How it started

I began building what became NashvilleChords in February 2019, at first just for myself. I was looking for chord charts in a compact Nashville number format, providing a clear overview, no unnecessary redundancy, and not tied to a wall of lyrics, especially for songs where good charts were hard to find.

That included material that existed only as audio without published charts, as well as released songs where I still could not find a layout that matched how I actually rehearse. Transcribing from audio is slow, honest work; for me it is often on the order of 45 to 60 minutes per song, and I still value doing it: you learn the music deeply. Not everyone has the time or the ear for that, which is one reason a shared, consistent chart can help a whole team.

If this site is part of your week (rehearsals, services, planning), optional support covers hosting and the domain and makes it easier to set aside time for improvements and new ideas—you can use Ko-fi or PayPal.

From “HillsongChords” to NashvilleChords

Early on the site carried a lot of Hillsong material, so I called it HillsongChords. As more artists and songs joined the library, NashvilleChords felt like a better name for what the tool actually is: a home for charts in the number system, not for one band alone.

Why it stays free

I volunteer in our church in Konstanz, Germany, and use the app myself every week. Other musicians locally started asking whether they could use it too; because the project would not exist without access to the same internal audio and context I had, opening it up for free was the honest choice.

I am not trying to monetize NashvilleChords, and that is not the plan. Chord charts are a different kind of artifact than distributing recordings or lyrics you do not own; the hope is simply that structured charts help teams serve, without turning the site into a product.

A wider church

It has been humbling to see how many people rely on NashvilleChords across time zones and campuses. Usage tends to spike around Thursdays and weekends, which is a small signal that accessible charts really matter for real services. As tools like Planning Center became more global, sharing the curated library with teams everywhere got easier, which I am grateful for.

Want to submit your own charts?

If you work with the Nashville number system and can maintain high-quality chord charts, you can apply to become a Song Creator. Requests are reviewed manually; approved contributors receive access to the Song Wizard with a personal API key.

What I hope comes next

Most of the core functionality was built in the years before AI-assisted coding was commonplace; ongoing work is still voluntary time squeezed around everything else. I read survey feedback and keep a list of features that would make NVC more useful, and I am also dreaming about future projects that tackle similar problems on a deeper level: not only for instrumentalists, but for singers, worship leaders, and learners, with more help from audio, not only static charts.

Long term, I would love to see something even better than NashvilleChords take this role, especially anything that reduces dependence on one person curating and preparing charts. Until then, I pray this site keeps being a useful brick in the wall.