Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

A Practical Approach to the CAGED System on Guitar – EP273

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, I’ll explain a unique way of looking at the CAGED system, which allows you to play chords in multiple locations up the neck of the guitar. Once you understand this system, you’ll be able to enhance your rhythm and lead playing by being able to easily identify all of the chord shapes throughout the entire neck of the guitar. This lesson comes with 3 practice compositions (at 3 different levels) to help you incrementally build up your understanding of this system. Also, if you’d like to learn the minor chord positions using the CAGED methodology, here’s a link to that guitar lesson.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Slow Walkthrough - Level 1 - F Chord

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 1 - Bb Chord

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 1 - C Chord

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 2

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Slow Walkthrough - Level 3

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  2. unclekegs says

    Great lesson Brian – the use of bottom and top sections of chords (when combined with anchor points) has really opened up the application of this method for me. I have never learned the notes on the neck and would appreciate your take on a similar practical approach to learning same.

  4. Aussie Rick says

    A really excellent lesson thanks Brian. What sets this lesson apart, is that I’ve not only gained a better understanding of CAGED than I had before, but – and this is the breakthrough – in just an hour or so, you’ve got me actually using the CAGED approach to play rhythm all over the neck. No other lessons I’d seen actually helped you make this leap from understanding CAGED, to actually using it in your playing.

    Looking forward to using this newfound skill to lift my rhythm, and lead, playing to the next level.

    Thanks again Brian.

    Rick

  5. David W says

    A great lesson session Brian. I get so tired of all the blues lessons. I guess I’m stuck on old country music and can’t find enough truly helpful lessons in the note by note style you do. I love some of the blues stuff by you but it’s just too much for me. I do spend a lot of time on your country sessions and I would love to see more of them. No one, and I mean no one goes into note by note detail like you do. From finger placement, to the way we make every move, you cover it all. Great sessions that are so helpful to me as a struggling beginner to the professional player, you provide something for all of us. I really loved this session.

  6. JohnStrat says

    I have yet to go through this fully but it looks to be a great idea and be very useful. Brian one point that I think of from my days of old is:- simply the A shape you use takes its name from note of the 5th string where it is fretted. These were always know to me as root 5 barre chords and like wise when the E shape is used the chords are known to me as root 6 chords. You may mention this but if so I have overlooked it so far and it seems to be a very simple way to recall the names of the chords so long as you know which string t take the name from. i hope that’s right with you thanks
    JohnStrat

  7. Jim M says

    It has taken me a lot of noodling to fully understand the CAGED concept. This information that Brian has presented, is so vital to any level of a growing guitarist. It will open many musical doors. Thank you Brian !!!

  8. patmac says

    Brian,

    I’ve been playing guitar for six years and have been a member of active melody for about three years. I have taken lessons from four instructors and have watched hundreds of online lessons. Your lessons have been the most helpful. This lesson in particular has helped me better understand the caged system. I was using partial notes but never paying attention to the other partial notes played within the chord shape. This lesson will be filed in my “favorites “. Also, I would encourage your viewers to join the premium membership. In my opinion, it is one of the best values out there. I look forward to your lesson every week. Keep up the good work.

    Chas

  9. Bill Cheek says

    Thanks for continuing with chord theory and rhythm, Brian. I’ve learned the various chord inversions before, but it’s been a while since I have worked with many of them. Still working on the previous lesson, EP 272, which is great practice at getting a full sound with minimal notes in play. I find switching to different inversions of the same chord adds variety and interest to the rhythm pattern (as opposed to strumming the same one over and over). Another thing I have always loved hearing is fill chords or transition chords. Maybe you could show us how to do that. Thanks again for the great lessons.

  11. Raymond P says

    Thanks Brian
    What great presentation of the CAGED System. It’s brought me from a vague understanding of it to a clear understanding of it and how to use it up and down the neck. Very cool.

    Thanks
    Ray p

  12. Allen M says

    This is the best break down that is understandable of the CAGED system I have see. This is something that is usable to me. Most of the CAGED systems I have seen before were too confusing . Thanks Brian for making this simple and usable.

