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The CAGED System - Overview

There exist several different methods to develop fretboard knowledge and visualization, the CAGED system is one such method that relies on the practitioner's understanding of the open C, A, G, E, and D chords. By partitioning the fretboard into these 5 shapes/forms it becomes easier to digest any type of information on the fretboard.

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  • Learn the moveable variants of the C, A, G, E, and D chords

  • Learn to see the roots of each chord form

  • Learn to visualize the connections between each of the chord forms

  • This introduction will prepare you to learn content associated with each form

    • Triads

    • 7th Chords

    • Diatonic scales

    • Pentatonic scales

    • Arpeggios 

    • and much more...

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The CAGED system is a method for visualizing and better understanding the entire fingerboard of the guitar. The system is based on five commonly played “open” chords: C, A, G, E, and D. By changing our fingering for each of these chords, we generate new moveable chords, observe:​

open to moveable chords.jpg

By applying the associated major scales and arpeggios to these new moveable chords, we create a system for visualizing the guitar neck in 5 distinct regions and shapes. With practice, all five shapes reveal the fingerboard such that the entirety of the neck can be easily visualized, allowing the guitarist to move freely up and down the neck both vertically and horizontally.

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Finally, we note that each form connects horizontally to an adjacent form in the order of the word CAGED. Because most concepts in music are cyclical, we observe how each form connects horizontally. … -> C -> A -> G -> E -> D -> C -> A -> ...

© 2022 Benjamin Hartenstein

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