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


CAGED octaves method for 6-string guitar

Lulu logo

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.


Lulu logo

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


Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V

Mike Lull M5V


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

In this BLOGoZON we take a look at the C major arpeggio 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 arpeggio notes plotted over the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the CAGED octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

CAGED octaves fingerboard C major arpeggio notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C major arpeggio

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio

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 arpeggio are detailed below in the CAGED octaves manner:-

CAGED octaves fingerboard C major arpeggio intervals

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


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

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6G3G1 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4E1 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 4D2 box shape pdf
CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape at 12 pdf

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

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

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3 box shape

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6G3G1 box shape

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4E1 box shape

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 4D2 box shape

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 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 - 5C2 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

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



The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio box shapes pdf

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


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

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio box shapes : fretboard notes

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio box shapes : fretboard intervals


Mike Lull M5V

I dream I'm an eagle....Zon Brookes

ABBA - The Album






Return to top of page ^