Your first CAGED lesson
If you want to unlock the full potential of the guitar fretboard, the CAGED system is the perfect tool to help you get there.
In this article, we’ll explore how to take the basic chord shapes you already know and use them to break free from the open position.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to move the five CAGED chord shapes across the fretboard.
- Connecting the shapes seamlessly for more fluid playing.
- Practical exercises to help you visualize the system.
At the end, we’ve got a 10-minute video with the amazing Dr. Molly Miller, who will walk you through the fundamentals step-by-step.
Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
What is the CAGED system?
The CAGED system is a simple yet powerful method to help you visualize the entire fretboard.
Instead of seeing the neck as a series of disconnected notes, the CAGED system gives you a clear roadmap that’s built around familiar open chords.
By learning how to move these chord shapes around the neck, you can play any chord in any position, which allows you to access tons more melodic and harmonic possibilities.
The best part? It’s not just about chords – you can also apply the system to scales, arpeggios, and triads, opening up even more creative potential!
In short, the CAGED system will help you understand the fretboard and give you more freedom to create unique guitar parts.
Moving chord shapes up the neck
The beauty of the CAGED system lies in how it allows you to play the same chord in multiple positions across the neck.
By shifting the five chord shapes, you can play the same chord anywhere on the fretboard. This technique helps expand your chord vocabulary and makes your playing more dynamic.
Let’s take C major as an example:
C shape at the open position
A shape at the 3rd fret
Although this is an ‘A shape’ when played with the root note on the 3rd fret, it becomes a C chord.
If you’ve used bar chords before, then this concept may be familiar, but did you know it works for ALL chord shapes?
G shape at the 5th fret
This one isn’t a common bar chord shape, but you can split it into two shapes to make it more manageable/versatile.
To do this, just fret either the lower three strings or the higher three strings and play a mini half-chord.
E shape at the 8th fret
We all know this one, for many beginner guitarists the F bar chord was the first major hurdle away from open chord shapes.
D shape at the 10th fret
The smallest of the five CAGED shapes.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Yeah, I know those shapes already… how is this going to help me?”
We’ll take a look at this.
Each shape is connected across the neck, and in this position they all give you a C major chord.
That’s right, the shapes you already knew are your key to fretboard freedom.
- When moving these shapes up the neck, you’ll need to use your first finger as a barre, acting like a capo to replace the nut.
- This enables you to shift the open chords into new positions, keeping the shape but changing the chord’s root note.
- With practice, you’ll seamlessly glide between shapes, adding depth and creativity to your playing.
This works for every note! Shift the entire pattern up two frets and they’re all D chords.
Connecting the shapes
A powerful feature of the CAGED system is how seamlessly the chord shapes connect across the fretboard. Each shape flows into the next, creating a continuous roadmap for moving through any key.
- By understanding these connections, you can see how the entire fretboard opens up.
- Pay close attention to where each shape overlaps with the next.
- This continuous flow allows you to move from one end of the neck to the other, all while staying in the same key.
Rather than focusing on playing perfect chords, shift your attention to visualizing the fretboard.
Imagine how these shapes overlap and connect, and practice moving through the positions while focusing on how the root notes link together.
This visualization is key to breaking out of basic chord positions and gaining true fretboard freedom.
Building scales and arpeggios from shapes
The CAGED system is not just about chord shapes – it also helps you map out scales and arpeggios across the fretboard.
By using each chord shape as a framework, you can easily find core tones and build different scales and arpeggios around them.
Pentatonic scales
One of the easiest ways to start is with the pentatonic scale. For each CAGED shape, you can map out a pentatonic scale by finding the five key notes within the chord shape.
For example, if you’re using the C shape in C major, the pentatonic scale will fit perfectly around that position, giving you a useful scale to solo with.
Major scales
The major scale is the next step.
Similar to the pentatonic, you can use each chord shape to identify the root note and then build the full major scale around it.
Each of the five shapes offers a different position of the major scale, allowing you to move up and down the neck while staying within the same key.
Let’s take a look at the E shape as most of you will be familiar with this major scale pattern
Just like the chord shapes, all the scale patterns interconnect too, take a look.
It’s pretty crazy, huh? This is the power of the CAGED system!
Arpeggios
Arpeggios are another great use of the CAGED system.
Since an arpeggio is just a broken chord, each shape naturally lends itself to outlining the arpeggio.
Use the chord shape to identify the root, third, and fifth, and play those notes one at a time.
This technique adds a melodic flavor to your playing and works great for soloing or adding fills between chord changes.
By mastering how to build pentatonic scales, major scales, and arpeggios within the CAGED system, you’ll be able to move freely across the fretboard, creating endless melodic possibilities.
Practical exercises
To put the CAGED system into practice, here are two exercises that will help you strengthen your visualization skills and get comfortable moving across the fretboard.
Exercise 1: Play all the CAGED shapes for C major up the neck
Seems simple, but don’t rush this.
Start by playing the C major chord in all five CAGED shapes across the neck.
This will help you see how the shapes connect and overlap.
- Begin with the C shape in the open position, then move through the following shapes:
- As you move through the shapes, focus on visualizing how each position is related to the previous one.
- Don’t worry too much about playing the shapes perfectly – this is more about training your mind to connect everything.
Exercise 2: Focus on finding the root notes within each shape
In this exercise, focus specifically on finding the root notes within each shape.
For example, in the C shape, the root note is on the 5th string. In the A shape, it’s on the 5th string again but now in a different position.
Work through each shape, identifying where the root note is, and then connect them as you move from one shape to the next.
This will give you a strong sense of how the CAGED system helps you link chords, scales, and arpeggios across the neck.
Visualization over perfection
Remember, these exercises are about visualization and understanding the fretboard more deeply, rather than achieving technical perfection right away.
Focus on how the shapes interconnect and let that guide your movements up and down the neck.
Wrapping up
The CAGED system is an incredibly powerful tool for unlocking the entire fretboard, allowing you to move beyond basic chord shapes and access more creative, melodic possibilities.
By mastering how to move these shapes up the neck, connect them seamlessly, and build scales and arpeggios from them, you’ll gain the freedom to express yourself across the entire guitar.
- Consistent practice is key to mastering the CAGED system.
- Focus on visualizing the connections between shapes and identifying root notes as you move from one position to another.
- Over time, you’ll naturally improve your ability to play fluidly across the fretboard.
Be sure to check out this awesome 10-minute video below.
Keep practicing, and watch as your fretboard mastery takes off!
