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


AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps : General

In BLOGoZON No.585 the standard box shapes for the A pentatonic minor scale
were presented using the AGEDC4BASS methodology for 4-string bass (Low E - EADG).

AGEDC4BASS logo


In this BLOGoZON we look at the A pentatonic minor scale, again, but with 1313 sweep patterns
and join them all together to form one long AGEDC4BASS chain.

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC4BASS shapes for use with the
pseudo Three-Notes-Per-String patterns for a 4-string bass (Low E - EADG).

pseudo 3nps octave shapes

The conjoined AGEDC4BASS sequence is shown for A natural in the diagram that follows.

AGEDC4BASS A natural octaves fingerboard

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC4BASS shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 4-string bass (Low E - EADG).

AGEDC4BASS: A natural octaves

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC4BASS shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 4-string bass (Low E - EADG).

AGEDC4BASS : A natural octaves

The diagrams that follows show all of the A pentatonic minor scale notes plotted over the
4-string bass guitar's fretboard in the AGEDC4BASS style.

A minor pentatonic scale : AGEDC4BASS fingerboard notes

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 AGEDC4BASS manner:-

A minor pentatonic scale : AGEDC4BASS fingerboard intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the A pentatonic minor scale
in the AGEDC4BASS style for 4-string bass (Low E - EADG).


AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps
YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 3Am1:4Gm1 box shape(1313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 4Gm1:4Em2 box shape(1313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 4Em2:2Dm* box shape(1313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 2Dm*:3Cm* box shape (1313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 3Cm*:3Am1 box shape(1313 sweep) pdf
AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic major scale : 3Am1:4Gm1 box shape at 12 (3131 sweep) pdf

AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps : YouTube videos

  • 3Am1:4Gm1

  • 4Gm1:4Em2

  • 4Em2:2Dm*

  • 2Dm*:3Cm*

  • 3Cm*:3Am1

  • 3Am1:4Gm1 at 12

3Am1:4Gm1 box shape (1313 sweeps)

4Gm1:4Em2 box shape (1313 sweeps)

4Em2:2Dm* box shape (1313 sweeps)

2Dm*:3Cm* box shape (1313 sweeps)

3Cm*:3Am1 box shape (1313 sweeps)

3Am1:4Gm1 at 12 box shape (1313 sweeps)


AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps : Box shapes & TAB

  • 3Am1:4Gm1

  • 4Gm1:4Em2

  • 4Em2:2Dm*

  • 2Dm*:3Cm*

  • 3Cm*:3Am1

  • 3Am1:4Gm1 at 12

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 (1313 sweep) box shape


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 - 3Am1:4Gm1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The complete TAB for the previously described exercise follows:-

GuitarPro7 TAB: A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes

AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro7 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes pdf

GuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes pdfGuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes pdf


AGEDC4BASS : 4-string bass (Low E - EADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 1313 sweeps
Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes : entire fretboard notes

AGEDC4BASS A pentatonic minor scale (1313 sweeps) box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


Pick Up The Pieces

Pick Up The Pieces....Zon Brookes

Average White Band






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