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


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AGEDC octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
A minor arpeggio (3 notes per string) : General

In BLOGoZON No.282 the box shapes for the A minor arpeggio were presented using the AGEDC octaves methodology.

In this BLOGoZON we look at the A minor arpeggio, again, but with 3nps shapes and join them all together to form one long AGEDC octaves chain.

The diagram that follows shows all seven of the AGEDC octaves shapes for use with
the three notes per string patterns for a 6-string guitar tuned to EADGBE :-

AGEDC octaves 3nps logo

The conjoined AGEDC octaves sequence is shown for A natural in the diagram that follows:-

AGEDC octaves fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the A minor arpeggio notes plotted over the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the AGEDC octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

AGEDC octaves fingerboard A minor arpeggio notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A minor scale

GuitarPro6 A minor 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 A minor arpeggio are detailed below in the
AGEDC octaves manner:-

AGEDC octaves fingerboard A minor arpeggio intervals

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


AGEDC octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
A minor arpeggio (3 notes per string) box shapes : pdf

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Gm3Gm1 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape at 12 pdf


AGEDC octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : YouTube videos

  • 5Am3Gm1
  • 6Gm3Gm1
  • 6Em4Em1
  • 6Em4Dm2
  • 4Dm2
  • 5Cm2
  • 5Am3
  • 5Am3Gm1 at 12

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Gm3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape

GuitarPro6 A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape at 12


  • 5Am3Gm1
  • 6Gm3Gm1
  • 6Em4Em1
  • 6Em4Dm2
  • 4Dm2
  • 5Cm2
  • 5Am2
  • 5Am3Gm1 at 12

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em3Gm1 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 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 - 5Am3Gm1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the AGEDC octaves chain-linked sequence for the A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes.


The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follows:-

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes pdf

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdfAGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdf

AGEDC octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
A minor arpeggio (3nps): Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard notes

AGEDC octaves A minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard notes


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