  13. John R says

    This was great timing for this lesson! I had just started to go a bit “deeper” on my own in this area… and I was a bit stuck… this was perfect!

    (by the way… I really need to “post my praises” more often… I often “praise” many of the lessons in my head, and then I don’t “get around” to posting… sorry about that!! )

  17. Art M says

    I’ve seen the CAGED system demo’d in other means, which seems easier to be honest. First the C in the 5 positions, then the A and so on. This was a bit harder for my personal peep brain I suppose to grasp as easily. Not sure I still understood. Will have to come back to it.

  18. jacko says

    Great introductory lesson on the CAGED approach. Ripe for a follow up on how the major/minor pentatonics fit around each chord. You’ve already covered playing round the chord in many lessons but bringing it all together would complete the picture.

  19. Habakkuk says

    It’s useful to see how these different shapes can be employed – maybe in future, show how a smooth progression from one to the next can be used, eg sliding notes up to a different position. However, I would say that the G shape is really just the same as the A shape, but with a different root note – i.e. it’s a first inversion of the A shape.

  21. Gilles C says

    Another great lesson Brian… I played guitar, (mostly Blues for the last 15 years) for quite a long time on and off, got many books and courses, but it’s nice to see a new or slightly different approach, and yours is refreshing… when I stop playing for a while, I like to change my approach for a new beginning every time, and I adopted yours for these years. Thanks for your work, and the nice melodies I get to listen to every week 🙂

  22. Hugo J says

    Hi Brian,
    I do appreciate so very much this lesson on the C-A-G-E-D system, which is really helpful. However, it would be even more helpful if you could post another lesson on the scales for each shapes. Thanks

  27. Mike R says

    I also think this is an excellent lesson. Different inversions all over the neck just becomes a roadmap of where we can go. I would like to see follow up lessons to this one helping us to connect the inversions in different cool ways within the standard blues progression. Thanks Brian

  28. San Luis Rey says

    I was reviewing favorite lessons and going through EP 250. There is a practical application of the caged system in C that made a light bulb go on. I have a better understanding of playing chords in different positions now. Thanks Brian!

  29. Craig F says

    I’ve tried to study the CAGED system before, but, like you said, I just couldn’t bring the teaching into the real world. One guy was showing you how to identify every note on the fretboard, but that was just too much and at the same time, too little. I wish I had run across this lesson a couple of years ago. Exactly what I was looking for. Maybe a second CAGED lesson could be in “enhancing” (showing my ignorance here) the different chord shapes– like the C chord shape that you talk about, the one Keith Richards likes to hammer on. How could the other chord shapes be enhanced with relatively easy hammer ons, pull-offs, slides, etc.? Obviously, I’m playing around with them myself, but quite frankly, 1, my ideas are limited and 2. the ideas I do have aren’t nearly as cool as yours– that’s why I’m here.

    And since I’m already being that annoying guy who’s always saying, “What about…?” , how about a full lesson like the “Level 3” exercise? One thing I’m still struggling with is simple chord change embellishments– especially in the CAGED system. I know you have one or two lessons on this subject, but I remember thinking that they really weren’t chords or timing I would normally use, seeing that the songs I play are of the simpler variety. i.e. CAGED with some Am, Em, Dm s thrown in; the most complicated being an F#m or a C#m. I’ve looked for this kind of lesson, and maybe I’ve just looked in the wrong places, but I still can’t find a “Chord Change Embellishments for Morons” in the CAGED system. Well, just a thought.

    At any rate, thanks again.

  30. Pat G says

    Hi Brian,

    Love your work, thanks for all you do. Great and simple explanation of what can be a complex issue. My understanding was that the D shape is simply the C shape moved up one step on the fretboard, and that they are in fact identical. Is this correct”

  32. M R says

    Thanks Brian – know and practice the scales with the cage system. First time hearing the lower and higher – makes sense – thanks

    Have been trying some James Taylor style, playing the base line with the chords etc.

    Could you do a lesson on it, or is there an existing lesson you could suggest?

