IntellectualMusician.com

‘Octave’ is the term used to describe the distance (or ‘interval’) from a one note to another, with half or double the frequency.

The most obvious representation of an ‘octave’ on the guitar, can be played simply by plucking the ‘Low E’, followed by the ‘High E’.
This is actually a ‘double octave’, that is, the high ‘E’ is three times the frequency of the Low ‘E’.

For our purposes, we will see that there are five (and a half!) shapes that will enable you to play octaves in every position on the neck. The method described below is to be practiced as a rudiment, until you can actually ‘imagine’ the sequence without a guitar .

After memorizing this complete set, we are going to see how any single note on the guitar neck can be found in any position. Any guitarist worth his ‘salts’ should be able to tell you what note he is playing at any given time and chances are that he is using this method, whether he knows it or not!

So, let’s find all of the ‘C’ notes on the neck. Firstly, we must locate the ‘C’ note closest to the nut or ‘zero fret’. This is at fret one on the ‘B’ String. Fret this note with your first finger.

Now, look at the above illustration- with your first finger now on the ‘B’ string, you are in position to play an ‘C Shape’ octave. So, with your third finger, fret the octave on the ‘A’ String. You are now playing an ‘C’ shape octave, in the key of ‘C’ ..i.e. both notes being fretted are ‘C’.

But don’t relax yet!! Now, with your first finger- replace the note being fretted by your third finger (on the ‘A’ string, at the third fret). Take another look at the above illustration. You are now in position to play an ‘A shape’. With your first finger now on the ‘A’ string at the third fret, reach your third finger over the ‘G’ string at the fifth fret. Holding both of these notes in place, you are now playing an ‘A’ shape octave. Remember, the actual notes you are playing should all be ‘C’!

Continue this system along the neck, moving your first finger to the position you third finger is in, and then replacing you third finger (or little finger depending on the shape) on the correct string to form the next shape in the system.

Finally, remember that this is called the ‘CAGED’ system. The name actually spells out the order that the shapes exist in, across the neck of the guitar. For example, we have already covered the ‘C shape’ and the ‘A shape’… the system continues with the ‘G shape’, followed by the ‘E Shape’, followed by the ‘D Shape’. I hope you have noticed that you are constantly spelling out the word ‘CAGED’!

Continue this method by trying out a variety of keys. Also, when you get beyond the 12th fret, try going backwards!!