CAGED System
The “CAGED” System is a useful way of connecting the same chord across the entire neck of the guitar. The “like” shapes are exactly like the basic open chords, just moved along the fretboard. It does not matter where you begin… if you simply remember the word “CAGED,” you can recycle your basic open chord shapes over and over again. Think of them as, looks like C, looks like A, looks like G, looks like E & looks like D.
These also tie into the 5 basic pentatonic scale shapes. (The example there is written from Eminor/G Major)
For a Guitarist, this is very fundamental fretboard geometry!
From C Major
From A Major
From G Major
From E Major
From D Major
Click on the page links below for printable .PNG files of these examples. The notes in parentheses are additional chord tones and added as an aid to see the chord in it’s entirety for scales and arpeggios.)
