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


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:-

GuitarPro6 7-string guitar C major scale

A standard 6-string electric guitar represents strings 1 to 6 of the previous 7-string; as shown in the next GuitarPro6 fingerboard:-

GuitarPro6 6-string guiatr C major scale

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:-

GuitarPro6 C major scale

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-diminished arpeggio : General

In this BLOGoZON we take a look at the A minor-diminished arpeggio for
6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) forming one long AGEDB octaves chain.

AGEDB octaves logo : 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)

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

AGEDB octaves fingerboard : A natural octaves


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)

AGEDB octaves : A natural octave shapes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves


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)

A natural octaves pdf : AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)

The diagrams that follow show all of the A minor-diminished arpeggio notes plotted over
the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the AGEDB octaves and GuitarPro8 styles.

AGEDB octaves A minor-diminished arpeggio fingerboard notes : 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)

GuitarPro8 fingerboard : A minor blues scale

GuitarPro8: A minor blues 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
A minor-diminished arpeggio are detailed below in the AGEDB octaves manner.

AGEDB octaves A minor-diminished arpeggio fingerboard intervals : 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3)

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all five box shapes for the
A minor-diminished arpeggio in the AGEDB octaves style.


AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor-diminished arpeggio : YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 4Am2 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 5Gm2 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 5Em3 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 6Dm3Dm1 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 6Bm4Bm1 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 4Am2 box shape at 12 pdf

AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor-diminished arpeggio : Box shapes on YouTube

  • 4Am2
  • 5Gm2
  • 5Em3
  • 6Dm3Dm1
  • 6Bm4Bm1
  • 4Am2 at 12

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 4Am2 box shape

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 5Gm2 box shape

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 6Dm3Dm1 box shape

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 6Dm3Dm1 box shape

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 6Bm4Bm1 box shape

GuitarPro6: A minor diminished arpeggio - 4Am2 box shape at 12


AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor-diminished arpeggio : Box shapes & TAB

  • 4Am2
  • 5Gm2
  • 5Em3
  • 6Dm3Dm1
  • 6Bm4Bm1
  • 4Am2 at 12

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 4Am2 box shape

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 5Gm2 box shape

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 5Em3 box shape

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 6Dm3Dm1 box shape

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 6Bm4Bm1 box shape

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio: 4Am2 box shape 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 CAGED octaves chain-linked sequence for the A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes.



The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro8:  6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes

AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor-diminished arpeggio
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro8 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes pdf

GuitarPro8: AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes pdfGuitarPro8: AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes pdf


AGEDB octaves : 6-string guitar (6/7ths guitar tuning - BEADGB)
A minor-diminished arpeggio : Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes : entire fretboard notes

AGEDB octaves 6-string guitar (6/7th guitar tuning - B1:E2:A2:D3:G3:B3) A minor-diminished arpeggio box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


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