    Thanks again – great approach

  33. Jack B says

    I have tried the caged system before, but there was never an end goal for what I was learning. Your method puts it to use where you can get comfortable playing chords anywhere on the neck. It’s great!

  34. Mike D says

    Thanks very much Brian for posting this lesson on the ‘Caged’ system. It was very helpful to listen to how you can simplify the fingering to get the chords, and to still remember what shapes are being used. I’ve always had a hard time pulling of the shapes with my fingers, and therefore resorting back to the chords I’m used to. I’m going to put this in my practices every day now. 🤘🏻😆🤘🏻

  39. Arnold M says

    I’ve gone over caged shapes a few times and have gotten to understand them. The E and A shape I used but the difficulty of the others I stayed away from. The real revelation for me was after watching this video and getting the idea of usingjust portions of the shapes, ie for the G and D shapes that I had ignored because of the difficulty. Playing around with this idea and then applying it to the popular 1,4,5 chord Blues music I enjoy was where I found the real benefit of caged (something I’ve not seen shown anywhere)- the aspect I can place finger on just one set of frets and place a song!
    Take the key of C, on the 3rd fret you can use an A shape C, D shape F and an E shape G all on that fret. The 5 fret is even better as you can even add in an Am to the other parts of the other three ( lower portion of the A shape for C again, C shape for F and D shape for G). And it work for all other keys of course. This is now the real power of caged for myself! (Maybe a microlesson on this Brian?).

  47. Benedikt says

    Thanks Brian for this very relatable approach to the CAGED system.
    I am very thankful for that, but…. I have to say… the Jam Track is crazy fast! Especially if you want to be accurate with the strumming.
    On Level 3, how you kind of delay the rhythm, you know the part. It feels like you drag the rhythm and than jump back into it. With this upwards motion.. not so easy, for a not so versatile player. 😀
    Really cool, I will spend some time with this.
    Best, Ben

  48. jboy says

    Brian

    This is a great lesson….very few players will pick this up on the first pass…but stay with it and it really makes sense……new way for me to approach rhythm chops….thanks😎

  49. Michel says

    Wow! This was kind of a eureka moment for me. I may be exceptionally thick, but the concept of the CAGED system finally dawned on me.
    In my previous attempts to grasp it I may have been confused by the terminology, I don’t know. But finally it’s so very clear to me.
    Thank you!

  52. DABEE says

    THANK YOU so much for this. I spent hours on lessons, and it took me a while to understand it, but you have helped me to understand. I began playing 20 months ago, and I have learned to play about 30 of your songs. I can sit and play all the songs in their entirety, something I always wanted to do and now this CAGED system finally makes sense to me. I learned the C and I can “see” the other chords in my head. Now it is only a matter of practicing each one. and I must say the backing tracks are excellent. They are the right tempo. I absolutely love all the lessons. You have made a guitar player out of me. I cannot thank you enough. I appreciate how you explain things. You are what I want to become. For the cost of membership, this is waaaaaaaay worth it and more. I also noticed you are always positive and stick to talking about the lessons only. No unnecessary talking, just great information all the time. If anyone wants to become a guitar player, Active Melody is a perfect place to start I was not able to play any of this before, now I am jamming all time and it makes me happy to unlock these achievements. Thank you Brian!

  53. PaulG says

    I’ve recently discovered Guthrie Trapp who is an awesome player from Nashville. He preaches about using CAGED and Arpeggios, and you provide the perfect lessons for learning this. Thanks for everything you do and its amazing how you come up with such great lessons week after week!

  54. richard c says

    I just joined with the intention of learning the Caged lesson, download the tabs and then quit. But, I have to admit, Im blown away at the sheer amount of interactive material. The video tabs are worth the price alone. You can set them to loop whatever piece you’re trying to learn. I think Im gonna stick around awhile!

  55. Barry W says

    Great lesson. I especially like the one chord backing tracks to help break the practice into bite size chunks at first. I just drew up 8 chord block diagrams to reference while starting. After about 5 minutes, I didn’t need them anymore. Thanks!!

