I hear what you’re saying Lanny @Lanny . . . 
A beginner can get bogged down very easily just by trying to learn some “simple” devices like tabs. This can lead to frustration (and a “dusty” bass 
)
Whatever works best for YOU is what’s really best.
Thanks and thumbs up, Joe 
and like most things, if you don’t actually use them (regularly), they’re extremely difficult to. learn and become proficient at. Nashville numbering system is the solution to a problem, if you don’t have the problem it solves, it’s like trying to learn a language without having to speak the language for communicating with people.
Roman numeral system is very useful as it’s very commonly used for analyzing chord progressions of a song or key. Luckily as someone pointed out in a previous thread on this subject, they both sound the same when you’re talking to people 
I thought that might be the case since I didn’t remember Josh talking about Nashville but I was too lazy to look 
this is like at work when someone is trying to solve a problem but doesn’t understand what the actual problem is
I’ll stand by my usually suggestion: use it to learn it, don’t learn it to use it
I do okay with tabs, hard to read and play at the same time, but I get by. Notation might as well be written in Sumerian hieroglyphs.
I was working on a Christmas cover and had to transpose the chords as there wasn’t any tabs, and I did something similar to your system. I think I will try your system and see how it works. Thanks for the tip
@Wombat-metal, here’s an idea of how I do it. This one was from my last song “Sultans”, but will give you a basic idea of how I do it. I use this system a lot when I play with bands, and also when I do recordings…
It’s all pretty crude, but it’s what works for me…. No fills are listed because I do my own as I feel at the time. Bottom line is that the basic road map shows me where to go on the fretboard without having to think too much about anything other than just locking in and setting my own groove.
Out of necessity you’ve invented something really close to a lead sheet, which solves your need and works well for you. That’s great.
The only missing piece from a standard lead sheet there is the notation for melody, and you don’t need that for bass.
Whatever works for you. It’s all about having a system you can use in practice.
i’ll give it a shot. I might need an iPad. Oh Santa Baby, bring an ipad, for me, under the tree.
At first i thought those were scale degrees and then i realized it’s just tab without the lines
Thanks @howard - It also works well for teaching my grandkids. The only difference with what I do for them is list the name of the note over it’s string and fret location so that they can also subconsciously learn the fretboard.
Kinda, but not quite @sshoihet …. Granted, there are no lines yet a number is given, it easily specifies where a note is to be played. Knowing that location A5 is the A string 5th fret, it also specifies where that D note is to be played on the fretboard.
For my grandkids I do list the name of the note above the location so that they can more easily learn the fretboard.
Yeah that’s pretty much exactly how tab works, where the second line is the A string, and a 5 on it means to play the 5th fret.
Think is though, when you’re dyslexic as I am, it’s the lines that get all jumbled up and I see a lot of things upside down at times so what would actually be a note shown on the third line shows up as one on the second line.
I found that when I would play music, I had to concentrate on dealing with my dyslexia more than focusing on my playing style, technique, etc…
I wouldn’t imagine anyone who has never dealt with something like this to fully understand. Bottom line is that conventional techniques that are taught whether it be black dots on lines, or numbers on lines, neither work for me. Nashville numbers do help, but I suppose you should always try to find the best way to do things so that they work for you.
It works for you, which is all that matters!
It works great but your musicianship and ear are what complete the bass line. I know you play what you feel, but I also notice you play a lot of what you hear from the original. This is a place where we all aspire to be. Being able to do this from a ‘lead sheet’ is a big deal, kudos to you Lanny. You motivate a lot of us to ‘keep on thumpin’'.
I wasn’t suggesting you should use tab, i was just remarking that you found a different way to notate what is basically tab without using the lines i think i’ve seen something similar where the person wrote the string name and then wrote only the fret numbers until the string changed.
Yeah same here
Agreed with John completely,
it’s interesting to see a bit of “behind the scenes” thanks for sharing your method @Lanny sometimes we get lost in theory trying to “really understand” or put a name on things or checking with others to see if “it’s right” and we end up forgetting to actually play and keep on thumping, that’s where I want to be
And the emphasis in this statement is on the ear training ie. discerning where the chords changes are in a song. Once you know the lyrics, the key the song is in, and the chord progression your off and running.
As with most things ear training just takes time and practice, practice, practice and a little more practice, 
but it will come in time.
What a great analogy
