Meat and Potatoes Scales and Arpeggios

Now available for FREE download.

MEAT & POTATOES
SCALES & ARPEGGIOS
FOR LOW G TUNED
8-STRING GUITAR

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Luke Jaeger

SLEEP TERROR logo

Luke Jaeger uses the 8-string Schecter C8 Hellraiser for his work with his band Sleep Terror.

Luke Jaeger

EMG - Luke Jaeger - "Bruxist"

Unihemispheria

Schecter logo

Schecter C8 Hellraiser


C pentatonic major scale box shapes for 8 string guitar

The manufacturers recommended tuning for an eight string guitar is F# B E A D G B E - which is designed to allow power chords (F#5, G5, A5 etc.) to be played on the 8th and 7th string pair. As the F# on the eighth string is the same pitch as the note on E string of a 4-string bass at fret 2 the results can be pretty dire and you will definitely be stepping on the bass players toes. So why not tune up a further semi-tone (half-step) to G?

Tuning to G has the advantage that strings 8, 7 and 6 (G, B, E) will now all be exactly two octaves lower than strings 3, 2 and 1 (G, B, E) - plus all the scales, arpeggios and chords located on strings 1, 2 and 3 will now be directly transferrable onto strings 6, 7 and 8 respectively.

The other alternative tuning for an 8-string B E A D G B E A - where you have a 6-string guitar with an extra treble string tuned to A and an extra bass string tuned to B - has the disadvantage that the 8 string cannot be played as a standard guitar for chords using only strings 1 to 6. The reason being is that the high A string throws a spanner in the works. Hence the CAGED octaves recommended tuning for an 8-string guitar is as follows:-

String No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Tuning

E

B

G

D

A

E

B

G

The disguised CAGED octaves method for the C pentatonic major scale on 8-string guitar now follows:-

ZZZZZ octaves logo

The 8-string guitar CAGED octaves sequence is shown for C natural in the diagram that follows:-

ZZZZZ octaves C natural

GuitarPro6 C natural octaves

The diagram that follows shows all of the C pentatonic major scale notes plotted over the 8-string guitar's

fretboard in both the Guitar Pro and CAGED octaves styles:-

GuitarPro6 C pentatonic major scale

ZZZZZ octaves C pentatonic major scale notes

As always a more long term solution to fretboard navigation is to see scales/arpeggios as INTERVAL shapes rather than note names - as these are universal to all scales, arpeggios and chords rather than specific to one particular root note - with this in mind the intervals for the C pentatonic major scale are detailed below for the 8-string guitar in the CAGED octaves manner:-

ZZZZZ octaves C pentatonic major scale intervals

The table and tabbed panel below details all five box shapes for the C pentatonic major scale for the
8-string guitar in the CAGED octaves style.


8-string guitar C pentatonic major scale box shapes

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

7Z5Z2 pdf
8Z5Z3 pdf
8Z6Z3Z1 pdf
6Z4Z1 pdf
7Z4Z2 pdf
7Z5Z2 at 12 pdf


  • 7Z5Z2
  • 8Z5Z3
  • 8Z6Z3Z1
  • 6Z4Z1
  • 7Z4Z2
  • 7Z5Z2 at 12

GuitarPro6 7Z5Z2 box shape

GuitarPro6 8Z5Z3 box shape

GuitarPro6 8Z6Z3Z1 box shape

GuitarPro6 6Z4Z1 box shape

GuitarPro6 7Z4Z2 box shape

GuitarPro6 7Z5Z2 box shape at 12



  • 7Z5Z2
  • 8Z5Z3
  • 8Z6Z3Z1
  • 6Z4Z1
  • 7Z4Z2
  • 7Z5Z2 at 12

7Z5Z2 box

8Z5Z3 box

8Z6Z3Z1 box

6Z4Z1 box

7Z4Z2 box

7Z5Z2 box at 12



Once the individual box shapes have been assimilated all five shapes should be linked together and played in one continuous exercise (with the first shape - 7Z5Z2 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the CAGED octaves chain-linked sequence for the C pentatonic major scale box shapes.


The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

C pentatonic major scale box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

C pentatonic major scale box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

C pentatonic major scale box shapes pdf

C pentatonic major scale box shapes tabC pentatonic major scale box shapes tab


Luke Jaeger

Unihemispheria....Zon Brookes

Sleep Terror


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