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Bonus guitar lesson

The CAGED System for Guitar

CAGED is a way to map the fretboard using five familiar chord shapes: C, A, G, E, and D. Instead of thinking of chords as one fixed grip, you learn how the same chord can appear in different parts of the neck.

Five shapes: C A G E D
Same chord, new positions
Roots guide the shape

Big idea

If you know where the root notes are, you can move a C, A, G, E, or D-type shape up the neck and create the same chord in a different register.

CAGED

What CAGED actually means

  • CAGED stands for the five open chord shapes: C, A, G, E, and D.
  • Those shapes connect across the fretboard in the order C → A → G → E → D → back to C.
  • The chord name stays the same when the root notes stay the same.
  • A barre or partial barre often replaces the nut when you move a shape up the neck.
  • CAGED is useful for chords, arpeggios, scales, and solo phrasing.
Easy mental model:
Pick one chord, like C major. Then find all the places a C root appears and match the nearby C/A/G/E/D style shape around it.

The shape order

C→A→G→E→D→C

This is not the order of string names. It is the repeating order of related chord shapes as you travel up the neck.

open string note
regular fretted note
useful CAGED root/octave landmarks

The five shapes at a glance

C

Built from the open C chord shape. Great for seeing roots on the A and B strings.

A

Built from the open A chord shape. Common barre-chord form rooted on the A string.

G

Built from the open G chord shape. Often simplified in real playing, but useful for visualization.

E

Built from the open E chord shape. Common barre-chord form rooted on the low E string.

D

Built from the open D chord shape. Helpful for higher-register chord and triad views.

Example: finding C major in multiple places

C shape: open C major near the nut.
A shape: move the A-type form so the root is C on the 3rd fret of the A string.
G shape: connect the next C position higher on the neck with a G-type view.
E shape: use the E-type barre form with root C at the 8th fret of the low E string.
D shape: find a higher C with a D-type chord fragment.

How to practice CAGED

Step 1: Choose one chord, like C or G.
Step 2: Find its root notes on the low E, A, and D strings.
Step 3: Match the nearest C/A/G/E/D shape around that root.
Step 4: Play the shapes in order up the neck.
Step 5: Say the shape name and chord name out loud while you move.

Common mistakes

  • Thinking CAGED is only for full chord strums.
  • Memorizing the letters but not the root-note locations.
  • Ignoring partial shapes and triads.
  • Forgetting that the G and D forms are often trimmed down in real songs.

Quick self-test

Q1. What do the letters in CAGED stand for?
The five open chord shapes: C, A, G, E, and D.
Q2. Which two CAGED shapes are most associated with common full barre chords?
The E shape and the A shape.
Q3. What should you memorize along with the shapes?
The root-note locations, so you know where each shape belongs.