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


Octave Method for 5-String Bass

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eBook :


Octave Method for Low B : 5-String Bass


Fretboard navigation method for 5-string bass
(Low B) 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.


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Paperbook Book :


Octave Method for Five String Bass


Fretboard navigation method for 5-string bass
(Low B) 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 Low B : 5-String Bass Paper Book


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio : General

In this BLOGoZON we take a look at the A minor arpeggio box shapes and join them all together
for 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG) to form one long AGEDB octaves chain.

AGEDB octaves logo

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

AGEDB octaves fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A natural octaves

GuitarPro6 A natural octaves

The individual A natural octave shapes follow.

Individual AGEDB octaves shape names

The diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDB octaves shapes for use with the
box shapes for a 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG); this links to the downloadable pdf document which also contains the video and GuitarPro7 file.

5-String Bass (Low B) : A natural octaves

The diagrams that follow show all of the A minor arpeggio notes plotted over the
5-string bass' fretboard in the AGEDB octaves.

AGEDB octaves fingerboard A minor arpeggio note names

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A minor arpeggio

GuitarPro6 A 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
A minor arpeggio are detailed below in the AGEDB octaves manner.

AGEDB octaves fingerboard A minor arpeggio note intervals

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


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio : YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 3Am1 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 4Gm1 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 4Em2 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 5Dm2 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 5Dm2 box shape pdf
AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 3Am1 box shape at 12 pdf

AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio : Box shapes on YouTube

  • 3Am1
  • 4Gm1
  • 4Em2
  • 5Dm2
  • 5Bm3
  • 3Am1 at 12

GuitarPro6 3Am1 box shape

GuitarPro6 4Gm1 box shape

GuitarPro6 4Em2 box shape

GuitarPro6 5Dm2 box shape

GuitarPro6 5Bm3 box shape

GuitarPro6 3Am1 box shape at 12


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio : Box shapes & TAB

  • 3Am1
  • 4Gm1
  • 4Em2
  • 5Dm2
  • 5Bm3
  • 3Am1 at 12

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 3Am1 box shape

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 4Gm1 box shape

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 4Em2 box shape

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 5Dm2 box shape

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 5Bm3 box shape

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio : 3Am1 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 - 5B3 - being repeated at the 12th fret).

The video shown to the right demonstrates the AGEDB octaves chain-linked sequence for the A minor arpeggio box shapes.



The complete TAB for the previous exercise follows:-

GuitarPro7 TAB: A minor arpeggio box shapes


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes

AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro6 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDA octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes pdf

GuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes pdfGuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes pdf


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A minor arpeggio : Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes : entire fretboard notes

AGEDB octaves A minor arpeggio box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


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