MUSIC THEORY
The CAGED Guitar System
A way of visualising the guitar fretboard using chord shapes you already know!
The CAGED guitar system instructs us that we can play any chord (or any scale) at five positions in the guitar neck.
This article will show you how to play a C chord using a C shape, A shape, G shape, E shape & D shape.
Becoming familiar with these shapes enables us to play a chord or scale not only using open strings but all the way up the neck.
CAGED Guitar SYSTEM - SHAPE 1
The C Shape
This is the regular C chord.
CAGED Guitar SYSTEM - SHAPE 2
The A Shape
Play an A chord at the 3rd fret (using a capo) to get a C chord.
CAGED Guitar SYSTEM - SHAPE 3
The G Shape
Play a G chord at the 5th fret (using a capo) to get a C chord.
CAGED Guitar SYSTEM - SHAPE 4
The E Shape
Play an E chord at the 8th fret (using a capo) to get a C chord.
CAGED Guitar SYSTEM - SHAPE 5
The D ShapE
Play a D chord at the 10th fret (using a capo) to get a C chord.
See the next article in this series where you can practice using new chord variants.
summary
You are now playing a C, A, G, E, D chord shape at different places of the guitar fretboard – yet each makes a C chord tonally.
Use a capo to “check” these chords all sound the same! Just being aware of the fact that these 5 shapes can slide up or down to make any chord is a great start!
Please share this article with your followers using the buttons below
Get the Learn Fingerpicking Book
Register for the newsletter and I will send you this book (105 pages) and a free lesson once a month.
This is the ideal resource for complete beginners who wish to learn guitar.
