Amazing GraceIn

Number TABThe hymn Amazing Grace written by John Newton (1725-1807) has become a standard song for Native American style flute players The hymn was originally written for a New Yearrsquos day sermon of 1773 and published in 1779 In 1835 the verse was set to the tune of ldquoNew Britainrdquo which is the most common version heard today

Since most NAF players are familiar with the tune it is a perfect choice to demonstrate how a song can be notated with Number TAB

Here is the arrangement shown with finger charts Note the absence of any rhythmic indication

F B d B d c B B F

F B d B d c f

d f f d B F B B F

F B d B c c BFigure 1

The lack of any rhythm leaves much to be desired If you were a songwriter using finger charts you would not be able to show rhythms or even basic note lengths However using the Number TAB system we can show not only the fingerings which each number represents but the rhythms and the interval distance each note is from the root

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Adapting GraceThe original tune has a note that the NAF basic scale does not have without fingering a half hole the major 2nd Therefore this arrangement will play another note in its place

Amazing Grace in Number TABBelow is the Number TAB version of Amazing Grace laid out the same as the finger chart version (Fig 2)

1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - 4 1 -1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 8 - - - -6 8 - 8 6 4 - 1 4 - 4 1 -1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - - - 0

Figure 2

Right away we can see a pattern in the rhythm when we look at how the first nine numbers and dashes ( - ) line up One of the names for a repeating pattern in music is a Motif Amazing Grace has a very distinctive rhythmic motif This can be clearly seen in Number TAB

Now to see how the two systems relate letrsquos line up Number Tab with the finger charts

F B dB d c B B F1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - 4 1 -

F B dB d c f1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 8 - - - -

d f fd B F B B F6 8 - 8 6 4 - 1 4 - 4 1 -

F B dB c c B1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - - - 0

Figure 3

New to Number TabIf you need to review the numbers for each note and what fingering they represent check out Number TAB Part 1 If you need to review how each number shows rhythm check out Number TAB Part 2 There is also a quick review below

Number TAB = Fingering PositionsThe numbers in Number TAB mean the same thing as the finger charts above ndash what fingering to use for a note but is easier and faster to read and write Number TAB like other TAB systems is self transposing Therefore the number 1 always means cover all the holes number 4 always means uncover the bottom two holes and number 5 always means uncover the bottom three holes etc This is true no matter what key your standard NAF is in The numbers are based on the intervalic distance a note is from the root Luckily you donrsquot need to know this use Number TAB Just match the correct fingering with its assigned number

Number TAB Can Show RhythmsNow all we have to figure out is the rhythm In Number TAB each number equals a basic length If it is follow by dashes or is underlined it is either a multiple of the basic length or a division of it

Now if we look back at Figure 2 we can see that each line of the song has a total of sixteen foot taps (16 beats) This is information we donrsquot get from the finger charts Not only do finger charts not show rhythm they donrsquot even give us basic information about the length of each phrase

A Quick Rhythmic ReviewRhythm in music is a combination of longer and shorter notes laid over a beat If you tap your foot while you listen to music odds are you are tapping your foot to the beat Foot tap = 1 Beat

In Number TAB one number by itself equals one foot tap

1 (Number TAB) = 1 Foot Tap on the root note

A number followed by a dash ( 1 - ) equals two foot taps and tells the player to play or hold the note for two foot taps Here is an example on the 4th

4 - (Number TAB followed by a dash) = The 4th is held for two foot taps

Each additional dash behind a number instructs the player to hold the note another foot tap

1 - - = The root note is held for three foot taps

5 - - - = The 5th is held for four foot taps

If a note is underlined ( 1 ) then it is held for half a foot tap Two underlined notes ( 5 4 ) together add up to one foot tap

A zero ( 0 ) equals a rest of one foot tap If the zero is follow by dashes or is underlined it has the same value as a Number TAB number

Back to ArticlesAccording to the finger charts for Amazing Grace phrases 1 and 3 are much longer than phrases 2 and 4 but in reality they are the same length (16 beats) ndash even if they donrsquot have the same amount of notes

Measured GraceHere is Amazing Grace in Number TAB again but this time the numbers are displayed in measures (Fig 4) There are sixteen measures each with three foot taps and one pickup note at the front lasting one foot tap Breaths are indicated with an apostrophe ( rsquo )

3S 1 | 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 4 - 4 | 1 -rsquo 1 |

| 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 8 - - | - -rsquo 6 |

| 8 - 8 6 | 4 - 1 | 4 - 4 | 1 -rsquo 1 |

| 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 4 - - | - - 0 |Figure 4

Number TAB and NAF TABFor those of you who can read NAF TAB (Nakai TAB) here is Amazing Grace shown in both Number TAB and NAF TAB (Fig 5) Not only do the numbers of Number TAB mean only what fingering to use for a note so does NAF TAB Thatrsquos right the placement of the note in NAF TAB tell the player what fingering to use It does not tell the player what pitch to play

