The 5 Major Chord Shapes of CAGED"EVERYTHING CLICKED! Well, almost everything, but the lessons and the practices finally fell together in that one mystical moment of pseudo enlightenment. Now, if I just had a spare lifetime to work on it. Ah, well, therein lies the new challenge."
- Eric Reynolds, SLC, UT
Acoustic. Electric. Folk. Rock. Jazz. Punk. Bluegrass. Celtic. New Age. Improv.
Mix your musical tastes with some CAGED theory and listen to what happens!
Got a few minutes? This lesson can transform your understanding and grasp (pun intended) of the guitar. I promise. Why should you believe me? Well, I've been playing, teaching, and performing with the guitar for 46 years. CAGED theory can save you a lot of time and grief.
What is CAGED theory?
CAGED theory is a simple and intuitive, touch-based roadmap to the guitar. It is proven to work for any guitar player who can learn it, practice it, and then apply it to their technique and repertoire. It's a simple yet powerful way to develop strong, usable fingerpicking skills and dexterity.
CAGED theory provides a source of unlimited insight for intermediate to advanced players, and incredibly fertile ground for those who'd like to be. Learning the method can increase your chord vocabulary five-fold in about two hours. By touch. That's just the start. Playing melodically, vertically and horizontally and improvising any progression in any key comes if you stick with it. And that's what good guitar players do.
With CAGED theory you can focus on playing what you want whenever you want, with a minimum of mental overhead. How is that? Well, there's less need to practice scales when you discover them inside the chordal motion of the guitar. Melodies just seem to pop right out of your hands. And the best part, if you know how to play CAGE&D chords in the first position, the chords you seek are already at the tips of your fingers. A few small tweaks to the way you play now and you're on your way to CAGED nirvana. It's a contextual gift you'll just have to discover for yourself...if you haven't already.
CAGED Theory Mechanics? Here You Go
CAGED theory has the following elements and requirements:
- A 5-letter mnemonic spelled CAGED, signifying the 5 first-position major chord "shapes": C,A,G,E,D.
- The ability to play these chords using the "back" of the hand, i.e., using the middle, ring and pinky instead of index, middle, ring.
- Your ability to discern these 5 "back-of-the-hand shapes" regardless of where on the fingerboard or key they appear.
- The ability to play C, A, G, E, D chords in the first position...but with one IMPORTANT difference—using the back of your hand as in the pictures. (But unlike the picture, which shows the C cadence of CAGED, make sure you can play all 5 shapes in the first position with the back of your hand first. This is the baby steps part!)
Playing the five main major chord inversions in the key of C uses these first position shapes, notated in tablature as follows:
C(1) A(2) G(3) E(4) D(5)Once you figure out the "spans" between the shapes it is relatively simple to transpose CAGED to any sequence and any key.Grab your guitar and get started now
1 shape: X32010
2 shape: x3555X
3 shape: 875558
4 shape: 8.10.10.988
5 shape: XX10.12.13.12
"." is used for clarity.
- Try it! Use your "back" three fingers (m,r,p) to finger the garden-variety C chord in the first position. (The option to use the normal fingering when playing in the first position is still yours.)
- If this is doable, try playing an A chord in the first position, with the "back" three fingers (m,r,p) of the hand in the first position.
- Okay, great, now try a back-of-the-hand G chord in the first position. (No whining, please.)
- Next, play a first-position E chord with the "back" of the hand. You're getting the picture. The E chord reveals your now-extra index finger has nothing to do for now except to come to rest directly on the nut of the guitar neck. (Keep your eye on this aspect of the chord shapes. Think of your index finger as a movable nut, you nut!)
- Lastly, the D chord, played in the first position and using the middle, ring, pinky fingers finishes the first part of understanding how CAGED works. This one's the one that'll give you fits, yet produce some of the best results. Make sure the tip of your index finger rests on the nut, and directly over the D or 4th string. Note: This is the most awkward shape to finger initially; in most cases you don't necessarily need to finger the entire shape fully to use notes within the shape.
Ready for the magic dust? HERE IT IS: By playing these first-position C,A,G,E & D chord shapes in the proper sequence (and with the back of the hand), you're getting ready to take the next step: Into the CAGED Cadences.
Cadence 1: 5 Shapes of C
How you'll play 5 shapes (voicings) of a C chord: Begin with fingering the first-position C shape, A shape, G shape, E shape, and D shape. (That's the meditation you'll need in order to do this in any key.) Start CAGED Theory with the C chord. If you finger the 5 shapes correctly, the root note of the chord (underneath your straining pinky, ring or index finger) is always going to be a C note.
- In the key of C, the first occurence of C major is the "1" position. It is the 5th frame in the picture.
- The "2" position of C major is the A shape. (4th frame)
- The "3" shape is G. Notice that by addressing all instances of the shapes with the back of the hand, the root note(s) are maintained.
- Next, play a "4" shape. In CAGED Theory, that's a, uh, E shape.
- To finish, move to the final, logical shape, D. (Use the mnemonic!) After you've figured out how to easily finger the D shape (5th position) of C, from frets 10-13, stop and take a couple of deep breaths.
- In the key of C, the first occurence of C major is the "1" position.
- The "2" position of C major is the A shape.
- The "3" shape is G. Notice that by addressing all instances of the shapes with the back of the hand, the root note(s) are maintained.
