The CAGED System Fretboard Logic

Guitar Chords
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Once I learned this easy sensible CAGED system, the whole fretboard logic idea has helped me in my lead guitar playing. Not only that, but has help me understand how chords and scales relate up and down the neck. So please give this a good read and hopefully I will trigger you to look into this concept of chord building further. You know... open new doors!

The C-A-G-E-D System

"Any first position three-finger chord can be played as a Barre Chord."

The open forms of E, G, A, C and D can all be played in barre form higher up the neck. (Though the D shape xx0232 barely qualifies since you can play it higher up without actually needing to barre - unless you want to play the D/A shape or something.)

The C A G E D forms are the 5 UNIVERSAL CHORD FORMS, and 5 UNIVERSAL SCALE FORMS. Everything else flows from them.

Those 5 forms interlock to form what is called, appropriately enough, The CAGED Sequence. And every scale and chord can be played at one of five positions along that sequence, using one of those five forms in rotation along the Sequence.

Here, try this: Play C Major in the following positions using the following forms. Frets past 9 are highlighted as a single digit. [Don't worry about bass notes or inversions - more on that later.]

C FORM - 032010

A FORM - 335553

G FORM - 875558

E FORM - 800988

D FORM - X00232

C FORM - 254232 etc.

Now, you just played the C Major in all of it's incarnations along the fretboard, and it the cycle starts over at the 12th fret (octave point). That works for every single chord and scale.

Learn How To Play Guitar Chords - Introduction To Chords And The CAGED Fretboard System

Chords are 3 or more notes played at the same time. There are all types of chords, but all will fall under two categories: major and minor chords.

On the guitar there are only 5 basic major chord patterns. These primary chord patterns found on the guitar are C, A, G, E, and D. Together they spell the word CAGED which should help you remember them. All other chords that you will learn in the future come from the C, A, G, E, and D chord patterns.

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