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 pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweep patterns : General

In BLOGoZON No.632 the pseudo 3nps box shapes for the A pentatonic minor scale
were presented using the AGEDB octaves methodology for 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG).

AGEDB octaves logo

In this BLOGoZON we look at the A pentatonic minor scale, again, but with 31313 sweep patterns
patterns and join them all together to form one long AGEDB octaves chain.

The conjoined 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 diagram that follows shows all five of the AGEDB octaves shapes for use with the
31313 sweep patterns for a 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG).

A natural octaves (pseudo 3nps)

The diagrams that follow show all of the A pentatonic minor scale notes plotted over the
5-string bass' fretboard in the BAGED octaves and GuitarPro6 styles:-

AGEDB octaves fingerboard A pentatonic minor scale note names

GuitarPro6 fingerboard : A pentatonic minor 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
A pentatonic minor scale are detailed below in the AGEDB octaves manner:-

AGEDB octaves fingerboard A pentatonic minor scale note intervals

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


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweep patterns
YouTube videos & pdf files

YouTube icon

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 4Gm1:4Em2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern) pdf
AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 4Gm1:4Em2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern) pdf
AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 4Em2:5Dm2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern) pdf
AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 5Dm2:5Bm3 box shape (31313 sweep pattern) pdf
AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 5Bm3:3Am1 box shape (31313 sweep pattern) pdf
AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale : 3Am1:4Gm1 box shape at 12 (31313 sweep pattern) pdf

AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweeps : YouTube videos

  • 3Am1:4Gm1

  • 4Gm1:4Em2

  • 4Em2:5Dm2

  • 5Dm2:5Bm3

  • 5Bm3:3Am1

  • 3Am1:4Gm1 at 12

3Am1:4Gm1 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

4Gm1:4Em2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

4Em2:5Dm2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

5Dm2:5Bm3 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

5Bm3:3Am1 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

3Am1:4Gm1 at 12 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweeps : Box shapes & TAB

  • 3Am1:4Gm1

  • 4Gm1:4Em2

  • 4Em2:5Dm2

  • 5Dm2:5Bm3

  • 5Bm3:3Am1

  • 3Am1:4Gm1 at 12

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 4Gm1:4Em2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 4Em2:5Dm2 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Dm2:5Bm3 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 5Bm3:3Am1 box shape (31313 sweep pattern)

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale - 3Am1:4Gm1 box shape at 12 (31313 sweep pattern)


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: A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep patterns) box shapes


The box shapes for the previous exercise follow:-

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes

AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweep patterns
Box shapes pdf & GuitarPro7 TAB pdf

Flash iconGuitar Pro 6 icon

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes pdf

GuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes pdfGuitarPro7 TAB: AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes pdf


AGEDB octaves : 5-string bass (Low B - BEADG)
A pentatonic minor scale - 31313 sweep patterns
Overall fretboard box shapes

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes : entire fretboard notes

AGEDB octaves A pentatonic minor scale (31313 sweep pattern) box shapes : entire fretboard intervals


This Charming Man

This Charming Man
....Zon Brookes

The Smiths







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