The CAGED system

You know five open major chords: C, A, G, E and D. CAGED is the idea that each of those shapes can be moved up the neck, and together the five shapes link up to cover the whole fretboard for any chord. It turns a pile of shapes into a single map.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Name the five CAGED shapes and the order they appear up the neck.
• Play a C major chord in all five shapes.
• Find the root notes inside each shape.

You know five open major chords: C, A, G, E and D. Each can be moved up the neck, using a barre in place of the open strings. Played in order up the neck, the five shapes connect end to end and cover the fretboard for a given chord. That is the CAGED system, and the name is the order the shapes appear.

For a chord like C major, the five shapes are:

1. C shape: the open chord, near the nut.
2. A shape: a barre at fret 3 (x35553).
3. G shape: the open G shape moved up to fret 5 (8-7-5-5-5-8).
4. E shape: a barre at fret 8 (8-10-10-9-8-8).
5. D shape: the D shape moved up to fret 10 (x-x-10-12-13-12).

Then the C shape appears again at fret 12, an octave higher.

Every shape contains the same three notes, C, E and G, arranged differently. Each also contains root notes (the Cs), which anchor it. Knowing where the roots are in each shape shows you how it connects to the scale and the other shapes.

The idea works for any key. For G major, start with the open G shape and the next shape up is E (a barre at fret 3), then D, C and A.

All five shapes above are C major, in order up the neck. The numbers beside the diagrams show the starting fret of each.

C in five places.

1. Play the open C chord. Say "C shape".
2. Without stopping, slide to the A-shape barre at fret 3. Strum. It sounds like C, but higher and brighter.
3. Move up to the G shape at fret 5, then the E shape at fret 8, then the D shape at fret 10.
4. Notice that each shape starts where the previous one ends: the neck is covered.

Finding the roots. In the A shape at fret 3, the C notes are on the 5th string (fret 3), the 3rd string (fret 5) and the 1st string (fret 3). Play each and listen: they are all C.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.Name the five shapes

  3 min

  1. Say the letters in order: C, A, G, E, D.
  2. For each, play the open chord and say its name.
  3. Play it again as a barre at the next position and say which shape you are using.

  You have it when

  • You can say the five shapes in order without looking.
  I practised this one

• 2.C in five places

  5 min · 50 → 70 BPM

  1. Play the open C shape (fret 0 to 3).
  2. Play the A shape barre at fret 3 (x35553).
  3. Play the G shape at fret 5 (8-7-5-5-5-8 up the neck).
  4. Play the E shape barre at fret 8 (8-10-10-9-8-8).
  5. Play the D shape at fret 10 (x-x-10-12-13-12).
  6. Come back down in reverse order.

  You have it when

  • You can play all five shapes of C in order, and hear that they are all C.
  I practised this one

• 3.Find the roots

  4 min

  1. In each of the five C shapes, find and play the C notes.
  2. Count how many C notes are in each shape.
  3. Say the string and fret as you play.

  You have it when

  • You can point to at least two C notes in each shape.
  I practised this one

Do this slowly: 50 BPM, four beats per shape. The aim is to see the connections, not to be quick. When you can play all five in order, try two beats each.

• Learning the shapes as separate chords. They are five views of the same chord. Always play two neighbouring shapes together to hear it.
• Forgetting the order. Remember the word CAGED. The shapes appear in that order going up.
• Skipping the roots. A shape without its roots is just a pattern. Know where C is in each.

CAGED lets you play a progression in one area of the neck instead of jumping around. It also shows you where scales fit around each chord shape, which is what you will use in later lead work.

Short version (10 minutes)

Play C in five shapes, up and down, at 50 BPM for four minutes.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then repeat for G major, starting from the open G shape.

• C, A, G, E, D: the five open chord shapes.
• Each shape can be moved up the neck as a barre or partial barre.
• The shapes link up in the order CAGED.
• Know the roots in each shape.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can say the five CAGED shapes in order.
• I can play a major chord in all five shapes.
• I can find the roots in each shape.