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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CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major arpeggio (3 notes per string) : General

In BLOGoZON No.474 the box shapes for the C major arpeggio were presented
using the CAGED octaves methodology.

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

CAGED octaves logo

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

CAGED octaves 3nps logo

The conjoined 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 diagram that follows shows all five of the CAGED octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 6-string guitar in standard tuning :-

CAGED octaves: C natural octaves (3nps)

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 seven box shapes for the
C major arpeggio
(3nps) in the CAGED octaves style.


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major arpeggio (3 notes per string) box shapes : pdf

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3G1 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6G3G1 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4E1 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4D2 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 4D2 box shape (3nps) pdf

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape (3nps) pdf


CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : YouTube videos

  • 5C2
  • 5A3
  • 5A3G1
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 6E4D2
  • 4D2
  • 5C2 at 12

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 5C2 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 5A3 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 5A3G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 6G3G1 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 6E4E1 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 6E4D2 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 4D2 box shape

GuitarPro6 C major arpeggio (3nps) : 5C2 box shape at 12


  • 5C2
  • 5A3
  • 5A3G1
  • 6G3G1
  • 6E4E1
  • 6E4D2
  • 4D2
  • 5C2 at 12

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5A3G1 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6G3G1 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4E1 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 6E4D2 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 4D2 box shape (3nps)

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio : 5C2 box shape at 12 (3nps)



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 BCAGED octaves chain-linked sequence for the C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes.


The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro7 C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follows:-

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdfCAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdf

CAGED octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
C major arpeggio (3nps) : Overall fretboard box shapes

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard notes

CAGED octaves C major arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard intervals


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