  57. Dario D says

    This lesson alone is worth the price of the premium membership! I now understand the CAGE system! I am amazed how clearly you helped me visualize the cords’ connection points up the neck by your “bottom and top” approach.

    Thanks for the very clear and practical lesson on CAGE!

  61. Somerset says

    Hi Brian- Been a subscriber for a long time, but the first reply ever. Another benefit to the CAGED is that speed of changing chords is so much more efficient than moving your fingers up and down trying to keep up and not make mistakes. Reason is that the whole key board becomes you playground and takes much less mental and physical effort knowing the CAGED system and that very little finger repositioning is used. Thanks again. Been playing since 1964 but still have so little time to practice.

  62. Allan D says

    Hey Brian, (or anyone else), just trying to get my head around the CAGED system and have managed to follow the C chord example in every position but may I ask a stupid question, please?

    Why does the lesson only consist of the 3 (C, F and Bb) chords? In my ignorance I was expecting tabs for C A G E and D all over the fretboard (told you it was a stupid question). Or is it; now that we have the “how” we go on to work out the rest??

    Any help greatly appreciated.

    • Chris O says

      I’m not sure why he chose those chords but I’m guessing it doesn’t matter what chords he chooses. He’s demonstrating the pattern for playing any chord (at least major chords) using the CAGED system. What I’m seeing and slowing beginning to do, is to see which CAGED pentatonic pattern correlates to each chord pattern. He briefly goes over this in EP367.

  64. dkt says

    and….as an added bonus any chord shape you get above the 5th fret on the d g b e strings equals a ukuleles cgea standard tuning (the c is an octave lower though on the guitar – doesnt matter!!). what does that mean you ask? any chord you can play on a guitar from the 5th fret onwards is the same chord shape on a normally tuned CGEA ukulele (fyi – baritone ukeleles are tuned like a guitar – dgbe) ) but the shape you use on the guitar will only use the guitars top 4 strings obviously….i kid you not. capod from the 5th fret on a guitar the strings dgbe become c g e a. so any chord shape you use above a capod fret 5 on a guitar IS the shape you will use on a ukulele! therefore you can practice ukulele on your guitar (top 4 strings only) with a capo on the 5th fret before you think about buying a ukulele… 🙂 . so any practice you do like that instantly allows and transforms you to now have the ability to play the ukulele – all because of CAGED 🙂 cool hey!!!

  69. Chris O says

    I’m trying to play all the F chord shapes. When I get down the neck to the G shape (bottom position), my ring finger is deadening the 4th string; doesn’t seem long enough to reach over. Any suggestions or is this fairly common.

  70. john p says

    Hello Brian. For some reason, the first video won’t play for each lesson. I get an error message to try again later. This seems to be an on going issue for about a few days now. Is there something you can do to assist me or is it an issue with my phone? Thanks

  71. john p says

    When I first saw the C-A-G-E-D system, I thought how is this going to enhance my playing. Well, everything Brian teaches enhances my playing. And the caged system is no exception . Also check out the lessons on Triads. What helped me understand both caged and Triads was learning the major scale. I think everything is built from the major scale. Thanks B!!

  72. Leonard C says

    I’ve always avoided the G shapes when moving up the guitar neck: Being able to visualize just playing the top portion or the bottom portion of the chord instead of the full six strings opens up so much. Thank You, for the lesson.

    If you ever do any lessons like this for a 7 string guitar with a low B string; I will get it.

  73. Jerry G says

    Brian, great lesson and Very Practical. I always had problems with the D & G Shapes but you show a very useful form. I tried to download your Tab but won’t download. Any suggestions?

  74. Tom N says

    Brian you have a real way of making things accessible and easily understood. I was learning this on another site previously, but struggled a bit to put it into use. I really hated the D shape and probably wasn’t that keen on the G shape either, but after studying this for about half an hour using the modified and additional shapes I am able to play all of the F chords rhythmically and understand what I am doing. Also seeing the triads associated with each bigger chord.
    I can’t wait to reach level three as I know this is going to be really useful and will change how I play and see the fretboard. You have no idea how long I’ve been trying to do that. A bit of work ahead, but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Great lesson, great teacher.

