Octave Method for 6-String Guitar : Major Scales & Arpeggios


CAGED octaves method for 6-string guitar

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eBook :


Octave Method for Six String Guitar


Fretboard navigation method for 6-string 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.


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Paperbook Book :


Octave Method for 6-String Guitar


Fretboard navigation method for 6-string guitar based on an instrument specific modification of the CAGED guitar method, using octave shapes rather than open position chord shapes for ease and simplicity of use.

Octave Method for 6-String Guitar Paper Book


Carvin Frank Gambale

Carvin Frank Gambale

Carvin Frank Gambale

Carvin Frank Gambale


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major scale : General

In this BLOGoZON we take a look at the C major scale box shapes and join them all together for 6-string guitar in standard tuning to form one long CAGED octaves chain.

CAGED octaves logo

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

CAGED octaves fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitaPro6 C natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the C major scale notes plotted over the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the CAGED octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

CAGED octaves fingerboard C major scale notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C major scale

GuitarPro6 C major scale

As always a more long term solution to fretboard navigation is to see scales 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 major scale are detailed below in the CAGED octaves manner:-

CAGED octaves fingerboard C major scale intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the
C major scale in the CAGED octaves style.


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major scale : YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major scale : 5C2 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major scale : 5A3 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major scale : 6G3G1 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major scale : 6E4E1 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major scale : 4D2 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major scale : 5C2 box shape pdf

CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major scale : Box shapes on YouTube

  • 5C2
  • 5A3
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 4D2
  • 5C2 at 12

GuitarPro6 5C2 box shape

GuitarPro6 5A3 box shape

GuitarPro6 6G3G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 6E4E1 box shape

GuitarPro6 4D2 box shape

GuitarPro6 5C2 box shape at 12


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major scale : Box shapes & TAB

  • 5C2
  • 5A3
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 4D2
  • 5C2 at 12

CAGED octaves C major scale : 5C2 box shape

CAGED octaves C major scale : 5A3 box shape

CAGED octaves C major scale : 6G3G1 box shape

CAGED octaves C major scale : 6E4E1 box shape

CAGED octaves C major scale : 4D2 box shape

CAGED octaves C major scale : 5C2 box shape at 12


Once the individual box shapes have been assimilated all seven shapes should be linked together and played in one continuous exercise (with the first shape - 6B4C1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

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



The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro6 C major scale box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

CAGED octaves C major scale box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major scale box shapes pdf

CAGED octaves C major scale box shapes GuitarPro6 TAB pdfCAGED octaves C major scale box shapes GuitarPro6 TAB pdf


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major scale : Overall fretboard box shapes

CAGED octaves C major scale box shapes : entire fretboard notes

CAGED octaves C major scale box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


Carvin Frank Gambale

Blow your mind....Zon Brookes

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