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CAGED System – The D Shape – Lesson 28

J

Jak Angelescu

Guest
wow when descending from the top of the major scale position, the first four notes (F#-E-D-C#) it sounds all minor-like but it doesn't sound like that ascending the scale. I had to play it like 10 times thinking I was missing something :LOL:
 

Wilothy

Free Bird Player
Jun 12, 2020
6
10
After 10 years of playing the guitar, the CAGED system finally makes sense and sounds good. I had learnt this before so I had a good head start, but man, your lessons are great! Thank you for that. Especially for the double stops ideas.
 

Imactuallyadrummer

Campfire Attention Holder
May 27, 2020
49
107
Toronto, Ontario
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Hey guys. Pretend you’re a beginner going through these lessons...😅 For now is it acceptable to just understand the theory of it? Instead of being able to just improv something or playing these scales by heart/changing positions on a whim? I think I’m understanding what these lessons have to offer. And I know my “shapes”. But if I had 5 seconds to be able to regurgitate a particular scale or chord at a particular position, I probably wouldn’t be able to.

And a general question- How much do people rely on looking at the fretboard? Should I try practising without looking at it/my fingers, or is it perfectly fine to do that at the start?

thanks!
 
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Gabriel Perez

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  • Nov 11, 2019
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    For me, what's helped with improv is just to kinda feel it out. You have to trust your instrument a little bit. It's scary because you want to sound good and you don't want to sound bad but you just have to put faith in yourself and your guitar. It'll turn out okay. And take your time. The great thing about this instrument is you don't need to get it right away and you'll always have these lessons. Take your time, one shape at a time, and you'll be soloing like it's second nature.

    As for looking at the fretboard, I do but if someone turned out the light I can do it by feel as well. I have an advantage since my guitar has a compound radius so I can feel the 12th fret fairly quickly and maneuver from there easily.
     

    Wilothy

    Free Bird Player
    Jun 12, 2020
    6
    10
    "Imactuallyadrummer", what a cool name. Learning the fretboard, learning scales, learning CAGED shapes and learning how to solo takes months, even years. (Almost) all guitars have dots (or symbols) on the neck so players can see where they are when playing. Most guitar players look at the fretboard and rely on visual cues to determine where they are and where they can go.

    Keep learning, keep practising, these lessons are great but it's sure you won't get it right straight away. Rock on!
     
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    idssdi

    Sold-out Crowd Surfer
    Nov 11, 2019
    5,336
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    Groningen
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    Hey guys. Pretend you’re a beginner going through these lessons...😅 For now is it acceptable to just understand the theory of it? Instead of being able to just improv something or playing these scales by heart/changing positions on a whim? I think I’m understanding what these lessons have to offer. And I know my “shapes”. But if I had 5 seconds to be able to regurgitate a particular scale or chord at a particular position, I probably wouldn’t be able to.

    And a general question- How much do people rely on looking at the fretboard? Should I try practising without looking at it/my fingers, or is it perfectly fine to do that at the start?

    thanks!
    First question, being able to do them on a whim when you improvise comes with time so yes if you know them that's enough for now.

    Usually I look at my fretboard as kind of a double check so you shouldn't rely on it but it's no problem at all if you do. That's also something that comes with time.
     
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    Pyrokinetics

    Music Theory Bragger
    Jun 27, 2020
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    19
    Belarus
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    I must be really behind or something because I have no idea how to build all of the scales from the chord and how to know what to play when going down, do you just memorize all of the scales and know where they are when you go down and up the fretboard? Or am I just bad...
     

    Wilothy

    Free Bird Player
    Jun 12, 2020
    6
    10
    Behind compared to what? to whom?...
    It takes quite a bit of time to memorise scales and to be able to use them - I still have trouble with E shape one. I've been playing for 10 years...
    One thing to remember is that they are shapes, taken from the basic chord shapes up the neck.

    The important part is to always remember that you need to play the notes that are on the shape, shape of C, shape of E... and then fill the rest. Arpeggios help to get that... If I play my D shape, 1 note per string on the 3 first strings, on 5th fret, it still just looks like a D to me, but Im CAG-ing an F instead. Instead of seeing it as giant scales with many notes up and down, you can visualise blocks.

