What is the CAGED system?

V8

So, I didn't know what it was...but it turned out I kinda did and do already use it.

Very (very) simply, imagine taking the open (aka cowboy chords) version of C, A, G , E and D and playing them up the fretboard (using barre's). In my basic understanding, it's just inversions of the chord as you work through the shapes of C,A,G,E,D (and can be applied to whatever flavour of chord - major, minor, 7th's, etc...) . Though it get's a bit more involved than that when you start to link them together.

Useful for everyone, rhythm guitarists, lead players and even bassists!

All courtesy of a couple Paul Davids video - though many do talk about it, I found his overview quite practical!

If you are a complete beginner, some theory is real useful!

If intermediate (me!) and want a intro to CAGED system:

If you already been exposed to it and want to see where it can take you:

Bluetone

V8 OK, so I know this is relatively trivial in the context of your broader post, but I just wanted to pick up on a small thing re: terminology to clarify: an inversion is where you shift one of the notes that isn't the tonic to be the lowest note in the chord. If you play the C, A, G, E and D shapes up the neck in positions that will recreate the same chord, those will still all have the same lowest/root note, so they're not technically inversions. Where you can really bring in more variety and flavour with the CAGED system is in using both different barred shapes AND inversions (for example, instead of playing the full C shape barred at the 5th fret to get a G chord, omitting the low C note and playing from the B note (at fret 9 on the D string). These types of altered voicings can make compositions stand apart.

V8

If you dug the above AND want to delve a LOT deeeper into CAGED, check out Stich's deep dive into CAGED. Recommended by @EltonGoslett (Thanks Man!) it's a great step further down the path of learning CAGED and it's many applications.

What I do enjoy about Stich's method, is that it's the way I broke down the initial few video's I ever saw on CAGED - I had to make my own little practice things - just like Stich lays out.

CAGED Primer Playlist (essential viewing before the masterclass - it'll cover a lot of things you might already be familiar with)

Stich's Masterclass

domhatch

V8 woah man, this will take some dissembling! But it looks like it may just be worth it!

Thanks man
dh|

V8

domhatch Anytime - while it takes loads of attention to get through his CAGED video's...but worth it as they save you from taking 10x longer to get to the same place.

Recommended originally by Elton, so it's jazz teacher approved! 👍️

Bluetone

Bluetone (for example, instead of playing the full C shape barred at the 5th fret to get a G chord, omitting the low C note and playing from the B note (at fret 9 on the D string).

I meant 7th fret for barring the C chape, not 5th fret. Sorries.

Bluetone

A great example is John Mayer's Gravity: the chords in the chorus (at the start of the song) begin with alternating G and C, but it's not a regular C major chord as an A chord barred at the third fret - he's playing a first inversion with an E in the bass. You can see his chord shapes here (skip to 2:17):

And Marty, in teaching this song, calls it a "Hendrix" chord shape for the sake of simplicity, but really he means first inversion (skip to 5:00):

It just lends a different flavour to the progression and sets up the move from C to Am7 to begin the verse (also allowing for maintaining a hand position around the fifth fret going from chorus to verse).