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About Numbered Notation

All steps
  1. The numbers are the notes of a scale
  2. “1=C” tells you where to start
  3. Dots make a note higher or lower
  4. How long each note lasts
  5. 0 means rest
  6. Bar lines and the time signature
  7. Curves: ties and slurs
  8. The words sit under the numbers
  9. Repeat signs and 1. 2. endings
  10. Minor keys: “6=A”
  11. Put it together: a line of a hymn
  12. Check yourself
  13. Try it on a hymn

The numbers are the notes of a scale

Numbered notation (jianpu, 简谱) writes a melody as numbers instead of notes on a staff. You do not need to read music: take one small step at a time and press Play on any example to hear it while each number lights up. Sound only starts when you press Play.

Instead of notes on a staff, each note is a number from 1 to 7. They are the seven steps of the scale you already know: do re mi fa sol la ti. After 7 the scale starts again at 1.

The seven numbers with their names. Press Play and say each name as its number lights up.
Sing along: do re mi fa sol, and back down to do.

If you can sing do re mi, you can already sing every number from 1 to 7. Tap or click any number to hear just that note.

“1=C” tells you where to start

At the top left of the sheet you will see something like 1=C. It means the number 1 (do) is the note C, and every other number counts up from there. 1=G means do is G, so the whole tune sits a little higher. Nothing else changes: the same numbers make the same shape, only higher or lower.

1=C: do is C.
1=G: the same numbers, starting higher.

Not sure where C is? On a piano it is the white key just left of the two black keys. Or ignore the letter and start on any note that is comfortable for your voice: the tune only has to keep its shape. The − and + key buttons on a hymn page shift the key for you.

Dots make a note higher or lower

A dot above a number means one octave higher. A dot below means one octave lower. Two dots mean two octaves. No dot is the middle range, where most of a tune lives. The name stays the same; only the height changes.

The same number at three heights: dot below, no dot, dot above.
A tune that climbs: it starts on a low sol and ends on a high do.

How long each note lasts

Tap your foot at a steady pace: each tap is a beat. A plain number lasts one beat, so you sing a new number on every tap. Dashes, lines and dots change that.

A plain number is one beat

Four numbers, four beats: one number for each tap.

A dash holds the note longer

Each dash adds one beat. The 5 lasts two beats and the 3 lasts four.

A line underneath makes it shorter

One line is half a beat, so two underlined numbers share one beat. (Two lines are a quarter of a beat.)

A dot after makes it half as long again

A dot after a number adds half its length. The first 5 lasts a beat and a half, and the short 3 fills the rest of the second beat.

0 means rest

A 0 is silence for one beat. Keep counting and keep tapping, but do not sing. Dashes after a 0 make the silence longer, just as they hold a note longer.

Sing 1 3 5, stay quiet for one beat, then come back down. Rests light up too, so you can feel the pause.

Bar lines and the time signature

Tall lines cut the music into bars, each holding the same number of beats. The two small numbers at the start, like 4/4 or 3/4, say how many: 4/4 is four beats in every bar, 3/4 is three. The first beat of each bar is the strongest, so lean on it a little. A double line with a thick edge marks the end.

4/4: count 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4. The first beat of each bar sounds a little louder.
3/4: count 1 2 3, 1 2 3, the lilt of a waltz.

Curves: ties and slurs

A curve over numbers joins them. If it joins two of the same number, it is a tie: sing the note once and hold it for both. If it joins different numbers, it is a slur: sing them all on one syllable, gliding from one to the next.

A tie: the 5 is sung once and held across the bar line, six beats in all.
A slur: “Him” is sung on two notes, 3 then 2.

The words sit under the numbers

Each number gets one syllable, written right underneath it. A short dash after part of a word means the word carries on under the next number. If a number has nothing under it, it belongs to a curve or a dash: keep singing the syllable you are on.

Read left to right, one syllable for each number: Twin-kle, twin-kle, lit-tle star.

Repeat signs and 1. 2. endings

A bar line with two dots, :|, means go back and sing that part again, from the matching |: sign (or from the start if there is none). Sometimes the repeat has two endings. Sing ending 1. the first time; on the repeat, skip it and sing ending 2. instead.

