I want to solo now
Blues, rock, popStart with the pentatonic boxes, box 1 first. Add CAGED when you want the major sound and the chords.
Learn · The whole neck
Which system? CAGED, three notes a string and the rest
Pentatonic boxes, CAGED, three notes a string, one string at a time and octave shapes, all on one neck: the same notes grouped five ways, each to hear, what each is good for, and which to learn for the music you want to play.
Key
One scale, five ways to group it
Every system is the same thing: the notes of a scale on the neck. They only differ in how they cut it into pieces you can learn. Here is A minor on the whole neck. Switch the system and watch the same dots fall into different groups. Point at a group to see it alone, press it to keep it, and play it up and down.
Every group in turn, up only, over a drone on A.
Pentatonic boxes
Five boxes of the pentatonic, two notes on every string, each about four frets wide. Box 1 starts on the root on the low string; each box begins where the last one ends.
- Good for
- The first solos: blues, rock, pop. Two notes a string fall under the fingers and bend well.
- The hard part
- Only five notes. The other two of the scale are left out (they are hollow here, but not in the box).
One place, three ways
Round the root on the low string, the three scale systems cover almost the same frets. Count the notes on each string: two, two or three, three. The notes are the same; what changes is how your hand moves through them.
12 notes, two a string
17 notes, two or three a string
18 notes, three a string
The box leaves out two notes of the scale; CAGED and three a string have all seven. The CAGED shape keeps a chord shape in view; pattern 1 reaches further up the neck to get three on every string.
Side by side
| System | Grouping | Notes a string | Shapes | Good for | The hard part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic boxes | 5 boxes | 2 | 5 | First solos, bends, blues and rock | Only five notes |
| CAGED | 5 shapes round the chords | 2 or 3 | 5 | Seeing chords in the scale, soloing over changes | Uneven picking |
| Three notes a string | 7 diagonal patterns | 3 | 7 | Speed, legato, even picking, sequences | Stretches; chords hidden |
| One string | Along each string | Any | 6 | Hearing intervals, slides, note names | Slow to cross the neck |
| Octave shapes | Pairs of roots | — | 4 | Finding any note, moving shapes to a key | Not a scale on its own |
So which should you learn?
The honest answer: the one that suits what you want to play, and in the end more than one. They are not rivals. Box 1 sits inside a CAGED shape, pattern 1 covers them both, and the octave shapes tell you where all of them start.
I play rhythm and want my solos to follow the chords
Songs, worship, country, bluesCAGED. The chord you are holding tells you where the scale is.
I want speed
Fusion, metal, shredGet box 1 and the modes under your fingers, then three notes a string for legato, picking and sequences.
I want to know the neck
Any styleOctave shapes and one string at a time, from the first day. Every other system hangs on knowing where the roots are.
I play jazz or write songs
Changes, melodiesCAGED for the chords and arpeggios inside each shape, and one string at a time to hear how a melody moves.
A good order for most guitarists: octave shapes from the start, the pentatonic boxes for your first solos, CAGED to tie them to the chords, and three notes a string if and when you want speed.
Look it up
Each system has its own lesson: pentatonics, CAGED and three notes a string. Every scale in every key, as boxes, CAGED shapes or three a string, is on the scale pages: A minor pentatonic, major, minor.
Questions
Is CAGED or three notes per string better?
Neither. CAGED keeps the chords in view and suits rhythm players and soloing over changes; three notes a string suits speed and even picking. They cover the same notes, and most good players use both.
What is the best way to learn scales on guitar?
One small shape at a time, played over a drone or a backing chord so you hear each note against home. Start with pentatonic box 1, learn where the roots are with octave shapes, and only then join the shapes up the neck.
Should a beginner learn CAGED?
Not first. Learn the open chords and pentatonic box 1, then CAGED makes sense, because it is built from chords you already know.
Do I need to learn all seven three-a-string patterns?
Not at once. Learn one or two in the middle of the neck, play music with them, and add the others as you need to move.
How long does it take to learn the whole neck?
Months, a little every day. Most players know one system well and borrow from the others. Octave shapes take a week and help with everything else.