Octave Method for Drop A : 7-String Guitar
Major Scales & Arpeggios

Octave Method for Drop A: 7-String Guitar eBook

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eBook :

Octave Method for Seven String Drop A Guitar

Fretboard navigation method for Drop A :
7-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 Drop A : 7-String Guitar

Fretboard navigation method for Drop A :
7-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.

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

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

BAGED octaves (Drop A : 7-string guitar)
C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps : General

In BLOGoZON No.447 the box shapes for the C major scale (ionian mode) were presented using the
BAGED octaves methodology - this is the standard BAGED octaves guitar system.

In this BLOGoZON we look at the C major scale (ionian mode), again, but with 3nps shapes
and join them all together to form one long BAGED octaves chain.

BAGED octaves Drop A - 7 string guitar logo

The diagram that follows shows all seven of the BAGED octaves shapes for use with the
three notes per string patterns for an 7-string guitar tuned to Drop A: AEADGBE :-

BAGED octaves 7-string Drop A 3nps logo

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

BAGED octaves Drop A 7-string guitar fretboard C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 C natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the C major scale (ionian mode) notes plotted over the
7-string guitar's Drop A: AEADGBE fretboard in the BAGED octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

BAGED octaves Drop A 7-string guitar fingerboard C major scale

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C major scale (ionian mode)

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 (ionian mode) are detailed below in the BAGED octaves manner:-

BAGED octaves Drop A fingerboard C major scale intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all seven 3nps box shapes for the
C major scale (ionian mode) in the BAGED octaves style for Drop A tuning.

BAGED octaves (Drop A : 7-string guitar)
C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps
YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 7B5B2 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 7B5A3 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 7A5A3G1 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 6G3G1 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 6E4E1 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 6E4D2 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 4D2 box shape pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps C major scale (ionian mode) : 6E4E1 box shape at 12 pdf

BAGED octaves (Drop A : 7-string guitar)
C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps
Box shapes on YouTube

  • 7B5B2
  • 7B5A3
  • 7A5A3G1
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 6E4D2
  • 4D2
  • 7B5B2 at 12

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 7B5B2 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 7B5A3 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 7A5A3G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 6G3G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 6E4E1 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 6E4D2 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 4D2 box shape

GuitarPro6 (7 string Drop A) 3nps C ionian mode (major scale) : 7B5B2 box shape at 12

  • 7B5B2
  • 7B5A3
  • 7A5A3G1
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 6E4D2
  • 4D2
  • 7B5B2 at 12

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 7B5B2 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 7B5A3 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 7A5A3G1 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 6G3G1 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 6E4E1 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 6E4D2 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 4D2 box shape

BAGED octaves (Drop A: 7 string guitar) C major scale (ionian mode) : 7B5B2 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 - 7B5B2 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the Drop A: 7-string guitar chain-linked sequence for the C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps box shapes.

The complete TAB for the previously described exercise follows:-

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes GuitarPro7 TAB

The box shapes for the previous exercise follows:-

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes

BAGED octaves (Drop A : 7-string guitar)
C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro6 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes pdf

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapesC major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes

BAGED octaves (Drop A : 7-string guitar)
C major scale (ionian mode) 3nps
Overall fretboard box shapes

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes : fretboard notes

C major scale (ionian mode) (Drop A: 7 string guitar) 3nps box shapes : fretboard intervals

Dingwall AB HS 5/3 Natural

Rio....Zon Brookes

Duran Duran: Rio

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