I, IV, V in C
I | IV | V | I
Play each chord in the shape nearest the last one, then move the whole thing up the neck and do it again in the next shapes.
Learn · The whole neck
The CAGED system
Five open chord shapes, C, A, G, E and D, moved up the neck. How every major chord can be played five ways, the order the shapes join in, and the scale round each one, so the chords and the solos live in the same place.
ChordEvery example on the page follows it.
Five chords you already know
C, A, G, E and D: the first open chords most guitarists learn. Each one is a shape, and a shape can be moved. Slide any of them up the neck, with your first finger doing the job the nut did, and it plays a different chord. That is the whole idea of CAGED: every major chord can be played with each of these five shapes, somewhere on the neck.
The dots are the chord’s notes: the root (a diamond), the 3rd and the 5th. Watch where the root sits in each shape; that is how you place it.
C five ways, up the neck
Here is C major in all five shapes, from the nut up: C, A, G, E, D. The shapes always come in the same order, C A G E D and round again; only the starting point changes with the key. The top of one shape is the bottom of the next, so together they cover the whole neck.
→→→→
Strums C in each shape, lowest first.
The scale round the chord
Each chord shape has a scale shape round it: the same notes the chord is made of, with the rest of the scale filled in around them. Learn the scale in that shape and the chord’s notes are always under your fingers, which is the real point of CAGED: the chord tells you where the solo is. End a phrase on a solid dot and it lands on the chord.
Pick a shape above to move it.
The major pentatonic’s five boxes are these five shapes with the 4th and 7th left out, so the pentatonic boxes and CAGED are one map of the neck.
How to practise it
- One chord, five places. Play C in each shape, nut to the 12th fret and back. Say the shape’s name as you go.
- Find the root first. Each shape has its root on a string you know: E shape the low E, A shape the A string, D shape the D string, C shape the A string (under the ring finger), G shape the low E (under the second or third finger).
- Use the parts. Full C and G shapes are hard to barre. Their top three or four strings, and the triads in every shape, are what you will play in songs.
- Stay in one place. Play a progression without moving your hand: each chord in whichever shape is nearest. Then move up to the next shapes and play it again.
- Solo round the shape. Strum the chord, then play its scale shape and land on a chord note.
Look it up
The major scale in all five CAGED shapes, in every key, is on the major scale pages; the minor scale’s are on the minor scale pages.
Questions
What is the CAGED system?
A way to map the guitar neck using the five open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Each can be moved up the neck to play any major chord, and the five fit together end to end, in that order, to cover the neck.
Why is it called CAGED?
From the order the shapes come up the neck: C, A, G, E, D, then C again. For a C chord, the open C shape comes first, then the A shape at the 3rd fret, the G shape at the 5th, the E shape at the 8th and the D shape at the 10th.
Does CAGED work for minor chords?
Yes: Am, Em and Dm move the same way, and C minor and G minor shapes exist, though they are awkward as full chords. The minor scale has its five shapes too.
Should I learn CAGED or three notes a string?
CAGED ties scales to chords and suits rhythm playing, blues and soloing over changes; three notes a string suits speed and even picking. Most players end up using both. Which system? compares them on one neck.
Do I have to play the full barre shapes?
No. The full C and G shapes are hard; most players use their top strings and the triads inside each shape.