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


AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
A pentatonic minor scale - 131313 sweep patterns : General

In BLOGoZON No.611 the pseudo 3nps box shapes for the A pentatonic minor scale
were presented using the AGEDC octaves methodology for 6-string guitar (E standard: EADGBE).

AGEDC octaves logo

In this BLOGoZON we look at the A pentatonic minor scale, again, but as 131313 sweep patterns.

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC octaves shapes for use with the
131313 sweep patterns for a 6-string guitar (E standard: EADGBE).

C natural octaves (pseudo 3nps)

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

CAGED octaves fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 6-string guitar (E standard: EADGBE).

AGEDC octaves : C natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the A pentatonic minor scale notes plotted over
the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the AGEDC octaves and GuitarPro7 styles:-

AGEDC octaves fingerboard A pentatonic minor scale notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A pentatonic minor scale

GuitarPro6 fingerboard

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 pentatonic minor scale are detailed below in the AGEDC octaves manner:-

AGEDC octaves fingerboard A pentatonic minor scale intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the
A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns) in the AGEDC octaves style.


AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
C pentatonic major scale - 131313 sweep patterns
YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 box shape (131313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6Gm3Gm1:6Em4Em1 box shape (131313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6Em4Em1:4Dm2 box shape (131313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 4Dm2:5Cm2 box shape (131313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Cm2:5Am3 box shape (131313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 box shape at 12 (131313 sweep) pdf

AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
C pentatonic major scale - 131313 sweeps: YouTube videos

  • 5Am3
    6Gm3Gm1

  • 6Gm3Gm1
    6Em4Em1

  • 6Em4Em1
    4Dm2

  • 4Dm2
    5Cm2

  • 5Cm2
    5Am3

  • 5Am3
    6Gm3Gm1 at 12

5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 box shape(131313 sweep)

6Gm3Gm1:6Em4Em1 box shape(131313 sweep)

6Em4Em1:4Dm2 box shape(131313 sweep)

4Dm2:5Cm2 box shape(131313 sweep)

5Cm2:5Am3 box shape(131313 sweep)

5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 at 12 box shape(131313 sweep)


AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
C pentatonic major scale - 131313 sweeps: Box shapes and TAB

  • 5Am3
    6Gm3Gm1

  • 6Gm3Gm1
    6Em4Em1

  • 6Em4Em1
    4Dm2

  • 4Dm2
    5Cm2

  • 5Cm2
    5Am3

  • 5Am3
    6Gm3Gm1 at 12

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 box shape (131313 sweep)

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6Gm3Gm1:6Em4Em1 box shape (131313 sweep)

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6Em4Em1:4Dm2 box shape (131313 sweep)

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 4Dm2:5Cm2 box shape (131313 sweep)

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Cm2:5Am3 box shape (131313 sweep)

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 box shape at 12 (131313 sweep)


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 - 5Am3:6Gm3Gm1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The complete TAB for the previously described exercise follows:-

GuitarPro7 TAB: A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns)

The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale 131313 sweep patterns


AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
C pentatonic major scale - 131313 sweep patterns
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro7 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC octaves: A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns)

GuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns) pdfGuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns) pdf


AGEDC octaves : 6-string guitar (E standard tuning - EADGBE)
C pentatonic major scale - 131313 sweep patterns
Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns) : entire fretboard notes

AGEDC octaves A pentatonic minor scale (131313 sweep patterns) : entire fretboard intervals


Where Is The Love

Where Is The Love....Zon Brookes

Will Downing





Return to top of page ^