Octaves

An octave is a musical interval embracing eight diatonic degrees, tones or notes at this interval. In laymen's terms, its two notes a pitch apart. Transcribed, it looks like this.

We know that there are many places on the guitar fretboard to play a C note for example, but these notes don't all sound the same, they have different pitches. Playing two notes, a pitch from another is an example of an octave. Like this: 

E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|
B ||-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-| 
G ||----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----| 
D ||----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-| 
A ||----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-| 
E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 

This is an example of an octave. Two C notes, but one is a pitch higher than the other. 

Octave patterns 

.Listed below in a colorized format, are some octave patterns. Notice some of the patterns that they appear in, familiarize yourself with these patterns. They are rules, depending on where on the fretboard they are applied. 

E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 
B ||-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-| 
G ||----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----| 
D ||----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-| 
A ||----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-| 
E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| - 

E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 
B ||-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-| 
G ||----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----| 
D ||----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-| 
A ||----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-| 
E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 

E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 
B ||-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-| 
G ||----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----| 
D ||----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-| 
A ||----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-| 
E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 

Now, lets look at all the patterns at once, can you see the main pattern? 

E||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 
B ||-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-| 
G ||----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----| 
D ||----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-| 
A ||----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-| 
E ||-F-|----|-G-|----|-A-|----|-B-|-C-|----|-D-|----|-E-|-F-|----|-G-| 

Tada, its the A Major pentatonic scale. As you can see, this can become useful in figuring out where notes are on the fretboard. Scales are a series of 8 notes, they begin and end on the same note. (with the exception of the Pentatonic, which is a 5 note scale) The 1st and last note of the scale are the same, only a pitch apart. Or, as we have just learned, an octave. 

Using octaves in music 

Listed here are a few songs where we will see octaves applied. 

• Dick Dale: Miserlou This song begins with almost a one string scale (E,F,Gs,A,B,C,Ds) Then plays the same thing 2 octaves higher.
• Metallica: King Nothing This song uses octaves at the end of the main riff.
• Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze The song begins with an As/Bf octave and a C octave. Also checkout Fire by Hendrix. The main riff also uses octaves.

Learning octaves will allow you play any lick, anywhere you want on the neck. You can also use them to add depth to a lick by having two guitars play in harmony, at different pitches.  

For practice, pick a random note on the guitar, then find some octaves for that note. Become good at this and you will rule the fretboard.