  75. Kevin D says

    Wow, the way you taught this concept has made so much sense! I was familiar with the concept from watching various other lessons on it, but this lesson is SO clear. I just signed up for yearly subscription last night and already have noticed a change in my chording and my understanding of how it all connects. Thanks!

  82. horatio says

    Brian,
    I recently viewed and practiced Ep444 an acoustic work in Bm. There is a part where you go from the 3rd fret to the octave with triads. So, Ok move along… Later on I reviewed and played along with your rendition of the CAGED system. Well, bingo, lights went on. The triads were the cords I had recently played, only in minor key flat 3rd. I realized that I now had all the cords, both major and minor on the top three strings! There they were all along and when you went through the CAGED reasoning it came to light for me. I have been with Active Melody for awhile now and I just want to say to you and all that that is the reason I stay here. The most important part of the lesson is to have your guidance. l learn the piece, but get so much more from your breakdown and simplifying everything. It leads to progress and clarity for me more quickly with your input. Staying with Active Melody. Thanks Ken

  83. ANDREW W says

    Brian can you now give a quick lesson on the pentatonic scale shapes to the Major chords and then the same for the Minor Chords? Its probably been done a thousand times but I want to make sure I have them correct for both Maj and Minor, and Id apprecaite your take on it and your unique way of looking at things.

  84. Jason W says

    Hey @brian – not to nitpick but I found an error in the Soundslice tab thing.

    I’m following this along and it looks like the tab for the Level 1 C chord is wrong – where it shows the “E Shape” it shows barring the 6th fret instead of the 8th.

    Also the “C shape” at the beginning shows tab for the “G shape”

    • Jason W says

      ah never mind – It was definitely wrong and I got a screenshot but when I opened it again it was correct. Must have been my browser somehow only half-way updated from when I had the Bb chord exercise open just before opening the C chord… Seems like a browser cache issue

  87. Ben R says

    I’ve wanted to grasp this for a long time and it IS sinking in but I find myself adapting. There’s triads mixed with with CAGED which I am also trying to get. The triangular D shape obviously but also the other one but without the pinky which is too much of a stretch that I probably wouldn’t use much unless I was soloing on it.

    Both G shapes are a bit strange, the lower one is an A shape with the lowest string 4 frets up, which I find only of use as a passing chord. I also find myself with 4 variations out of the standard E shaped Barre chord, which is brilliant.

    How each shape positions you for the next shape is a real breakthrough as well. Thinking of shapes rather than chords makes it a lot easier too. I’ve been trying to get the rhythm guitarist win my band to get his head around this but he cant break out of thinking that an A shape is the A chord….great stuff

    • Ben R says

      I’ve stuck with this lesson for a whole week, done nothing else, gone back over things if I didn’t understand each stage thoroughly and WOW….I’ve got it. I now know what I’m doing, when I’m doing it and why. Genius. A real breakthrough

  88. John C. says

    I’m now asking myself why I didn’t go to Brian’s lessons on the CAGED system before!

    I’ve been studying CAGED via another resource (no names) and although it was technically excellent on the theory of CAGED and all the shapes and stuff it didn’t really easily explain how they link together and, more importantly, now that I’ve been using Brian’s approach how to adapt and adopt the more practical chord shapes suggested by Brian.

    For example in the other lessons I’d been struggling with how to grab the G chord shape in a CAGED sequence progression and just found it impossible. Then Brian tells me that NOBODY does that!!! Why didn’t the other guy (no names) tell me that instead of continuing to drive me to insanity.

    Thankyou Brian … again… this was not just a light bulb lesson for me but a whole pitch floodlight moment! Great lesson.

  89. KevinE says

    Finally getting around to this wonderful lesson!

    Just a quick observation: The bottom part of the “D Shape” doesn’t have a 3rd in it. It is just 5-1-5-1. Doesn’t take away from the beauty of the overall lesson, it just confused me for a bit.

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