Play it: you hear the 1. ending, the repeat, then the 2. ending. Watch the highlight jump back.

Minor keys: “6=A”

A song in a minor key, which usually sounds more serious or tender, is labeled like 6=A instead of 1=C. It means the number 6 (la) is the home note, here A. The numbers keep their usual names; the tune simply feels at home on 6 and often ends there. 6=A uses the same notes as 1=C.

It starts and ends on 6 (la), the home note. Listen to the darker colour.

Put it together: a line of a hymn

This is the first line of hymn 8, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow”, written in numbered notation. Try the slow tempo first, and sing the words as each number lights up.

1=G in 4/4. Three silent beats, then “Praise” on beat 4. The dots under 7, 6 and 5 mean those notes dip one octave lower.

Check yourself

Four quick questions, with no score and no pressure. Tap an answer to see right away why it is right or wrong. You can always try another answer.

Tap the number that is held the longest.

Tap the 5 that is one octave higher than the first 5.

What does a 0 mean?

Under 1=G, which note is the number 1?

Try it on a hymn

You opened this from a hymn that has a Numbered view, so you can try it right now.

  1. Look at the top left of the sheet: the key, such as 1=D, and the time signature, such as 3/4.
  2. Find the first number and sing it. Then follow the numbers from left to right with the words underneath, one syllable for each number. Press Play in the player to hear the recording while you follow.
  3. Letters above the numbers (C, G7) are chords for a guitarist or pianist. Ignore them while you learn the tune.
  4. To be guided, open the Learn tab and press Play. Under Display, set Learn notation to Numbered (or choose Numbered on the Lead Sheet tab first). For hymns that have numbered lines, each line of numbers scrolls into view in time with the recording while a bouncing ball follows the words; other hymns show the piano notation there. The Speed menu slows it down.

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Teach me Thy way, O Lord

Longings For the Lord’s Way

English406
1
Teach me Thy way, O Lord,
Teach me Thy way;
Thy gracious aid afford,
Teach me Thy way.
Help me to walk aright;
More by faith, less by sight;
Lead me with heav’nly light,
Teach me Thy way.
2
When doubts and fears arise,
Teach me Thy way;
When storms o’erspread the skies,
Teach me Thy way.
Shine through the cloud and rain,
Through sorrow, toil, and pain;
Make Thou my pathway plain,
Teach me Thy way.
3
Long as my life shall last,
Teach me Thy way;
Where’er my lot be cast,
Teach me Thy way.
Until the race is run,
Until the journey’s done,
Until the crown is won,
Teach me Thy way.

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Tommy

Taiwan

Jun 11, 2026

1
教導我走，o主祢的道路
求祢賜下恩惠，走祢道路
助我走祢正路；憑信不憑眼見
用大光引導我；走祢道路
2
當懷疑恐懼時，指引我路；
當風暴遮蔽天，指引我路。
光穿陰雲雨水，越過憂傷勞苦；
求祢使路平坦，指引我路。
3
歲月若可長存，我行祢路；
無論命運如何，我行祢路。
直到賽程跑盡，走完信仰旅程，
直到贏得冠冕，我行祢路。

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Un Hermano

Mar 24, 2026

This matter of sensing the Word may be unfamiliar to many. Some may wonder what this means and how we can use our spirit to sense the Word. To sense the Word with our spirit requires that we not only read the Word but also pray over the Word. After reading a verse or two, we need to spend some time to pray with the verse and concerning the verse. For example, suppose we read Luke 18:19 , which says, “Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—God. ” After reading this verse, we need to pray about it. We may pray, “Lord, Your Word says that no one is good. Thus, I am not good. No one is good except God Himself. Lord, I do praise You. You are the only One who is good. There is nothing within me that is good. ” After praying in this way, we may continue to pray, “Lord, since there is no good in me, please save me from trusting in myself, and teach me how to enjoy You and trust in You. You are the only One who is good. ” By praying with the Word and concerning the Word in this way, we exercise our spirit, and by exercising our spirit in this way, we contact the Lord in the Word. Instead of merely reading the Word with our mind, we can exercise our spirit by praying over the Word. We can pray, “O Lord, no one in this universe is good except One—God. God is the only One who is good. ” Of course, we need to understand what this verse means, but even more we need to exercise our heart to love this verse and our spirit to contact the Lord in this verse. We should immediately turn our reading into prayer, praying, “Lord, this is so wonderful. No one is good, not even me. Only You are good. Lord, I thank You that You are the only One who is good. Cause me to realize that I am not good and that there is nothing within me that is good. Save me from having any confidence in myself and from trusting in myself. Teach me to trust in You, to take You as my life, and to live by You. You are the only One who is good. ” This is the way to come to the Word—to turn all our reading into praying. By doing this, we exercise our spirit and contact the Lord in the Word. This is the simplest and most effective way to read the Word.

