Memory training using the CAGED system to memorize major scale patterns on the fretboard can assist novice guitarists with navigation of their guitar neck. Each major scale position corresponds with one of five basic chord shapes.
All five chord shapes have been converted to movable bar chords to expand your fretboard vocabulary exponentially. All major scale patterns are depicted with their respective chord shapes surrounded by its root notes.
C Shape
Position 3 or C Shape is an ideal starting position for beginners learning guitar. You can use it for chords, scales and more! C shape is one of the most frequently utilized positions as it allows users to change chord positions without moving their fingers; Nakayama (1994) observed this phenomenon symmetrically occurring in 11 of 44 cases they studied (25%)
A Shape
A shape is a collection of sides, vertices and angles that defines an object in mathematics. Shapes can either be open or closed shapes in mathematics; closed ones have complete boundaries while open ones don’t. Open shapes include arcs and letters C through Z (including CLUASUVZ as well as polygons like triangles and quadrilaterals), as well as polygons like triangles and quadrilaterals). Computational geometry offers approximate approximations through quasi-isometry when computing a shape can be approximated from its vertices and angles alone – although exact numbers might differ significantly between two cases!
Shape context is an effective descriptor for shape matching, but its accuracy can be affected by local affine distortion and noise in images or occlusion. Log-polar binning may help reduce this influence; however, cluttered scenes may render log-polar binning less reliable as more points must be sampled to obtain good correspondences than with previous methods.
G Shape
The G shape is one of the most widely-used open chords on the fretboard, consisting of two fingers on each string and played variously – some ways easier than others to finger. In this lesson we will cover several variations on this chord shape and its application across different keys.
CAGED system chord shapes each have an associated major scale and arpeggio pattern to quickly identify them on the fretboard; this helps identify them via their scale pattern encasing it. You can see this in action with our chord shapes/scale patterns diagram below.
Each of the 5 CAGED chord shapes can be found elsewhere on the neck by changing its root note; for instance, a G major barre chord can be created from an E shape with its root note moved up 3 frets. Once you learn these major open chord shapes in their basic form they become effortless to switch around the fretboard.
E Shape
The E shape is an open chord shape commonly used across the fretboard. However, its components can also be broken apart to form other usable forms; for instance, by moving one fret closer to seventh fret you get an A minor chord (similar to F major chord in C form but with sharper sound), which can serve as a substitute full chord in most songs and is easier to play than traditional barre chords.
For an understanding of this technique, let’s review basic open chord shapes and how they can be altered to form new shapes – this technique is known as scaffolding and allows students to learn shapes by moving them to new positions on the guitar neck. While not the only means of learning chords, scaffolding provides an effective strategy for beginners.
Once you’ve learned your shapes, you can use them to play any chord progression in any key. It’s an ideal way to practice transposing chords and learning octaves for favorite songs; alternatively you could even use a capo to use different octaves and scales without altering its sound; though keep in mind that capoing may limit creativity as it limits certain pieces such as classical music that often features specific sounds; therefore only capo when necessary.