CAGED scale patterns use chord shapes to represent individual scale positions; thus, for instance, C major chord shapes correspond with A and G scale positions respectively.
This makes it much simpler to locate scales and arpeggios on all frets of the fretboard; simply move up or down a fret to play in different keys.
C Shape
One of the key major scale shapes to learn is the C shape. It contains five open major chord forms introduced in the basic major chords section and gives access to most of the fretboard without position shifting. Furthermore, this shape also contains the major pentatonic scale which is used by numerous popular guitar songs.
The key of your song will dictate which scale to use; thus, chord shapes and scale patterns become integral parts of improvisation.
As you begin learning a new scale, it is wise to begin slowly and focus on accuracy and finger placement first before gradually increasing speed once comfortable with the pattern. Regular practice of any length – even 10-15 minutes each day can yield significant progress over time! Adding metronome or drum beat/backing track into your practice session can also be extremely useful in developing rhythm and timing skills.
CAGED system’s scale patterns are connected to chord shapes for easier learning and to help see the relationships between patterns and root notes more readily. Play each scale pattern slowly for maximum precision and ensure every note sounds cleanly; practicing staccato and legato techniques to increase musicality will only benefit your musicianship!
Once you’ve mastered a CAGED pattern in one key, try transposing it to another key and trying different keys – this will familiarize yourself with the fretboard and increase your versatility as a musician. Also try linking several patterns together; such as starting from one CAGED pattern (8th fret), then working your way through four others an octave higher (20th fret), linking back with them back at their original places (8th fret).
D Shape
CAGED is an effective way of learning the major scale shapes on the fretboard. It helps connect easy-to-remember chord shapes with major scale positions, making navigation through the fretboard much simpler. Unfortunately, however, CAGED also has some drawbacks that must be addressed; most notably enforcing “one finger per fret”, meaning one note per fret at any one time; additionally it doesn’t give much insight into arpeggio construction with these scale patterns nor does it offer useful advice about how different chord types combine together combining different scale patterns combining chords together compared with chord patterns within CAGED itself.
The D chord shape comes next in our sequence and its associated scale pattern starts on the D tonic note at 13th fret 2nd string. There are various methods of playing this scale pattern on guitar; some guitarists like to use barrering with index and middle fingers on 1st and 3rd strings while others may prefer fingering it with thumb and index fingers.
Once you’ve mastered the D shape, try applying it to other chords. As soon as you do, you should begin to realize that chord shapes and scale patterns have an inherent connection that remains the same no matter which key you play in.
Another good practice is using chord shapes and scale patterns to construct triads. For instance, if you know the D shape paired with G major scale shape you can easily create a G major triad by finding its root note on G string and playing all other notes sequentially starting at top of scale pattern. You could do the same thing using CAGED chord shapes & patterns to see how they combine into new chord voicings.
Practice scales regularly–10 or 15 minutes of focused scale work each day can make a noticeable difference to your proficiency over time. Make use of a metronome for rhythm and timing development; always start slow and work your way up gradually until reaching your comfortable speed. In addition, practice staccato and legato techniques so that they can be applied across various musical settings.
G Shape
G shapes of caged major scales provide an effective means of learning the fretboard. Similar to A shapes, the G form consists of three notes on strings 2-4 that can be fretted by using your 1st finger. You can use either alone or combined with partial C forms to form barre chords like an open B chord–this combination was popularly played by Keith Richards during power chord performances.
G is one of the five fundamental C-A-G-E-D chord shapes and can be used alone or combined with other chords and scales to produce unique sounds. Additionally, its unique structure allows it to act as a C-form barre chord when moving up two frets; making this chord shape ideal for beginners as it reduces finger stretching while being easy to use in various chords and scales.
Once you have learned all five basic open chords and scale patterns, the next step should be linking them together to give yourself an understanding of how the CAGED system works and make navigating your fretboard quicker and easier. Start by connecting C to A to G before linking G with 1 an octave higher (20th fret).
Remember that the CAGED sequence always follows its prescribed order regardless of which key you’re playing in, so once you have mastered C shape and related scale pattern, simply continue up fretboard until reaching D shape.
CAGED system learning offers many advantages for guitar students. It divides the fretboard into five manageable scale positions and associated open chord shapes that most students already recognize – plus, they are interlinked and can be moved up or down the fretboard as desired to cover any key.
A Shape
CAGED system provides an easy way to break up your fretboard into five manageable major scale patterns that correspond with easy-to-remember open chord shapes (i.e. the basic cowboy chords all guitarists learn). Names of chord shapes and scale patterns connect together across fretboard depending on which key you are playing in.
Once you understand CAGED chord shapes and their respective scale patterns, practicing them across all keys is an excellent way to develop fingering skills that enable you to play an array of songs.
Practice each scale and chord shape slowly at first, gradually speeding up as your skills improve. A metronome or drum beat is also helpful in honing rhythm and timing abilities while practicing scales.
If you’re having difficulty memorizing shapes, try drawing out diagrams for each so you can see exactly how they appear on the fretboard and refer back to them later on. Also consider learning chord shapes in order of their opening notes as this will make finding them on the fretboard much simpler later.
One of the greatest mistakes guitar students make when learning CAGED is becoming familiar with its relationship to triads and arpeggios. Luckily, this mistake can be easily remedied; to start just pick any chord progression from any song that you enjoy playing using only CAGED shapes from each triad position within it – this will enable you to hear how chords move up and down the fretboard and provide a solid basis for voice leading when learning advanced chord voicings.
For a deeper insight into how the CAGED system operates, let’s examine an example from Agustin Barrios’ piece Las Abajas by Agustin Barrios. Here we will analyze an E shape to show how it can form an F major arpeggio across the fretboard.