- Next, play a "4" shape. In CAGED Theory, that's a, uh, E shape.
- To finish, move to the final, logical shape. (Use the mnemonic!) After you've figured out how to easily finger the D shape (5th position) of C, from frets 10 - 14, stop, take a couple of deep breaths and shake out that fretting hand.
Start at right : 5th position.......4th position.......3rd position........2nd position.....1st position "C"
Begin again. C shape of C, A shape of C, G shape of C, E shape of C, D shape of C. What's that spell?
Cadence 2: 5 Shapes of A
From here, it's simple to go through the rest of the mnemonic, as in 5 shapes of A, G, E, D. Think of it as a chording circle that begins with whatever key you're playing in. Let's take the key of A. Each time you choose a basic chord, in this case, A, that becomes the first letter of the mnemonic: just think "AGEDC" by forming the first position of an A chord and beginning there. That's A (or 1) shape of A, G shape of A, E shape of A, D shape of A, and finally, C shape of A. Follow?
Cadence 3: 5 Shapes of G
"GEDCA" by forming the first position of an G chord and beginning there. That's G (or 1) shape of G, E shape of G, D shape of G, C shape of G, and finally, A shape of G.
Cadence 4: 5 Shapes of E
"EDCAG" by forming the first position of an E chord and beginning there. That's E (or 1) shape of E, D shape of E, C shape of E, A shape of E, and finally, G shape of E.
Cadence 5: 5 Shapes of D
"DCAGE" by forming the first position of an D chord and beginning there. That's D (or 1) shape of D, C shape of D, A shape of D, G shape of D, and finally, E shape of D.
What about F and B Chords?Playing in the keys of F and B is simple if you understand the first five shapes. For example, F chords use the EDCAG cadence (E shape), except transposed up 1/2 step, or 1 fret. B chords use the AGEDC cadence and begin with an A shape transposed up 1 full step, or two frets. Simply start at the right fret and go through the 5 shapes for each and you'll quickly add them to your arsenal of great sounding chords.
What about Minor Chords?
There is no difference in how the cadences work; just substitute the minor chord forms and move through the 5 shapes of, say, Em. Em chords use the EDCAG cadence, so you'll need to start with a first position Em, then 2nd position D minor shape (moves up 3 frets), then a C minor shape(difficult but doable), then an A minor shape, and lastly, a G minor shape (also difficult, but doable.) If you can visualize what all of these shapes look like when you try to play them in the first position, you will be able to figure out how to finger them up the fingerboard in other keys.
What about 7th Chords?
The best way to apply 7th chords in the CAGED framework is to simply use them in each of the 5 chord shapes. This is useful for blues and jazz, because the D shape is easily changed from D to Dmaj7, Dmin7, D7, etc., even a Diminished chord that is also portable up and down the fingerboard.
What about your right hand?
Glad you asked. A great way to integrate your fretting and picking hands is to practice using TITM (Thumb, Index, Thumb, Middle). And I mean practice. Each of the 5 CAGED shapes responds very well to this plucking order, once you figure out what the root note is. Simply play TITM beginning with the root. So if it is a C shape in the first position, you would pluck TITM on the 5th, 3rd, 4th, and then 2nd strings. To give things some bounce, try alternating the first thumb strke on the root with the 5th or 3rd note of the chord, either above or below the root.
The Roadblocks
CAGED theory is pretty straightforward once you figure out how it works. But you may think you'll never get used to applying it. It is physically demanding to refocus how your fretting hand works, especially if you have always played with the front of your hand, like a rock and roller. Don't let the clumsiness of your hands defeat you, it's a natural part of the process of learning CAGED.
Part of the difficulty you will encounter is moving consistently, quickly and smoothly from shape to shape. The secret is to go from the first shape of whatever key you are in to the next shape by swapping your pinky or ring finger for your index finger, which covers the root note of the chord you are playing. For example, C shape uses P, M, R (with back of the hand approach). To play the 2nd shape of C, which is A, you would play the same root, but swap fingers (to your Index finger) so that you can play the A shape. Look for linkage between the shapes...it's there, really!
Give it some time, and don't dilute it. Play it over and over until it sticks. Play through each shape and change without looking at your hands. Use your ears and just remember what key you're in. That's 5 shapes of a chord in every key, using the back of your hand approach as in the picture. And when you think you've got the cadences pretty well licked, try using a metronome to smooth out your timing.
Then use the 5 shapes to improvise well-known melodies such as Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Amazing Grace, the Star Spangled Banner, Jingle Bells or Silent Night, etc. If you can wrest a chord melody out of the shapes you're playing, you can consider yourself a CAGED graduate with a bright future on the guitar. How long until you achieve CAGED nirvana? Pay attention to the method until it disappears, and it'll be exactly that long.
Thanks for visiting this site. If you find it valuable or worthless, please leave some feedback to make it better for the next picker who visits, thanks!
You're most welcome. Now go have some fun in your own CAGE!
One final note: (Disclaimer: my musical ability has nothing to do with how well CAGED can work for you. Your mileage may vary considerably.) I hope the method works for you as well as I believe it does for me. Visit my music page!
©1987-2009 Jay Toups. Please feel free to use this material yourself and share it with friends. All commercial rights reserved.