1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - 4 1 - 1

4 - 6 4 6 - 5 8 - - - - 6

8 - 8 6 4 - 1 4 - 4 1 - 1

4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - - - - 0

Figure 5

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Back to ArticlesAccording to the finger charts for Amazing Grace phrases 1 and 3 are much longer than phrases 2 and 4 but in reality they are the same length (16 beats) ndash even if they donrsquot have the same amount of notes

Measured GraceHere is Amazing Grace in Number TAB again but this time the numbers are displayed in measures (Fig 4) There are sixteen measures each with three foot taps and one pickup note at the front lasting one foot tap Breaths are indicated with an apostrophe ( rsquo )

3S 1 | 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 4 - 4 | 1 -rsquo 1 |

| 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 8 - - | - -rsquo 6 |

| 8 - 8 6 | 4 - 1 | 4 - 4 | 1 -rsquo 1 |

| 4 - 6 4 | 6 - 5 | 4 - - | - - 0 |Figure 4

Number TAB and NAF TABFor those of you who can read NAF TAB (Nakai TAB) here is Amazing Grace shown in both Number TAB and NAF TAB (Fig 5) Not only do the numbers of Number TAB mean only what fingering to use for a note so does NAF TAB Thatrsquos right the placement of the note in NAF TAB tell the player what fingering to use It does not tell the player what pitch to play

1 4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - 4 1 - 1

4 - 6 4 6 - 5 8 - - - - 6

8 - 8 6 4 - 1 4 - 4 1 - 1

4 - 6 4 6 - 5 4 - - - - 0

Figure 5

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Bridging the GapNow we can see how Number TAB bridges the gap between finger charts and NAF TAB Number TAB not only tells you the fingering to use but the rhythms to play Number TAB also shows you where a note is in the NAF scale This is very useful information when writing your own songs or improvising (ldquoPlaying from the Heartrdquo) as it can help you create a melody that flows better and sounds more professional

Developing GraceIf you are someone who is comfortable with NAF TAB rhythmic notation but like a shortcut for the fingering Number TAB can be used in place of finger charts without any indications for rhythm (No dashes or underlined numbers) This makes for a less cluttered score and allows for more complex rhythms to be notated in a cleaner fashion

Here is an example of how that might look (Fig 6) This more developed arrangement of Amazing Grace includes triplets ndashthree notes played in the time of twondash and a choice of notes before the end

Figure 6

Final Thoughts Here are two extra comments about this second version of Amazing Grace

The two notesThere are two stacked notes on beat 3 measure 14 They are labeled 53 Choose whichever one you like the best or alternate between them if you repeat the tune

The 5 is the Number TAB number for the top note of the two stacked notes in measure 14 See Figure 3 for the fingering

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The bottom number 3 is a raised or sharped version of Number TAB 3 It can be played using the fingering

WNormally the NAF plays a minor 3 In order to tell the player to raise the pitch to a major 3 Number TAB puts a sharp behind the number or 3

Number TAB can show all the notes of the extended scale of the NAF

The tripletsTriplets are three notes played in the same amount of time two notes would normally be played The fingering might be awkward here so instead of fingering the 6 the normal way

dSome NAF can use an alternate fingering of

The triplet can then be played

6 5 4

While this might not seem an improvement for just the triplets when the melody is descending from the octave 8 you donrsquot have to flip your fingering but can leave the fourth hole covered during the entire run

8 6 5 4

I used this alternate fingering for the song Raven Dance from Lost Canyons

-Scott August

copy 2013 Cedar Mesa Musicwwwcedarmesacom

NAF finger charts courtesy of Glint Goss and Robert Gatliff

Coming Soon

The Complete Guide to Songwritingfor the Native American Style Flute

You too can write music for the Native American Style Flute Even if yoursquove never written a note before Native American Music Award (NAMMY) Winner Scott August guides you through easy to understand step-by-step instructions on how to turn a few notes into a captivating melody and then transform your melodies into complete songs for Native American style flute The Complete Guide to Songwriting for the Native American Style Flute makes it easy for anyone to start writing and playing their own music for the NAF ndash and have fun

Explore the different ways to compose a melody Discover the techniques to get your ideas written down before you forget them Learn new methods to get out of ldquorutsrdquo Make rhythm work for you

Learn How Tobull Remember what you playbull Write a full melody from just a few notesbull Understand your ideas and know what yoursquore playingbull Quickly write out a tune before you forget itbull Recognize the rhythms you createbull Use Advance Rhythms including dotted notes pickups and tripletsbull Add Trills Turns Chirps and other NAF effects to your tunesbull Expand your musical ideas into songs that sound polished and professional

Sample Pages

Learn more at The Complete Guide to Songwriting for the Native American Style Flute

Learn more at The Complete Guide to Songwriting for the Native American Style Flute

copy 2013 Cedar Mesa MusicAll rights reserved