 1414 1414
LA PISTACHE DE TANT NANA 1W 1441 1151
PAS LA PEINE DE BRAILLER F 1111 5511
POINTE AU PINES SCOTT MOD C G
QUAND J`ETAIS PAUVRE 1 1115 5551
QUELLE ETOILES 4155 5511
SAT. NITE WALTZ 1111 4444 151?
STEPPIN FAST scott
SUNDOWN PLAYBOY SPECIAL 1115 5551
THEY USED TO CALL ME 1 1144 1155 1144 1511
TIT OISEAU 1155 5511 4455 5511 4
TOUT LES DEUX POUR LE MEME 1W 4 4 1 1 5 5 432 1
TRANGLE SP 5 1111 1551
TU VAS JAIMER CASSER MON COUR 1 W 1111 5551
TOLAMB'S WALTZ ? 1111 5511 1111 55511 (one extra five at end)
VALSE DE TOUTE LE MONDE F 1111 5511
LES VEUVES DE LA COULÉE 1144 1155 1144 1511
WORLD IN A JUG 5 1111 4411 5515
WALTZ OF NO RETURN 1411 1155 or 1151
YOU`RE EASY TO LOVE W1 1111 5555 5555 11

Jonno Frishberg Songs

BONSOIR MOREAU 42-42- 16-16-16-16-16-
CHEZ SAYCHELLE 441-4451 1115- 5551 1114- 4151
I`M COMING HOME 1 5 6-4 16- 45 14 15
JE M`ENDORS 2-2-2-1 2-5-7 2- (3X)
JOLIE BASSETTE 1111 1 2-2-1
JOSEPHINE 1111 5511
KAPLAN 4411 5511
Vocal: 4411 1511
POINT AU PIC 1115 6-6-6-6-
5551 5555
1114 6-6-6-6-
4 16- 5 1 4 16- 5 1
MADAME SOSTHÉNE 1141 1241
NEITZCHE`S WALTZ 1141 4445 1141 4511 4411 4445 1141 4511
OSSUN 1111 111(1)1 1414 1414
RENO WALTZ 1144 5511
ROSY CHEEKS [:GGGG FFDG:] [:Bb Bb F Bb Bb Bb D Bb:]
TON PAPA MAMA MÒNT JETÉ DEHORS
(1)1 1 4 4 (4)4 5 1 1 : (1)1 1(1) 4 1151
T: [:1144 1151:]
VOCAL: 1 1 (1) 4 4 4 (1) 5 1 1
Inst: (1) 1 1 4 (4) 1151 turn
ZYDECO PONT BREAUX 1 1 15 1 1 1 15 1
T: 1 4 1 5 1 4 54 1

Kermit Venable Songs

Back of Town G 7 4 1 1 7 4 1 (1) 1 T- Scott
Bayou Tech 2-Step 1 1 4 4 - 1 1 5 1
Vocal: 1 1 4 4 - 1 1 (1) 5 1
T: 1 1 1 5 - 1 1 1 (5) 1
Chere Mom 1 1 5 51 1 1 5 51
T: 4411 4451
Choupique 2-Step G 1151
Crawfish Festival Waltz 5
Duson Waltz G 1151
Evangeline Waltz 1 1 4 1 - 1 1 7 1 1 (7 is 5 normally)
T: 1 1* 4 1 - 1 1 7 1 1 *dom.7th
(most bands- T: 1741 11511)
Grand Mamou Turn 1 1 1 5
4 5 45 1
1 1 1 5
4 5 4 5 1 1
Lache-pas la Patate F 1115 5551
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler CW C F F D G G G C or 1 4 4 2 5 5 5 1
Mamou Hot Step G 1151
Mes Amis CW [:1455 - 4511:] 4511-4511-4516- 2255
Dead stop on last 5
New Iberia Polka C Shuffle [:1111 - 1551:] [:1154 - 1551:]
Point au Loup 2-Step [:4411 - 7411:] 4411 1144
Point au Pic C 2-Step 1115-5551-1114- 4 16- 45 1 6666-5555-6666- 4 16 45 1
Rodair Club at Traffic Time 2S G 1 1 5 51 - 1 1 5 (5) 1
mod to C same
Scott in C
Soileau 2-Step C (slow) [:1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1:] 5 5 5 51 (4X)
2-Step de L`Anse Maigre/Midnight Playboy Special/Lafayette Breakdown
Scott w/ 7 instead of 5 T: 7171 715
Ton Tit Bec est Doux G W [:4411 1511:]
T: 1511 1511
Travailler C`est Trop Dur C W 1141
Unlucky Waltz CW 1111 111511 1111 11511
T: 5545 5541 1111 11511
Valse de la Vie C 1166 1166 1116 1511
Vermillion 2-Step C 1 1 5 5
4 4 45 1
1 1 1 1
5 5 5 5 1 1

Robert LeBlanc Songs

BAYOU CHENE (or Duson Waltz) G 1151
BAYOU NOIR 2ST G 1151
BELIZAIRE VALSE a' 11411 11255 11411 11511
BON POUR MOI etc WC 1411 5511
CAFE CHAUD 1 1 7 4 7 (7) 1
1114 5555
CAJUN 2S soleil couche' 1114 555 (5) 1
CAJUN SPECIAL C 552(2)5
CALCESIEU WALTZ C 1 1 (walk down) 5 5 5 (walk up) 1 552(2)1
CHAGRIN VALSE de C 1411 1511
CHERE TOUT TOUT GW 1 1 1 1 5 5 1 1
CHICO 2-STEP G 1151
CHOUPIQUE G like us 4111 4151
CREOLE STOMP G Scott
CRIMINEL valse a G 1411 1511 T1111 1511
CYPRESS INN SPECIAL G 1144 1151
DURALD 2ST C diggy liggy li
DUSON WALTZ or (or Bayou Chene) G 1151
EUNICE 2ST 1144 1151
T: Scott
EUNICE WALTZ C 1411 1511 6

FIFI 1 1 (1) 5 (5) 1
T: 1151 115(5)1
FOND DE CULOTTE G 2S 1151
GRAND BOIS 4411 1511
T: 1511
GRAND MECHE VALSE A G 4411 1511
T: 1111 1511
GRAND MARE' VALSE A C 1511 1511 1411 1511
Vocal: 1411 1511
J'AI F GROS ERREUR 1144 1155 1144 1511
JOHNNY CAN'T DANCE 1151 (sometimes 115(1) (7) 1 1 7 1 5 1 7
KAPLAN WALTZ C 4411 5511 4411 1511
LACASSINE G 4411 5511
T: 1111 1511
LOUISIANA WALTZ - F - 4422 5511
LONELY WALTZ C 1151
MARIE VALSE A C 1155 5511
MECHE VALSE de W 4411 1511
T:1111 1511
MULBERRY W C 1115 5551
MUSICIAN'S WALTZ C 1155 4511
OBERLIN/T-MONDE 1155 5511 (? 1414 1544)
PETITE OU GROSSE 1111 1551
PORT ARTHUR W 1115 5551
RENO WALTZ C 1142 5511
SATURDAY NITE SP G 1151
SATURDAY NITE W G 1111 4444 1511
SUNDOWN PLAYBOY SP 1115 5551
STANDING AT UR DOOR C 4141 1551
T-MAMOU 2S 1411 145(5)1
sometimes turn - scott
T-MONDE WC 1111 1111 55 4545 4511
T-MONDE WC IRY 1155 5511
T-MAURICE WC 1122 5511
TURTLE TAIL 1111 1551