Comments on: Putting it all together.

By: StringTweaker

StringTweaker — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:32:36 +0000

Luis Says :
January 21, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Question: If a song is in A, in what fret do I start the figure of the C position….if it is en E?, and so on….are there any resources to find this out? I know that there’s theory behind this, but for begginers like me, it would be awesome to have a table to know that for each of the CAGED fiigures,,,thanks

That information is all presented on this website.

First you must understand that the root of the chord is the note name of the chord. “C” is the root of a C chord. “A” is the root of an A chord or an Am chord or any chord name that begins with the letter “A”.

When you play the “C” chord form, the root lies in two locations. One is on the 2nd string, the other is an octave lower on the 5th string.

Secondly, you have to know the locations of the note names up and down the fretboard in order to correctly locate the chord form you want to play. Where are the “A” notes located for the “C” chord form you want to play? You already know they are going to be on the 5th and 2nd strings, because that’s where the roots are for the C chord form. When you can answer that, the fret location and fingering become self-evident.

There are no shortcuts or tricks or magic formulas to understanding this system. The CAGED System is already a shortcut. The theoretical knowledge you need for being able to locate note names on the fretboard is as difficult to understand at first as would be the process of straight memorization. Ultimately, understanding major scale intervals would be far more useful to you.

It sounds to me like you could spend a little more time analyzing the CAGED chord forms in the open position before you begin wandering up and down the neck with them. You might also investigate the use of a capo, which allows you to play CAGED chord forms with their open (standard) fingerings very comfortably up to about the 9th fret.

Okay, so the short answer to your question is, the C chord form is played in the 9th position to render an A chord. The Roots are 2nd string 10th fret and 5th string 12th fret.

Since you are a beginner and show an interest in fretboard logic and music theory, I suggest acquiring a book called “Chord Chemistry” by Ted Greene. You will be absolutely SICK with chord knowledge by the time you are done with that book. The cure for that illness would be his follow-up book called “Modern Chord Progressions”, which will render you certifiably insane with musical knowledge and crippled from attempting impossible chord fingerings.

By: SpawnofHastur

SpawnofHastur — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:10:44 +0000

I’m planning on using a combination of the CAGED method of learning the fretboard with Pat Martino’s ‘Sacred Geometry’ chord thing. The CAGED system is very interesting, and I’m guessing that if I’m going to be playing rhythm in rock or anything else (but jazz) it’ll be very useful. However, utilizing Martino’s method opens you up to a lot of possible chord voicings that CAGED users might miss due to reliance on ‘grip chords’.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:49:16 +0000

I have Bill Edwards Fretboard Logic SE book and it is fantastic. However, he never provides a practical example. I guess I need step by step with logic explaining why. Then when I get it, I can do so on my own.

By: guitar

guitar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:54 +0000

this is a very good way to learn the scale’s but get a book on the subject to cover it more in depth.Just one book of bill Edwards Fretboard Logic SE will be good enough don’t get the
DVD or other book he sell’s until later it’s not necessary in the beginning this will be all you need.Then you will understand what’s on the internet better.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:47:03 +0000

Sorry for the lack of replies to all your questions, i’ve had such a big spam problem that a lot of the comments have passed me by. I haven’t abandoned the site but have been very busy, I’ll try to update the practice lessons as soon as I get a spare few hours.

By: Viv

Viv — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:46:51 +0000

Admin,where are the practice lessons? have you abandoned this now?

By: Mike B

Mike B — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:38:15 +0000

Thanks for the info on this website..very clear, very useful. I came across the CAGED system a while ago and have been using it successfully particularly as I play rhythm guitar. Being able to play chord positions over the neck while the lead ‘twiddles’ adds lots of colour. However I would like to be able to join in now and again and your info adds another layer. The really encouraging for me is that absolutely everyone can do this….it just takes practice! Thanks again.

By: jim

jim — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:42:10 +0000

Fretboard Logic SE by Bill Edwards is a great resource.

By: trainwreck_joe

trainwreck_joe — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:30:02 +0000

I’m a big fan of the CAGED system, but students have to remember to apply the correct *scale* pattern to the chord form. This is especially true with minor chords, where the chord can act as either a ii chord (dorian mode) or a vi chord (aeolian mode). It depends on how the chord is being used. If you’re playing a minor blues, the minor is acting as a vi chord–here you’d want to use a D *scale* shape over the E minor chord shape. You’ll be playing what’s called “aeolian blues” (“Summertime” or “Since I’ve Been Loving You”); but if you’re soloing over, say, an Am – D7 vamp (“Badge” and many funk tunes), the minor is acting as a ii chord–in this case you’d want to use the dorian mode for soloing. That would require playing a G *scale* pattern over your Em chord form. If you compare both the D and G scale patterns you’ll see that the Em *chord* shape is present within both. So it all depends on context. You can, of course, always just use pentatonic scales to get around all this complexity and keep the scale pattern in sync with the chord form (Em chord = Em pentatonic scale form), but at some point you’ll probably want to explore some of those other very cool sounding scale notes (called “extensions”) to make your solos more “spicy” and interesting.

By: John

John — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:29:22 +0000

I’ve got a book called Chords And Scales For Guitarists By Dave Mead which shows how the CAGED system works.