Book excerpt: 52 Familiar Songs - Strictly by the Numbers - These songs have numbered melodies, lyrics and Roman numeral chords. Learn a scale on any instrument and play the melodies right away with this easy to learn "Universal Scale Tab" system. Instructions explain the notation and how to create simple or more challenging arrangements. Why use numbers? Like do, re, mi, the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 provide a generic way of referring to the seven notes of the musical scale, in any key, on any instrument. Numbers are truly universal, recognizable in almost every language. Mr. Natural's method takes this system to the next level - including rhythm and harmony. Using numbers, musical patterns and music theory concepts become obvious. The introduction includes suggestions for teachers who want to incorporate this method into their teaching. The index lists songs by note range, number of chords and meter. A keyboard guide, Mr. Natural's Major Scale Intervalometer, is included.