Octave Method for 6-String Guitar : Major Scales & Arpeggios
![]() 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. |
![]() 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. |
Using A Six-String Guitar As A Seven-String Guitar
6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)
So you want to learn how to play 7-string guitar but you don't have enough readies to go and buy one.
Well fear not boys and girls because Zon Brookes always has a work-around solution under these types of circumstances.
Get yourself an old 6-string electric guitar with a Strat scale length i.e. 25.5" and a new set of 13 gauge strings.
The C major scale is shown below on the GuitarPro6 fingerboard for 7-string guitar with a low B string:-
A standard 6-string electric guitar represents strings 1 to 6 of the previous 7-string; as shown in the next GuitarPro6 fingerboard:-
Instead of tuning your 6-string EADGBE why not tune it BEADGB which represents strings 2 to 7 of the previous 7 string?
The C major scale is shown below on the GuitarPro6 fingerboard for a 6-string guitar tuned BEADGB:-
Won't a 25.5" scale length be too short?.... I hear the purveyor's of all guitar wisdom cry from afar.
Well follow this link to check out the specifications of the Ibanez UV777 to quell any fears you may have on this front - scale length of 25.5" I do believe.
Again the guitar-wise are shouting the strings will be too slack.
This is where the 13 gauge strings come in useful and if you want to do a full string tension calculation check then follow this link to the D'Addario strings design chart (very useful for this precise purpose).
So to quote those of an American persuasion y'all set.
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode) : General
In this BLOGoZON we take a look at the A minor scale (aeolian mode) for
6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) forming one long AGEDB octaves chain.
The AGEDB octaves sequence is shown for C natural in the diagram that follows.
The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDB octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)
GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves
![GuitarPro6 A natural octaves](images/143blogozon/guitarpro6_a_natural_octaves.jpg)
The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDB octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)
The diagrams that follow show all of the A minor scale (aeolian mode) notes plotted over
the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the AGEDB octaves and GuitarPro6 styles.
GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A minor scale (aeolian mode)
![GuitarPro6: A minor scale (aeolian mode)](images/794blogozon/79407_guitarpro6_a_minor_scale_6of7_guitar_tuning_beadgb_box_shapes.jpg)
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 minor scale (aeolian mode) are detailed below in the AGEDB octaves manner.
The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the
A minor scale (aeolian mode) in the AGEDB octaves style.
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode) : YouTube videos & pdf files
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode) : Box shapes on YouTube
- 4Am2
- 5Gm2
- 5Em3
- 6Dm3Dm1
- 6Bm4Bm1
- 4Am2 at 12
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode) : Box shapes & TAB
- 4Am2
- 5Gm2
- 5Em3
- 6Dm3Dm1
- 6Bm4Bm1
- 4Am2 at 12
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 - 4Am2 - being repeated at the 12th fret). The video shown to the right demonstrates the AGEDB octaves chain-linked sequence for the A minor scale (aeolian mode) box shapes. |
The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-
The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode)
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro8 TAB pdf
AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor scale (aeolian mode) : Overall fretboard box shapes
This Velvet Glove....Zon Brookes |