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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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Fresh as the dew of the morning

Comfort in Trials By the Lord of Hope

English708
1
Fresh as the dew of the morning,
Bringing a sweet rest unheard,
Christ, in the gentle anointing,
Whispers His comforting word:
Stand till the trial is over,
Stand till the tempest is gone,
Stand for the glory of Jesus,
Stand till the kingdom is won.
 
Lord of all hope,
O how sweet is Thy voice,
Making my heart
In Thy presence rejoice.
2
If in the test of my trouble,
Faint be my spirit and heart,
Faith, with the star of hope glimm’ring,
Shall all be taken apart,
May then Thy faith with Thy life-pow’r
Over me hold its full sway
That all Thy riches of glory
Now I may share and for aye.
3
Lord, as the morning sun dawning,
Chase all my darkness away,
And with Thy kind wings of healing
Turn all my night into day.
Come Thou, O come, Lord of comfort,
Come to my sad, weary heart,
Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,
Never, O never depart.

Copyright Living Stream Ministry. Used by permission.

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Pearl

Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Aug 9, 2026

The sentiment and feeling in this hymn is almost unprecedented.

It is so finely balanced with the melody. It expresses at once a feeling of deep trial with absolutely no hint of self pity, yet mingled with Hope. In this hymn, Hope like Faith is personified- our dear Lord Jesus.

I am reminded of Paul's experience in prison:

"But the Lord stood with me and empowered me that through me the proclamation of the gospel might be fully accomplished and all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will save me into His heavenly kingdom, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (2 Timothy 4:17-18) Recovery Version.

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Sterling

Santa Ana, California, United States

Feb 23, 2026

How I thank the Lord for this unique hymn in our hymnbook. Out of more than 1, 400 hymns - we have this precious hymn of great depth and insight, written by brother Witness Lee, to most appropriately strengthen and comfort us in our trials!

Surely what he wrote was the portion he enjoyed in so many trials, such as when he passed through opposition, persecution, imprisonment, torture, and threat of life, followed by over two years with tuberculosis and flight from his country with his family with 8 children.

The repeated word in the first stanza: Stand... Stand... Stand... Stand... are a special kind of divine speaking of encouragement and comfort to the ones under trial - we must stand - ´til the kingdom is won!

The morning will break once again , but until then we must exercise our spirit of faith and keep our hearts fixed on Him and on His Word. This is the "secret" as to how our hearts in His presence may rejoice in hope!

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Fernando Barrios

Houston, Texas, United States

Apr 21, 2025

Christ, in the gentle anointing, whispers His comforting words...

Lord of all hope, oh how sweet is Thy voice...

How comforting is to hear His voice, telling us how He loves us and protects us!

And to know how often I have taken for granted His sweet and comforting words, but prasie be His name, He never has given up on me. I love you LORD, amen!

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Esther

Anaheim, CA, United States

May 15, 2024

Lord, as the morning star dawning, chase all my darkness away.

Lord of all hope, O how sweet is Thy voice

Making my heart in Thy presence rejoice

O Lord, You are so real and enjoyable. You truly are the Lord of all hope

Thank You Lord, praise You Lord, love You Lord!

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Ml

Texas, United States

Jan 13, 2024

Yes I agree please translate in Spanish and Italian. It’s too rich to be left to so few languages. May the Lord give His anointing Spirit for all the translations involved in the nature of work for the release of hope , faith, the joy and love and light through the lyrics of the hymns that we so need to stand for His kingdom today.

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Violeta

Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Nov 10, 2023

Brothers, this beautiful hymn, please translate it into Spanish. And share

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Jeffrey

Los Angeles, California, United States

May 22, 2019

Lord, as the morning sun dawning,
Chase all my darkness away,
And with Thy kind wings of healing
Turn all my night into day.

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李 菲 麗

NC, United States

Oct 31, 2010

What is so refreshing and touches me the most is "fresh as the dew of the morning". When the Israelites received their first fine,round flakes (manna),it was preceded by dew (Exodus 16:11-14)...And when the layer of dew lifted, there upon the surface of the wilderness were fine round flakes, fine as the frost on the earth... O Lord Jesus, what a surprise it must have been for the people who had gone to sleep the previous night murmuring, to get up and see their surroundings covered with a carpet of lovely, fresh dew. From the physical point of view, dew was perhaps necessary to moisten the dry desert soil so that when people picked up the fine, round flakes it would be free of dry soil particles adhering to it....."And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it."(Numbers 11:9). The dew is so significant from God for His complaining people, that whatever happened, wherever they went, He would never leave them alone nor forsake them. His desire is to feed them, to supply them for the accomplishment of His purpose...to be in the good land! Praise the Lord, this also applies to me!

Old Testament Recovery Version: http://ichurchlife.org/otindex.html

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Steve Miller

Detroit, MI, United States

Oct 24, 2009

The word "stand till the trial is over, stand till the tempest is done" seems to have been the Lord's instant speaking to the hymn's author when he was in a time of severe trial, perhaps when he was imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII. These words encourage me that the trouble is only temporary, and that I need to continue to stand.

Verse 2 is a warning not to shrink back from faith at this time as in Hebrews 10:35-39 followed by a request for dependence on the Lord's faith and life. Trials should cause us to be more dependent upon the Lord's spirit and life (Psalm 22:11, 19), and not upon man.

Verse 3 is a request for the Lord's light. He does not pray for the trouble to go away, but for the Lord's faith, life and light. In time of trouble we need the Lord's enlightenment more than for the problem to be solved (Psalm 13).

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Denil

Malaysia

Jun 25, 2005

Fresh when i first listen to this hymn. making my heart so full of joy, in Thy presence. taking The Lord as our hope and glory.

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