diff --git a/src/lexer.cc b/src/lexer.cc
index 33e1801..9fd329d 100644
--- a/src/lexer.cc
+++ b/src/lexer.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 #include <musique.hh>
 
 constexpr std::string_view Notes_Symbols = "abcedefgh";
+constexpr std::string_view Valid_Operator_Chars =
+	"+-*/" // arithmetic
+	"|&^"  // logic & bit operations
+	"<>=!" // comparisons
+	;
 
 auto Lexer::next_token() -> Result<Token>
 {
@@ -16,7 +21,11 @@ auto Lexer::next_token() -> Result<Token>
 	case ')': consume(); return { Token::Type::Close_Paren,        finish(), token_location };
 	case '[': consume(); return { Token::Type::Open_Block,         finish(), token_location };
 	case ']': consume(); return { Token::Type::Close_Block,        finish(), token_location };
-	case '|': consume(); return { Token::Type::Variable_Separator, finish(), token_location };
+	case '|':
+		consume();
+		// We explicitly allow for `|foo|=0` here
+		if (Valid_Operator_Chars.find(peek()) == std::string_view::npos || peek() == '=')
+			return { Token::Type::Variable_Separator, finish(), token_location };
 	}
 
 	// Number literals like .75
@@ -98,6 +107,11 @@ auto Lexer::next_token() -> Result<Token>
 		return { Token::Type::Symbol, finish(), token_location };
 	}
 
+	if (Valid_Operator_Chars.find(peek()) != std::string_view::npos) {
+		while (consume() && Valid_Operator_Chars.find(peek()) != std::string_view::npos) {}
+		return { Token::Type::Operator, finish(), token_location };
+	}
+
 	return errors::unrecognized_character(peek(), token_location);
 }
 
@@ -156,6 +170,23 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, Token const&)
 	return os;
 }
 
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, Token::Type type)
+{
+	switch (type) {
+	case Token::Type::Open_Block:         return os << "OPEN BLOCK";
+	case Token::Type::Close_Block:        return os << "CLOSE BLOCK";
+	case Token::Type::Open_Paren:         return os << "OPEN PAREN";
+	case Token::Type::Close_Paren:        return os << "CLOSE PAREN";
+	case Token::Type::Variable_Separator: return os << "VARIABLE SEPARATOR";
+	case Token::Type::Chord:              return os << "CHORD";
+	case Token::Type::Numeric:            return os << "NUMERIC";
+	case Token::Type::Symbol:             return os << "SYMBOL";
+	case Token::Type::Operator:           return os << "OPERATOR";
+	}
+
+	assert(false && "exhaustive handling of Token::Type enumeration");
+}
+
 Location Location::advance(u32 rune)
 {
 	switch (rune) {
diff --git a/src/musique.hh b/src/musique.hh
index 31e126b..690db06 100644
--- a/src/musique.hh
+++ b/src/musique.hh
@@ -148,6 +148,9 @@ struct Token
 		// like repeat or choose or chord
 		Symbol,
 
+		// like + - ++ < >
+		Operator,
+
 		// chord literal, like c125
 		Chord,
 
@@ -172,6 +175,7 @@ struct Token
 };
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, Token const& tok);
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, Token::Type type);
 
 struct Lexer
 {
diff --git a/src/tests/lex.cc b/src/tests/lex.cc
index aaae51a..59af4dc 100644
--- a/src/tests/lex.cc
+++ b/src/tests/lex.cc
@@ -3,11 +3,6 @@
 
 using namespace boost::ut;
 
-auto under(auto enumeration) requires std::is_enum_v<decltype(enumeration)>
-{
-	return static_cast<std::underlying_type_t<decltype(enumeration)>>(enumeration);
-}
-
 static void expect_token_type(
 		Token::Type expected_type,
 		std::string source,
@@ -16,7 +11,7 @@ static void expect_token_type(
 	Lexer lexer{source};
 	auto result = lexer.next_token();
 	expect(result.has_value() >> fatal, sl) << "have not parsed any tokens";
-	expect(eq(under(result->type), under(expected_type)), sl) << "different token type then expected";
+	expect(eq(result->type, expected_type), sl) << "different token type then expected";
 }
 
 static void expect_token_type_and_value(
@@ -30,7 +25,7 @@ static void expect_token_type_and_value(
 	expect(result.has_value(), sl) << "have not parsed any tokens";
 
 	if (result.has_value()) {
-		expect(eq(under(result->type), under(expected_type)), sl) << "different token type then expected";
+		expect(eq(result->type, expected_type), sl) << "different token type then expected";
 		expect(eq(result->source, expected), sl) << "tokenized source is not equal to original";
 	}
 }
@@ -52,7 +47,7 @@ static void expect_token_type_and_location(
 	Lexer lexer{source};
 	auto result = lexer.next_token();
 	expect(result.has_value() >> fatal, sl) << "have not parsed any tokens";
-	expect(eq(under(result->type), under(expected_type)), sl) << "different token type then expected";
+	expect(eq(result->type, expected_type), sl) << "different token type then expected";
 	expect(eq(result->location, location), sl) << "tokenized source is at different place then expected";
 }
 
@@ -110,4 +105,14 @@ suite lexer_test = [] {
 		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Symbol, "PascalCase");
 		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Symbol, "haskell'");
 	};
+
+	"Operators"_test = [] {
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "+");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "&&");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "||");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "*");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "**");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "=");
+		expect_token_type_and_value(Token::Type::Operator, "<");
+	};
 };