Octave Method for Low B : 5-String Bass
Major Scales & Arpeggios

Lulu eBook: 6-string bass (Low B)

 Lulu logo

eBook :

Octave Method for Six String Bass

Fretboard navigation method for 6-string bass
(Low B) 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 Low B : 6-String Bass

Fretboard navigation method for 6-String Bass
(Low B) 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

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweep patterns : General

In BLOGoZON No.646 the pseudo 3nps box shapes for the C pentatonic major scale
were presented using the BCAGED octaves methodology for 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC).

BCAGED octaves logo: 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)

In this BLOGoZON we look at the C pentatonic major scale, again, but with 313131 sweep patterns
and join them all together to form one long BCAGED octaves chain.

The diagram that follows shows all five of the BCAGED octaves shapes for use with the
313131 sweep patterns for a 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC).

C natural octaves (pseudo 3nps)

The conjoined BCAGED octaves sequence is shown for C natural in the diagram that follows.

BCAGED octaves fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : C natural octaves

GuitarPro6: C natural octaves

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDC octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC).

6-String Bass (Low B - BEADGC) : C natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the C pentatonic major scale notes plotted over the
6-string bass' fretboard in the BCAGED octaves and GuitarPro6 styles.

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale : fingerboard 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 BCAGED octaves manner.

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale : fingerboard intervals

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

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweep patterns
YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon
BCAGED octaves C pentatonic mmajor scale : 6B4C1:4A2 box shape(313131 sweep) pdf
BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale : 4A2:5G2 box shape(313131 sweep) pdf
BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale : 5G2:5E3 box shape(313131 sweep) pdf
BCAGED octaves B pentatonic major scale : 5E3:6D3D1 box shape(313131 sweep) pdf
BCAGED octaves B pentatonic major scale : 6D3D1:6B4C1 box shape(313131 sweep) pdf
BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale : 6B4C1:4A2 box shape at 12 (313131 sweep) pdf

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweeps : YouTube videos

  • 6B4C1:4A2

  • 4A2:5G2

  • 5G2:5E3

  • 5E3:6D3D1

  • 6D3D1:6B4C1

  • 6B4C1:4A2 at 12

6B4C1:4A2 box shape(313131 sweep)

4A2:5G2 box shape(313131 sweep)

5G2:5E3 box shape(313131 sweep)

5E3:6D3D1 box shape(313131 sweep)

6D3D1:6B4C1 box shape(313131 sweep)

6B4C1:4A2 at 12 box shape(313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweeps : Box shapes & TAB

  • 6B4C1:4A2

  • 4A2:5G2

  • 5G2:5E3

  • 5E3:6D3D1

  • 6D3D1:6B4C1

  • 6B4C1:4A2 at 12

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6B4C1:4A2 box shape (313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 4A2:5G2 box shape (313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5G2:5E3 box shape (313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5E3:6D3D1 box shape (313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6D3D1:6B4C1 box shape (313131 sweep)

BCAGED octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 6B4C1:4A2 box shape at 12 (313131 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 - 5B3:3A1 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The complete TAB for the previously described exercise follows:-

GuitarPro7 TAB: C pentatonic major scale box shapes (313131 sweep)

The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic minor scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweep patterns
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro7 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes pdf

GuitarPro7 TAB: BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes pdfGuitarPro7 TAB: BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes pdf

BCAGED octaves : 6-string bass (Low B - BEADGC)
C pentatonic major scale - 31313 sweep patterns
Overall fretboard box shapes

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes : entire fretboard notes

BCAGED octaves C pentatonic major scale (313131 sweeps) box shapes : entire fretboard intervals

Change The World

Change The World....Zon Brookes

Eric Clapton

Return to top of page ^