CAGED GUITAR SYSTEM

The CAGED guitar system for scale, chord and arpeggio forms is an older way to view and understand the guitar fretboard. This CAGED system can be used in various ways for the movement and fret positions for chord changes and key changes. It also is a way to name these patterns and how to think about them.

The CAGED system takes its names from 5 open position chords, the C major chord, the A major chord, the G major chord, the E major chord, and the D major chord. These are called forms or patterns. Moving any chord form up the fretboard, will give you a different chord based on the root note of the fret that the pattern starts on. So a D Form starting on the 5th fret is an A major chord. And an E Form starting on the 5th fret is an A major chord.

You can name your scales and arpeggios the same way. There is a much better, more easily understandable and more complete way of learning your guitar chords, guitar scales and guitar arpeggios on your fretboard. The CAGED system has some merits but you need more as a guitar player.