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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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Abide in Thee! in that deep love of Thine

Experience of Christ Abiding in Him

English563
1
Abide in Thee! in that deep love of Thine,
My Jesus, Lord, Thou Lamb of God divine,
Down, closely down, as living branch with tree,
I would abide, my Lord, my Christ, in Thee.
2
Abide in Thee! my Savior God, I know
How love of Thine so vast in me may flow,
My empty vessel, running o’er with joy,
Must overflow to Thee without alloy.
3
Abide in Thee! nor doubt, nor self, nor sin,
Can e’er prevail with Thy blest life within;
Joined to Thyself, communing deep, my soul
Knows naught besides its motions to control.
4
Abide in Thee! ’tis thus I only know
The secrets of Thy mind e’en while below—
All joy and peace, and knowledge of Thy word,
All pow’r and fruit, and service for the Lord.

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Maria L

Fremont, California, United States

Feb 14, 2026

Praise the Lord! I've learned the secret: The key to a life of abundance is simply to abide in Him. When we remain in fellowship with Him, our empty vessel is continually filled with overflowing joy and peace that is completely pure without sorrow. So encouraging! Hallelujah 😀

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Un Hermano

Jan 30, 2026

THE LIVING OF THE SAINTS
IN UNION WITH CHRIST:
THE ARBITRATING PEACE
OF CHRIST AND THE
INDWELLING WORD OF CHRIST
-----------------------------------

In Colossians 3:10 and 11 we see that in the new man Christ is all and in all. Christ is all the members and in all the members. In the new man there is no room for any natural person. Rather, Christ is everyone and is in everyone. To say that Christ is all and in all in the new man indicates that we are one with Christ and that Christ is one with us. We may even say that Christ is we and that we are He. This points to our union with Christ. Therefore, the living of the saints must be a living that is in union with Christ, a living that is identified with Him. If we live in such a way, we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. We live, and Christ lives in our living.

We need to be one with the Lord Jesus just as He is one with the Father. In John 14:10 the Lord said, “The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father who abides in Me does His works. ” This indicates that the Father works in the Son’s speaking. Although the Father and the Son are two persons, They have just one life and one living. The life of the Father is the life of the Son, and the living of the Son is the living of the Father. On the one hand, the Father’s life is the Son’s life. On the other hand, the Son’s living is the Father’s living. In this way the Father and the Son have one life and one living. The principle is the same with Christ and us. Today we and Christ have one life and one living. The Son’s life becomes our life, and our living becomes His living. This is what it means to live in union with Christ.

In such a union we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. In a very practical sense, Christ is we and we are Christ, for we live as one. His life is our life, and our living is His living. Therefore, Christ lives in our living. This is the normal Christian living, the living that is up to God’s standard and that fulfills the requirements of His economy.

Life-study of Colossians

Message 29 (LSM)

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Un Hermano

Jan 30, 2026

BEING UNABLE TO DO
ANYTHING APART FROM
THE LORD
-------------

In John 15:5 the Lord said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. ”

DOING ALL THINGS BY
ABIDING IN THE LORD
-------------

The Lord said, “For apart from Me you can do nothing. ” What does this mean? As far as we are concerned, we are still able to do many things apart from the Lord. It seems that we do not need to rely on the Lord to preach the gospel, we do not need to rely on the Lord to visit the saints, and we do not need to rely on the Lord to serve Him. Many of us have had this kind of experience. In our service, our work, our preaching of the gospel, and our visiting of the saints, we can apparently accomplish a great deal without having much fellowship with the Lord and abiding in Him. In the Lord’s eyes, however, everything that we do without fellowshipping with Him or relying on Him—everything that we do by ourselves—does not count. This is why He said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing. ” This means that only the things we do by abiding in the Lord count in God’s eyes. Apart from Him everything that we do means nothing.

The Crucified Christ

Chapter 13 (LSM)

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James Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

Jun 9, 2025

Here is a short biography of the writer of this hymn. Joseph Denham Smith was born at Romsey, Hants, circa 1816. After studying for some time in the Dublin Theological Institute, he entered the Congregational Ministry in 1840. In 1849 he became Pastor of the Congregational Church at Kingstown, near Dublin, and in 1863 began a series of services at Merrion Hall, Dublin, and subsequently at other places. His Evangelistic work in England and Ireland is well known. In connection therewith he has published a large number of tracts, pamphlets, and small books. One of these, Times of Refreshing illustrated in the Present Revival of Religion, 1860, included several of his hymns which were sung during that time at his special services at Kingstown. He also published Seven Hymns for the Present Time.

This particular hymn has weathered the test of time. How wonderful it is to abide in the Lord. How deep this matter is. We are like living branches getting our life supply from the vine tree [Christ]. By abiding [living in Him] in Him, our Savior, we can begin to see His vast love for us. Only by abiding in Him can we begin to know the secrets of His mind [heart]. This must include the mystery of the church which is hid in Him. We can know this now while we have this life here below on earth. This is the inspiration for our service, our very life.

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Sharad Kunnath

Bennington, NE, United States

Feb 11, 2023

Yes Lord help me to abide and cease from my old man straining and rest in your love.

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Kitty Joubert

Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

Jun 12, 2014

Abide in Thee! in that deep love of Thine...

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Reymar Endrinal

Butuan City

Nov 5, 2006

As the vine wa are the branches so we must abide in the Lord so that His Love will be in us. HALLELUJAH! We should abide in Him in that deep Love of thine will be in us. AMEN AMEN AMEN! How touchable the song.

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