    I personally haven't memorized all the scales, and I certainly don't play them up and down the fretboard with fluency - it would take ages to go to this level and I'd rather focus on other things. Just prioritise, if you wanna become a CAGED master then dedicate time for it, otherwise play around with the shapes you know and understand, and regularly go back to the lessons to work on the ones you're less comfortable with.
     

    Pyrokinetics

    Music Theory Bragger
    Jun 27, 2020
    8
    17
    19
    Belarus
    6
    Behind compared to what? to whom?...
    It takes quite a bit of time to memorise scales and to be able to use them - I still have trouble with E shape one. I've been playing for 10 years...
    One thing to remember is that they are shapes, taken from the basic chord shapes up the neck.

    The important part is to always remember that you need to play the notes that are on the shape, shape of C, shape of E... and then fill the rest. Arpeggios help to get that... If I play my D shape, 1 note per string on the 3 first strings, on 5th fret, it still just looks like a D to me, but Im CAG-ing an F instead. Instead of seeing it as giant scales with many notes up and down, you can visualise blocks.

    I personally haven't memorized all the scales, and I certainly don't play them up and down the fretboard with fluency - it would take ages to go to this level and I'd rather focus on other things. Just prioritise, if you wanna become a CAGED master then dedicate time for it, otherwise play around with the shapes you know and understand, and regularly go back to the lessons to work on the ones you're less comfortable with.
    Thanks a lot for this reply, it really means a lot, I've been playing for about 5 years, self-taught but I never cared to learn the musical theory, so I decided to go back and it just felt like a lot and it seemed like perhaps everyone was just as fluent as Brain Haner Sr. lol, at any rate, Thank you, and I hope I can grow as a musician over time, and good luck to you as well.
     
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    Imactuallyadrummer

    Campfire Attention Holder
    May 27, 2020
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    107
    Toronto, Ontario
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    Thanks a lot for this reply, it really means a lot, I've been playing for about 5 years, self-taught but I never cared to learn the musical theory, so I decided to go back and it just felt like a lot and it seemed like perhaps everyone was just as fluent as Brain Haner Sr. lol, at any rate, Thank you, and I hope I can grow as a musician over time, and good luck to you as well.

    I'm just a little fledgling, but I am trying to learn more about the music theory as I go along, taking advantage of my naivety. Plus I think the scientist part in me just needs to "understand" how things work. Are you cramming everything in at the same time? I find it helps to revisit lessons, I mean even the ones at the very beginning, after having done/played/watched the later ones. When I was first picking up my guitar and learning my head certainly glazed over what a major scale/chord/the composition of a pentatonic scale etc. was. At the time they were half empty words. But once I got into the CAGED system, knew the chord positions etc. it's slowly coming together. Well, I am still in the process of putting it all together :D

    Lastly there is no being behind or ahead, everyone learns at different paces, I don't say this as a guitar thing since I'm new and probably not that qualified to be giving specific guitar advice like that. No matter what it is everyone learns at different paces and that's perfectly fine, don't be hard on yourself
     

    yairv13

    New Student
    Jul 15, 2020
    2
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    Attachments

    • CAGED Major Scales.png
      CAGED Major Scales.png
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    • CAGED Arpeggios.png
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    • CAGED Pentatonic Scales.png
      CAGED Pentatonic Scales.png
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    Zesty Rage

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  • Sep 27, 2020
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    One thing that I'm struggling with here is connecting the shapes. I'm still trying to memorize the notes on the fretboard but I've memorized all the pentatonic shapes and most of the major scale shapes. But I can't figure out how to break the box shape of playing up and down to start playing from left to right.
     

    Zesty Rage

    Campfire Attention Holder
  • Sep 27, 2020
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    You learn more horizontal paths deeper in the lessons 3 2 3 and 2 3 2 penatonic for example
    I took a peek at that lesson and it looks really interesting. I've played guitar for over 10 years and the CAGED method was unheard of to me until last year when I joined this community. But I can't wait to start getting deeper into the lessons so I can try to learn to play more freely.
     

    Calvin Phillips

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
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    I took a peek at that lesson and it looks really interesting. I've played guitar for over 10 years and the CAGED method was unheard of to me until last year when I joined this community. But I can't wait to start getting deeper into the lessons so I can try to learn to play more freely.
    Caged system was new to me too. But wow is it ever a pattern to realize. It puts everything into perspective.
     
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