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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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O Lord, as we consider Thee

Praise of the Lord His All-Inclusiveness

English190
1
O Lord, as we consider Thee,
We worship Thee for all Thou art;
Thou art so rich, so wonderful,
So dear and precious to our heart.
 
What Thou art meets our every need!
Our hearts o’erflow with praise to Thee!
All our desires Thou dost exceed
And satisfy continually.
2
Thou art the very God in truth,
The God who is both love and light;
The God who is to us our life,
The God in whom we all delight.
3
Thou also art a man indeed,
A man so fine, so good, so pure;
A man in whom our God delights,
A man who can our love secure.
4
Thou even art a lowly slave,
A slave of God to serve for us;
Obedient to the cross’s death
That we might be delivered thus.
5
Thou art, beside all these, a King,
A King in life and love to reign,
By God anointed with His pow’r
To rule with us in His domain.
6
Dear Lord, as we remember Thee,
We thus partake of all Thou art;
As we enjoy Thyself in love,
We share Thee as Thy counterpart.

Copyright Living Stream Ministry. Used by permission.

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Dawn Citto

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Mar 22, 2020

Amen. Ohh, Lord, We worship Thee for all Thou art;
You are so RICH, So WONDERFUL, So DEAR and So
PRECIOUS to our HEART!
You are so all-inclusive, how we Praise YOU!!

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Ana Lara

Storrs, Connecticut, United States

Oct 28, 2019

This hymn is one of the most profound hymns Witness Lee has written and very appropriate for the Lord’s table.

The first stanza begins with ‘Lord as we consider Thee’ the word consider has the Latin prefix ‘con’ or with. The root word ‘sider’ is a derivative

of the word ‘sidereal’ meaning heavenly bodies or stars. It is to think in stars or in a heavenly way. When we consider the Lord, we must do so in all His wonderful dimensions in the four gospels.

The second stanza begins with ‘Thou art the very God of truth. ’ This alludes to the gospel of John which presents Him as God.

The third stanza continues ‘Thou also art a man indeed,

A man so fine, so good so pure. ’ This is because Luke gives emphasis to Him

as a man with the finest humanity.

In the fourth stanza, the Lord is presented as a slave as Mark does in his gospel. ‘Thou even art a lowly slave. ’

Stanza 5 brings out His Kingship. ‘Thou art, beside all these, a King. ’ As Mathew does portray.

Even though the order of the gospels are not found in this way in the New Testament, nevertheless Brother Lee masterfully puts the stanzas in that order to show the process that God went through to reach and save man. First, He stepped out of eternity as God (John). Then took up humanity by being born as a man (Luke). Followed by becoming a slave to serve man in His human living and being obedient unto death and that the death of a cross (Mark). Finally resurrecting and ascending to be Lord and King (Mathew). In all these steps He redeemed us back to God.

The last stanza encourages us to remember Him in all these aspects at the Lord’s table. As we partake of Him through the bread and the wine, we share Him as His counterpart.

The chorus is a joyful expression of all He is meets our every need. Our hearts should overflow with praise with this rich Christ in the four gospels!

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Sara Zaki 🌻

New Jersey, United States

Oct 28, 2018

God anointed Him with all power an authority. What a truth is He. We love You Lord Jesus. Praise You Lord Jesus for all that You are, and all that I am not, which You can be.

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马姊妹

Calgary

Sep 30, 2018

你之所是正合我需！
我心对你讚美洋溢！
我之所愿你全满足，
绰绰有余，应付不已！

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Caleb Kang

Fairfax

Apr 22, 2018

The Lord is all we need ;))) !!

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Gerson Marcos Morgado

Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Feb 28, 2017

Cristo como o maravilhoso centro de toda a Bíblia, é todo inclusivo e possui muitos aspectos. O Novo Testamento apresenta no seu início quatro biografias para retratar os quatro aspectos principais de Cristo. O evangelho de Mateus testifica que Ele é o Rei, o Cristo de Deus profetizado no Antigo Testamento, que traz á terra o reino dos céus.

O evangelho de Marcos nos diz que Ele é o servo de Deus, fiel em Seu serviço a Ele. O relato de Marcos é muito simples pois para um servo não se justifica um relato detalhado. O evangelho de Lucas apresenta um quadro completo de Cristo como o único homem correto e normal que já viveu na terra; como tal Ele é o Salvador da humanidade.

O evangelho de João desvenda-O como o Filho de Deus, o próprio Deus, que é vida para Seu povo.

(Extraído da nota de rodapé 1 do versículo 1 de Mateus 1 da Versão Restauração do Novo Testamento, publicada por Living Stream Ministry)

Este hino retrata cada um destes 4 aspectos do Senhor. Repare que a estrofe 2 retrata-O no evangelho de João como o Deus de luz e de amor e que é nossa vida e Senhor (representado pela águia no querubim – Ap. 4:7).

A estrofe 3 retrata-O no evangelho de Lucas como um homem, puro e superior que agrada a Deus (representado pelo homem no querubim – Ap. 4:7).

A estrofe 4 retrata-O no evangelho de Marcos como um servo humilde que deixou a glória dos céus e desceu a fim de nos servir (representado pelo novilho no querubim - Ap. 4:7)

Por fim, a estrofe 5 retrata-O no evangelho de Mateus como um rei que reina interiormente em vida e amor (representado pelo leão no querubim – Ap 4:7).

O coro declara que o Senhor é o que necessitamos e pode nos suprir e até exceder o que desejamos, o único que nos dá real satisfação.

Por ser tão rico, podemos louvá-Lo, especialmente no dia do Senhor, por Sua realeza (Mateus); por Sua servidão e serviço como um escravo (Marcos); por Sua humanidade perfeita e elevada (Lucas) e por Sua divindade eterna (João).

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Vika Anforova

Jacksonville, FL, United States

Feb 12, 2017

Amen saints. Instead of consider in the first verse add enjoying.

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Thanh Le

San Francisco, California, United States

Nov 8, 2014

I love this song because my heart touches the Lord and my spirit rejoices during singing this song. Halleluja!

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Kitty Joubert

Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

Jul 10, 2014

Dear Lord, as we remember Thee, we thus partake of all Thou art. We enjoy Thyself in love and share Thee as Thy counterpart.

Read more
Julia Jones

Austin, Tx, United States

Dec 3, 2012

O Lord, as we consider Thee, we worship Thee for all Thou art; Thou art so rich, so wonderful, so dear and precious to our heart. What Thou art meets our every need! Our hearts o'erflow with praise to Thee! All our desires Thou dost exceed and satisfy continually. Thou art the very God in truth, the God who is both love and light; the God who is to us our life, the God in whom we all delight. Thou also art a man indeed, a man so fine, so good, so pure; a man in whom our God delights, a man who can our love secure. Thou even art a lowly slave, a slave of God to serve for us; obedient to the cross's death that we might be delivered thus. Thou art, beside all these a King, A King in life and love to reign, by God anointed with His pow'r to rule with us in His domain. Dear Lord, as we remember Thee, we thus partake of all Thou art; as we enjoy Thyself in love, we share Thee as Thy counterpart. Amen Hymn #190.

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