Guitar and technique
CAGED system
The CAGED system links the five open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D so you can play the same major chord in five places on the neck, always in that order.
What is the CAGED system?
CAGED starts from a simple idea: the five open chords C, A, G, E and D are five shapes of the same major chord. Move them up the neck with your index finger acting as a capo and each one becomes a movable shape. The five shapes always connect in the order C-A-G-E-D, then start again.
The result: any major chord can be played in five places on the fretboard, each shape sharing notes with the next. The E and A shapes are the barre chords you probably already know.
The five shapes of a C chord on the neck
Here is C major in five places, strings 6 to 1:
| Shape | Fingering | Area |
|---|---|---|
| C | x 3 2 0 1 0 | frets 0 to 3 |
| A | x 3 5 5 5 3 | frets 3 to 5 |
| G | 8 7 5 5 5 8 | frets 5 to 8 |
| E | 8 10 10 9 8 8 | frets 8 to 10 |
| D | x x 10 12 13 12 | frets 10 to 13 |
After the D shape, the C shape comes back at the 12th fret, one octave up. Full G and D shapes are hard to fret: play them on three or four strings, what matters is seeing the outline.
Where is the root in each CAGED shape?
Knowing where the root sits lets you place any shape in any key:
- C shape: 5th and 2nd strings;
- A shape: 5th and 3rd strings;
- G shape: 6th, 3rd and 1st strings;
- E shape: 6th, 4th and 1st strings;
- D shape: 4th and 2nd strings.
For G major, for example: E shape at the 3rd fret (3 5 5 4 3 3), D shape at the 5th (x x 5 7 8 7), C shape at the 7th (x 10 9 7 8 7), A shape at the 10th (x 10 12 12 12 10), then the G shape at the 12th.
Exercise: the five G shapes as arpeggios
At 70 BPM, play each G shape as an arpeggio, one note per click from the low string to the high string, naming each interval: root, third or fifth. Then strum the chord once and move to the next shape up the neck.
When it flows, reverse it on the way down (D-E-G-A-C backwards) and change key: A, then C. The guitar scales and chords tool shows intervals across the whole neck so you can check your thirds.
How does CAGED connect to the pentatonic scale?
Each chord shape matches one position of the minor pentatonic. In A minor, position 1 (frets 5 to 8) surrounds the Am chord as an Em-shape barre at the 5th fret (5 7 7 5 5 5). Position 2 (frets 7 to 10) surrounds Am as a Dm shape (x x 7 9 10 8).
If you know the five chord shapes, you already have the skeleton of the five scale positions: you only add the notes between the chord tones.
Key takeaways
- CAGED = five open chord shapes moved across the whole neck.
- They always connect in the order C-A-G-E-D, then repeat.
- Learn where the root is in each shape to place it in any key.
- Each chord shape is the skeleton of one pentatonic position.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CAGED system worth learning?
Yes, especially to get out of the first few frets. It gives you a map of the neck in five zones, each tied to a chord you already know. Its limit: it does not replace knowing your notes and intervals, which you should work on alongside it.
Does CAGED work for minor chords?
Yes. You use the minor shapes Cm, Am, Gm, Em and Dm in the same order. The Am and Em barre shapes are the most common, while the Cm and Gm shapes are mostly played on three or four strings.
In what order should I learn the CAGED shapes?
Start with the E and A shapes, which you already use as barre chords. Then add the D shape, then C, and finally G, the biggest stretch. Always practice two neighbouring shapes together so you see the notes they share.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.