Comments on: Using The CAGED System

By: cody

cody — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:09:31 +0000

k, i’m confused. what do u mean by ‘the 12 keys’. I understand where you are getting at, I’m just confused about the 12 keys.

By: Vind

Vind — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:45:55 +0000

@motarski: Precise!

By: marduk gault

marduk gault — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:34:32 +0000

its also good when you are doing this kind of excersize, to spend some time looing in between the chord shapes, and trying to find different triads (just small 3 note chords) this will start to get you really exploring and understanding the fretboard

By: keith

keith — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:49:15 +0000

So, this is sort of something you can combine with the major scale modes? (ionian, dorian, phrygian, etc…)

By: motarski

motarski — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:25:03 +0000

Julio Says : How can I practice them in different keys? I mean, they are just chords… or do you mean the chord progression I use?

A: What he meant was, take C – major chord for example, and practise it (play it) all over the freat in all shapes, as you know C major chord can be played in all these CAGED shapes. So play C chord in C-shape, C chord in A-shape (that is that Barre on 333333 and 555 on 2nd3rd4th string you know what I mean, then play C in G-shape etc etc, this practise will help you remember the positions of relative Key. Practise these for every chord.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:44:41 +0000

Out54law – the F chord is based on the E shape, and the B is based on the A.

By: Out54law

Out54law — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:38:38 +0000

To me the cords f and b are caged

By: admin

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:09:38 +0000

@Amy

Yes, you’ve got it. Some of the chord shapes are a bit difficult for fingering so if you can’t do just yet then use partial shapes. Obviosly, if you move the C along one fret up to C# then you need to bar the first fret with your forefinger, a bit tricky at first.

What’s probably more important is that you learn to recognise the chords anywhere along the neck, learn the root notes and how the chords overlap. You can still gain a lot just from being able to visualise the chords in all twelve keys.

This is the key to getting full fretboard control.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:54:15 +0000

Sorry for sounding a bit dim, when you use these chord positions, in the twelve keys, do you just shift the chord shape up and down the neck for the different keys? E.G The C open chord shape, if I would move that shape up a fret, would that make the chord a C#? Also when using the CAGED system would the same apply, for example staying with the C chord, with the A shape being used to form the C chord on the 5th fret (barre chord on third), if i then move this up a fret this would make it C#?

By: K

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:07:33 +0000

Its good basic lesson and muchos kudos for putting it up there.
For beginners I’d probably, give them the initial exercise in D.

i.e. (building on marduk gault’s post)

1. Start with open D chord that everyone starts out learning (root 4/2)
See how the D note on the second string (root 2) is the basis of the C form

2. Make ‘C form’ at second fret which is now a D Chord using a ‘C’ form (root 5/2).
See how the D note on the fifth string (root 5) is the basis of the A form.

3. Make ‘A form’ at fifth fret which is now a D Chord using the ‘A’ form (root 5/3).
See how the D note on the third string (root 3) is the basis of the G form.

You should start to see a circular pattern forming (D-C-A-G-E-D) extending the chords up the neck using the previously unused root note as the basis for the next chord form in the sequence.

So to continue…

4. Make ‘G form’ at seventh fret which is now a D Chord using the ‘G’ form (root 6/3).
See how the D note on the sixth string (root 6) is the basis of the E form.

5. Make ‘E form’ at tenth fret which is now a D Chord using the ‘G’ form (root 6/3).
See how the D note on the four string (root 4) is the basis of the original D form only one octave higher.

6. Next do it backwards following (and paying attention to) the root notes.

7. Then repeat for each of open C A G E chords.

8. Apply to the two remaining keys (B&F) which don’t have a chord in the CAGED system.

Otherwise it would be CAGED (BF) which has weird connotations.