CAGED System/ Learning Fretboard

[jacoben]

I am an intermediate player interested in gaining a better understanding of fingering/chord possibilities beyond the first position. I understand "A" & "E" shaped bar chords and moving them up and down the fretboard but I would like to gain a better understanding of the "CAGED System". How it works and what it means with the hope of unlocking the potential in my head to begin to use the other 80% of the fretboard.

Your insight would be appeciated...

[GordonHLau]

Hi snperl,

Although I don't use the CAGED system, I understand the method. In this system you use chord shapes to understand the fingerboad. Here's the very basics.

Starting with the C chord shape in the open position the next inversion of this chord up the fingerboard will be the A chord shape at the third fret. It's still a C chord BUT you use a A chord shape (335553).

The next inversion up is the G chord shape (still a C chord but using the G chord shape). Fingering is this: 875558.

The next C chord inversion up is the E chord shape. 8 10 10 9 8 8.

The next C chord inversion up is the D chord shape. x 10 10 12 13 12.

Add it all up and it spells CAGED (neat huh?). After the D chord shape it reverts back to the C chord shape. By memorizing and understanding the relationships of each chord shapes to each other, you can play these different inversion in any key and also assign licks, patterns, scales, etc. to each chord shape.

There are a few books like Fretboard Roadmaps dedicated to this system. Many people think it's a great system. Brad Buster Jones who is one of the best country fingerpickers in the world views the fretboard in this way.

Hope this helps.
GL

[Jon S.]

The next step in the learning process is to use the "caged" chords as the building blocks for leads and double-stops based around the "caged" chord forms.

The classic example that everyone has heard is Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing. Another popular example is Jerry Garcia's intro. to Casey Jones.

Like everyone else, Hendrix stole much of his approach from one Curtis Mayfield ("and he from someone else"). Give it a try!

[Hymie]

snperl,

I found out about the CAGED system in this forum, went to amazon.com and ordered "Fretboard Logic SE" by Bill Edwards. (Special Edition, Volumes I & II Combined) It is a good book for intermediates and explains the CAGED system very well. It is worth the money. I think mapletrees and some others made reference to the book. When maplestrees writes, I read!(I may not understand, but I still read!!)