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


Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted: 34" scale, EADGC tuning

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted


EDCAG octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
E minor arpeggio (3 notes per string) : General

In BLOGoZON No.290 the box shapes for the E minor arpeggio were presented using the EDCAG octaves methodology.

In this BLOGoZON we look at the E minor arpeggio, again, but with 3nps shapes and join them all together to form one long EDCAG octaves chain.

The diagram that follows shows all seven of the EDCAG octaves shapes for use with
the three notes per string patterns for a 6-string guitar tuned to EADGBE :-

EDCAG 3nps octaves

The conjoined EDCAG octaves sequence is shown for E natural in the diagram that follows:-

EDCAGoctaves fingerboard : E natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : E natural octaves

GuitarPro6 E natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the E minor arpeggio notes plotted over the 6-string guitar's fretboard in the EDCAG octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

EDCAG octaves fingerboard E minor arpeggio notes

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : E phrygian mode

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio

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 E minor arpeggio are detailed below in the EDCAG octaves manner:-

EDCAG octaves fingerboard E minor arpeggio intervals

The tables and tabbed panels below detail all seven box shapes for the
E minor arpeggio in the EDCAG octaves style.


EDCAG octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
E minor arpeggio (3 notes per string) box shapes : pdf

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Gm3Gm1 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape pdf

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape at 12 pdf


EDCAG octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : YouTube videos

  • 6Em4Dm2
  • 4Dm2
  • 5Cm2
  • 5Am3
  • 5Am3Gm1
  • 6Gm3Gm1
  • 6Em4Em1
  • 6Em4Dm2 at 12

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Gm3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape at 12


  • 6Em4Dm2
  • 4Dm2
  • 5Cm2
  • 5Am3
  • 5Am3Gm1
  • 6Gm3Gm1
  • 6Em4Em1
  • 6Em4Dm2 at 12

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 4Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Cm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 5Am3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Gm3Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Em1 box shape

GuitarPro6 E minor arpeggio (3nps) : 6Em4Dm2 box shape at 12



Once the individual box shapes have been assimilated all seven shapes should be linked together and played in one continuous exercise (with the first shape - 6Em4Dm2 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the EDCAG octaves chain-linked sequence for the E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes.


The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB


The box shapes for the previous exercise follows:-

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdfEDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes TAB pdf

EDCAG octaves (EADGBE : 6-string guitar standard tuning)
E minor arpeggio (3nps) : Overall fretboard box shapes

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard notes

EDCAG octaves E minor arpeggio (3nps) box shapes : fretboard intervals


Rob Allen mb-2 Walnut Fretted

Hold me now....Zon Brookes

Thompson Twins




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