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


XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret


CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale : General

In this BLOGoZON we take a closer look at the C pentatonic major scale box shapes and join them all together to form one long CAGED4BASS chain.

CAGED4BASS logo

The CAGED4BASS sequence is shown for C natural in the diagram that follows:-

CAGED4BASS C nautral octave shapes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 C natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the C pentatonic major scale notes plotted over the 5-string bass' fretboard in the CAGED4BASS and GuitarPro6 styles:-

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C pentatonic major scale

GuitarPro6 fingerboard :  C pentatonic 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 pentatonic major scale are detailed below in the
CAGED4BASS manner:-

CAGED4BASS fingerboard C pentatonic major scale intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the C pentatonic major scale in the
CAGED4BASS style.


CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale : YouTube videos & pdf files

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Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3C* box shape pdf
CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3A1 box shape pdf
CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 4G1 box shape pdf
CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 4E2 box shape pdf
CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 2D* box shape pdf
CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3C* box shape at 12 pdf

CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major arpeggio : Box shapes on YouTube

  • 3C*
  • 3A1
  • 4G1
  • 4E2
  • 2D*
  • 3C* at 12

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 3C* box shape

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 3A1 box shape

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 4G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 4E2 box shape

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 2D* box shape

GuitarPro6 fingerboard C pentatonic major scale : 3C* box shape at 12


CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale : Box shapes & TAB

  • 3C*
  • 3A1
  • 4G1
  • 4E2
  • 2D*
  • 3C* at 12

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3C* box shape

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3A1 box shape

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 4G1 box shape

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 4E2 box shape

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 2D* box shape

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale : 3C* 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 - 3C* - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the CAGED4BASS chain-linked sequence for the C pentatonic major scale box shapes.



CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale box shapes : GuitarPro6 TAB

The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro6 C pentatonic major scale box shapes TAB


CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale box shapes

The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes

CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro6 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes pdf

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes GuitarPro6 TAB pdfCAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes GuitarPro6 TAB pdf


CAGED4BASS (EADG : 4-string bass standard tuning)
C pentatonic major scale : Overall fretboard box shapes

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes : entire fretboard notes

CAGED4BASS C pentatonic major scale box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


XOTiC XJ-1T 5 : 24 Fret

Locked out of heaven ....Zon Brookes

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