In this video
An in-depth lesson on the CAGED system, this is a method of learning chords and scales all over the fretboard.
The CAGED system is a method of learning chords and scales all over the fretboard. It uses five open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D always in that order spread across the fretboard to enable the guitar player to visualise the same chord or scale in every position on the fretboard more easily.
The CAGED system works by using common open chord shapes to map out the guitar neck into five distinct sections. Those sections are based on the chord shapes of C, A, G, E and D, hence the name. The idea is that this can help to simplify the fretboard by revealing the relationship between common open chord shapes and note/interval arrangement on the guitar.
Try using C shape arpeggios using CAGED system shapes to improvise a solo over this simple jam track. More comprehensive lessons to follow in Andy's upcoming Lead Guitar courses!
Overview Of All CAGED shapes
See all 5 CAGED shapes below, using the C major chord as our first example. The shapes are based on the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D, which we can move on the neck in this order to, in this case, give us the C chord and C triad notes all over the neck.
- Blue= C shape
- Green = A shape
- Yellow = G shape
- Orange = E shape
- Red = D shape
As shown below, each of the chord shapes actually plays a C chord! We can then use the same system to play any major chord (and yes, it works for minor chords too, just use minor chord shapes!)
The CAGED system is very popular among some guitarists as it offer some logic to learning the fretboard and is easy to remember compare to other methods. It is however more advanced than other material in this intermediate course, so don't beat yourself up if some shapes are hard to play or the concept is hard to grasp. It is just a good thing to know about for your learning going forward, but no need to master it before moving on.