Octave Method for Low E : 4-String Bass
Major Scales & Arpeggios


CAGED4BASS eBook cover

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eBook :


Octave Method for Four String Bass


Fretboard navigation method for 4-string bass based on an instrument specific modification of the CAGED guitar method, using linked octave shapes rather than open position chord shapes for ease and simplicity of use.


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Paperbook Book :


CAGED4BASS : Octave Method for 4-String Bass


Fretboard navigation method for 4-string bass guitar based on an instrument specific modification of the CAGED guitar method, using linked octave shapes rather than open position chord shapes for ease and simplicity of use.

Octave Method for Low B : 5-String Bass Paper Book


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A minor arpeggio and A minor arpeggio box shapes

In BLOGoZON No.37 the box shapes for the A minor arpeggio were presented using the AGEDC4BASS methodology - this is the CAGED guitar system adapted and improved for minor scales and arpeggios on 4-string bass guitar.

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In this BLOGoZON we take a closer look at the A minor arpeggio box shapes and join them all together to form one long AGEDC4BASS chain.

Hence the AGEDC4BASS sequence is shown for A natural in the diagram that follows:-

AGEDC4BASS A natural

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the A minor arpeggio notes plotted over the 4-string bass's fretboard in both the Guitar Pro and AGEDC4BASS styles:-

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio notes

AGEDC4BASS A minor arpeggio 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 A minor arpeggio are detailed below in the AGEDC4BASS and GuitarPro5 manner:-

GuitarPro5 A minor arpeggio intervals

AGEDC4BASS A minor arpeggio intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the A minor arpeggio in the AGEDC4BASS style.


AGEDC4BASS - A minor arpeggio box shapes

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Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

3Am1 pdf
4Gm1 pdf
4Em2 pdf
2Dm* pdf
3Cm* pdf
3Am1 at 12 pdf

  • 3Am1
  • 4Gm1
  • 4Em2
  • 2Dm*
  • 3Cm*
  • 3Am1 at 12

GuitarPro6 3Am1 box shape

GuitarPro6 4Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 4Em2 box shape

GuitarPro6 2Dm* box shape

GuitarPro6 3Cm* box shape

GuitarPro6 3Am1 box shape at 12


  • 3Am1
  • 4Gm1
  • 4Em2
  • 2Dm*
  • 3Cm*
  • 3Am1 at 12

3Am1 box shape

4Gm1 box shape

4Em2 box shape

2Dm* box shape

3Cm* box shape

3Am1 box shape 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 - 3Am1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the AGEDC4BASS chain-linked sequence for the A minor arpeggio box shapes.


The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

A minor arpeggio box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follows:-

A minor arpeggio box shapes

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A minor arpeggio box shapes pdf

A minor arpeggio box shapes TAB pdfA minor arpeggio box shapes TAB pdf


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