Contacting the Lord, Being Filled in Spirit, and Having Proper Christian Meetings for the Accomplishment of God's Eternal Purpose

Chapyer 2 The Way to Contact the Lord

CWWL, 1963, (LSM)

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Un Hermano

Mar 24, 2026

Reading the Word of the Lord is different from reading a newspaper. Reading a newspaper requires simply that we use our eyes to see it and our mind to understand it. Reading the Word, however, requires something more. We need a heart to love the Word and a spirit to contact the Word. When we read a portion of the Word, we can pray with what we read. We may read Luke 18:19 , which says, “Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—God. ” Then after reading it we can pray, “Lord, I praise You that You are the only good One. Because no one is good, I am not good. Nothing within me is good. No one is good except You. Help me not to trust in myself for anything, and teach me to enjoy You and trust in You, because You are the only One who is good. ”

We do not read the Word only with our mind to understand it. We need to pray in order to exercise our spirit to contact the Lord through the Word. We can say with our spirit, “How wonderful it is that no one is good but You. Lord, I thank You that You are the only One who is good. Teach me to realize that nothing within me is good so that I will have no confidence in myself. I want to learn how to trust in You, to take You as my life, and to live by You, the only One who is good. ” This is to turn our reading into prayer. When we exercise our spirit like this, we contact the Lord.

Experiencing Christ in a Practical Way
for the Building Up of the Church
Chapter 4 Contacting the Lord through Reading
the Word and Prayer CWWL, 1961–1962,
(LSM)

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Adekanmi Asegun

Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria

Oct 12, 2025

Great hymn for Soldiers of the Cross. May the Lord continue to teach us His way daily in the name of Jesus.

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Keren

Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana

Jun 19, 2025

I’m going through a lot but as I was praying this hymn slip into my heart and lips. I know the Holy Spirit is taking me through the path of righteousness gradually. I’m graced for this hymn this morning.

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Alice Isaac

Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria

Mar 11, 2025

Woke up this morning with the burden of knowing more about God and walking in this way and will, then this hymn came to my mind.

As long as life shall last, Lord teach me Thy way. Amen.

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Sue Rennie

Halton, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Nov 20, 2024

Reading Psalm 25 v 4/5 reminded me of this hymn I learned at school over 60 years ago; I haven’t sung it in decades. Wonderful words which still apply today

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Kat Bond

Caersws, Powys, United Kingdom

Feb 21, 2024

I'm preparing a Lent service on the theme of "Take up your cross & follow me"--This brilliant hymn came back to me after years of not singing it as it isn't in the hymn books we use now. --I also was a Covenanter, & regularly sang this at meetings. It's the sort or hymn that really speaks directly from the heart/soul, offering hope & direction--Wonderful!

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Clare

East Sussex, United Kingdom

Feb 18, 2024

Woke up remembering this song from when I was a Covenanter about 45 years ago. Helded me to wrestle with myself and my thoughts. Thank you Lord

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Adams, Friday Lawrence

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Dec 25, 2022

A great and wonderful inspirational hymn, any day, any time. My wife Hellen and my two daugthers, Esther and Awaji- itimikpan shall today 25/12/2022 present it as a speciall rendition at Good Shepherd Anglican Church Minikpiti-Rumuolumeni Deanery PortHarcourt, Rivers State. Teach me thy way O Lord!

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