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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.

Bless’d are the pure in heart

Longings For a Renewed Heart

English411
1
Bless’d are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God;
The secret of the Lord is theirs,
Their heart is Christ’s abode.
2
The Lord, who left the heavens,
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King.
3
He to the lowly soul
Doth still Himself impart,
And for His dwelling and His throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.
4
Lord, we Thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for Thee.

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Francis Y Chow

Church In New York City

Feb 22, 2026

Lord, we Thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for Thee

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Vincent Ryder

Glossop, Derbyshire, United Kingdom

Aug 9, 2024

Thank You Lord for bringing this old hymn to mind once again. 'Lord, You have my heart, and I will search for Your's. Let me be to you a sacrifice. ' There's another one come to mind! May we all keep on singing 'psalms, hymns and spiritual songs' to each other, and to You Lord. Praise You Jesus!

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Anonymous

Arlington, TX, United States

May 30, 2020

The Lord Jesus is the only One who is pure in heart. No matter how much we desire and try to be pure in heart, we never can be apart from this One living and spreading in us, occupying our entire inner being. We are vessels made with a spirit to receive and contact Him, a heart to love Him, a soul to be filled with and express Him. As we give ourselves to Him and love Him and come under His loving rule and reign and are headed up in all things by Him, He makes our heart His home. Then He, the One pure in heart, is expressed through us! Lord Jesus, make us a temple meet for You!

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Syed Tariq Rafique

Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Oct 26, 2018

The last verse of this hymn - which we often sang in the morning assembly before School - arose in my mind this morning. No reason for this recollection of a hymn I sang over 65 years ago in a school in Karachi Pakistan except perhaps the fondness of this verse or the tune itself. Actually many such hymns we sang happen to arise in my head on numerous occasions, because of their attractive tunes or words. Strange as I am now a total unbeliever. But the power of song and words to create emotions in the human breast is great, no matter what the purpose of the writer was or is. Many hymns of Christian origin are poetically composed and of soothing content - a tribute to our common humanity.

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Sien Lie Lily

Purwokerto, Central Java, Indonesia

Aug 24, 2016

Wonderful Hymn :) Must be pure in heart to see God, so can be infused by Him to purify us, to produce the pure church to be His bride.

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Daniel

Worcester, MA, United States

Aug 2, 2008

According to stanza 2 we have this pattern. To be pure in heart to to eat this pattern and let this pattern be duplicated in us.

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