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|--A--| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|---G---| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|--E--| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|---D---| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|---C---| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|----C----| |----C----| |----A----| |----A----| |----G----| |----G----| E-| |----E----| |----E----| --D---| |----D----| |----D-
|----C----| |----C----|
-A----| |----A----| |---A--
Here's G Major. We start on the G shape instead of C in open position, but the sequence is the same: you can see the CAGED shapes appear in order throughout the fretboard. Once you know where any G note is, you can determine what CAGED group it belongs to, then find all its other chord shapes on the fretboard, allowing you to jump around quickly.
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{{Intermediate Lesson Crumbs|12}}
'''CAGED''' is a pneumonic device to help to understand how chords are layed out across the entire fretboard. It works by naming the shapes used to make the open C, A, G, E, and D major chords by their root name. It then demonstrates that for any major chord, these shapes can be found in different locations on the fretboard, in the order of C, A, G, E, and D.
== PreReqs ==
Remember the above open string major chords? A major chord is a major chord is a major chord. The intervalic relationship of all the notes in the above charts is identical. The reason the shapes are different is because the root note (and thus all subsequent notes) are on different strings/frets.
Pay attention to the location of the lowest-pitch root note in terms of string and fret for the given position. Notice there are 5 possibilities above: 5th string ring finger (C), 5th string open (A), 6th string ring finger (G), 6th string open (E), or 4th string open (D). If you look at the charts, the bass root note is always on the left or right sideof the shape.
== CAGED - One Major Chord Laid Across Fretboard ==
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Well that's a lot simpler to look at, right? Only 6 root notes on the entire fretboard for the 4-6 strings, which would supply your bass root note. Now everytime we see a root note, let's super-impose the above open-string chord shape:
|---C---|
|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |---C---| 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|--A--|
|-|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
|---G---|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
|--E--|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
|---D---|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
So if you followed that, you can see that as we ascend the fretboard, we have the C shape, then the A shape, then G, then E, and finally D. Then we repeat...
|---C---|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|-|
Here's the whole fretboard with all C Major notes on it:
|----C----| |----C----|
|----A----| |----A----|
|----G----| |----G----|
E-| |----E----| |----E----|
--D---| |----D----| |----D-
|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|
|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|
|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
See how each shape corresponds to a particular position ranging 5 frets?
== Any Major Chord! ==
Here's G Major. We start on the G shape instead of C in open position, but the sequence is the same: you can see the CAGED shapes appear in order throughout the fretboard. Once you know where any G note is, you can determine what CAGED group it belongs to, then find all its other chord shapes on the fretboard, allowing you to jump around quickly.
|----C----| |----C----|
-A----| |----A----| |---A--
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|
|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|
|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|-|-|R|-|-|-|3|-|-|5|-|-|
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
|----G----| |----G----|
|----E----| |----E----|
|----D----| |----D----|
== Minor Chords ==