learning CAGED system and why I feel angry

[agfsteve]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I learned by playing along to vinyl records, and there was no system. I can play barres with some basic shapes, but I enjoy more exploring the fretboard and coming up with alternative open shapes in various positions, especially with the 12-string. I read a bit about CAGED, and not sure if I understand but I think it must be frustrating if you can't get all the required shapes needed to master it.

You don't have to actually play any of the shapes as barre chords, you can just use the shapes to find notes (single notes, triads, etc.) on the fretboard. After that, sure, if you can play an A Major chord as 542225, then great, but that's only a minor detail.

[roylor4]

I guess I'm an idiot, because I learned NADA from that video.

[TBman]

This is how I learned the fret board from a teacher I had for 6 months. I totalled my car and couldn't continue my lessons (I was 20, unhurt, but no wheels for a while).

Basically its CAGE. If you know/learn the chromatic scale, its cake. You'll need a strong fretting hand or you'll have one by the time you finish this book

https://www.melbay.com/Products/9321...rd-system.aspx

That's just part of it. Some pentatonics and progressions are needed to put some or all of it together.

As a finger style player if I wanted more theory I'd go for more progressions and pentatonic work.

But I'm still trying to figure out how to play these things with strings ...

[richard1]

Originally Posted by roylor4

I guess I'm an idiot, because I learned NADA from that video.

No, I just put that one in my post so you could link to the actual lesson, which is:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8a5SsbG-1Y

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by nightflight

And few take notes, and they remember little. . . I teach college. YMMV

I must be the exception that proves your rule.

I find it almost impossible to take notes AND listen to a professor at the same time. If I'm writing what was just said, I miss what is being said while I'm writing.

My entire collection of notes from all classes in college probably wouldn't fill a Big-Chief tablet.

My strategy was to READ AHEAD and make sure I understood the material (don't really need a professor for that). Not just to the material to be covered in the next class, but WEEKS ahead. I find it important to know WHY I'm learning what I'm learning and how it will be applied later in the class.

Then, while in class, I would just sit back and listen to the professor. If he said something that I already remembered from the books, then why bother to write it down? I would only write down things that I didn't remember already reading about, or things that were STRONGLY emphasized.

It worked for me. I had a 4.0 GPA (engineering major) and I graduated in just three years because I took heavy course loads (typically 18-21 hrs a semester), went to summer school, and also tested out of a lot of the preliminary subjects that I'd already taken in high school.

During one Calculus class, the teacher (a graduate student) was writing away on the board. Everybody (but me) was busy writing down what he was putting on the board. I just followed along in the book . . . he was literally just writing down what was in the book.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by richard1

So my advice to all new guitar students is to find a teacher who teaches, and not one that just tells you stuff. You are doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't.

Yes and I would add that however the teacher accomplishes it, try to find one whos teaching style makes sense to you and fits your style of learning strength.

I personally thought that teacher and his videos 1 and 2 were great (which took a while to find, good that you linked the actual lesson)

I am guessing a lot depends on any given individual's strongest learning style.
But I agree with you, for me that was the best lesson on the basics of the CAGED system and how it could be useful, that I have seen/heard.

Even though I have been playing for 55 years and gigging for 45 years, songwriting for 20 years all more or less self taught (with the usual occasional help from more knowledgeable musicians) . It was only about 12 years ago that I started to make an effort try to learn about theory.
And the CAGED system remained fairly elusive >>>>> So thanks for the heads up