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About Numbered Notation

Numbered Notation (also called Jianpu, 简谱) writes each melody note as a number from 1 to 7 instead of a note on a staff. The number shows the note's position in the song's scale -- not its exact pitch -- so the same tune looks identical no matter what key it's sung in.

Within one octave, the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 correspond to the familiar do re mi fa sol la ti. A dot above a number raises it an octave higher; a dot below lowers it an octave lower -- no dot means the middle, as-written octave.

A plain number lasts one beat. A dash (-) right after a number holds that same note for one more beat. A line underneath a number shortens it instead -- one line is half a beat, two lines a quarter of a beat. A 0 is a rest: silence for one beat.

The label at the top of the sheet, like "1=C" or "1=Ab", shows which pitch scale degree 1 ("do") is tuned to. A song in a minor key is labeled "6=X" instead -- scale degree 6 ("la") is the true tonic. Chord names printed above the notes (like "C" or "G7") always use their familiar letter names, never numbers.

For example, under a "1=C" heading, the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 sound as C D E F G A B. Under a "1=G" heading, those very same numbers sound as G A B C D E F# instead -- same shape, different key.

The love of God is greater far

Worship of the Father His Love

English28
1
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
 
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
2
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
3
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Words & Music © 1923, Ren. 1951 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.

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Mike Boyle

Homosassa, Florida, United States

Aug 17, 2018

I have been an amateur astronomer for years.

Of all the songs I have written, and the thousands of songs I have sung in my 63 years of my life, Verse 3 still brings tears to my eyes every time. This is what I feel when I look into a bright starry sky.

God is Awesome!

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Tchenangni Adebayo Phillip

Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

May 2, 2018

I was so lost, I should have died, but precious Jesus have brought me to His side, to be led by His staff and rod And to be call a lamb of God...

Am so happy, He washed me in His blood and now am heal and whole, thank You Jesus,

This hymn is a testimony to my life.

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John

Accra, Ghana

Apr 9, 2018

That last stanza always gets to me...

I thank God for his unfailing, limitless, measureless, strong, rich and 100% pure love!!!

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Eilliw Sphabmixay Lee

San Diego, California, United States

Mar 27, 2018

Oh Lord Jesus! He Loves Us, Amen! He is our first love, Amen!

Thank you Lord that we can wake-up every morning and shout Abba Father! Oh Lord Jesus!

His Love is rich and pure, Amen!

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Joshua

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Mar 25, 2018

Praise the Lord!

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Almir Garcia Da Silva

Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Feb 12, 2018

My God is great. I don't know what could be if I didn't have God in my life.

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Tim Ou

Austin, Texas, United States

Jan 31, 2018

O love of God, how rich and pure!

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Karin Shinn

Salem, Oregon, United States

Jan 31, 2018

Rabbi Meir bar Yitzak's Poem: "God's eternal glory could not be described even if the heavens were parchment, and the forest quills; if all the seas were ink, as well as every gathered water; even if the earth's inhabitants were scribes and recorders of initials."

Stanza Four of this hymn is a very good paraphrase of Rabbi Meir's poem. There is a lot of wisdom to be found in early rabbinic literature!

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Ana Lara

Tolland, Connecticut, United States

Jan 28, 2018

Frederick Martin Lehman was born August 7th, 1868 in Mecklenburg Schwerin, Germany and died February 20th, 1953 in Pasadena, California. He migrated with his family to Iowa at age 4 and came to Christ at age 11. While walking down a country lane, a “cornucopia of glory” descended all around him. The weight of conviction was gone and joy and praise was upon his lips.

He studied to be a minister at Northwestern College, Illinois. He pastored at Audobon, Iowa; New London, Indiana and Kansas City, Missouri. His first hymn was written in 1898 and published hundreds of songs, compiling five song books. In 1911, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he helped found the Nazarene Publishing House. He married Emma Louise Dermyer and had 8 children.

The first two stanzas of this song and the chorus were written by Frederick after having to go back to manual labor in 1917 in order to make a living. His daughter helped him compose the music. The last stanza was found etched on a wall by a patient in an insane asylum who had passed away but was traced back to Rabbi Hertz in his “Book of Jewish Thought “. Hertz borrowed the words from a poem written in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai for the synagogue Pentecost celebrations.

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Amy

Malabon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Dec 24, 2017

Great love from a Great God.... Measureless... Unlimited... Strong...

Thank You Lord Jesus!

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