• Join the A7X Discord!

    We're updating the community and moving all social content from the community to the Discord. All lessons related conversations will still take place here though! Join the Discord below and view the full announcement for more details

    JOIN THE DISCORD VIEW THREAD

Question about CAGED

MasonTheWZRD

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
20
0
So I have 4 of the 5 shapes down and im feeling great about it! Sorry if this wont make sense im trying to figure out how to word it without making it sound dumb lmfao. So if I start with an Open C chord would that mean I can use the A shape starting at the third fret? and so on so if i start with an open A chord i can start the G shape at the second position and so on? Pretty much im just asking if i can make it into a different key instead of D Major. Thanks everyone!
 

Brian Haner Sr.

Papa
Staff member
Legend+
Fucking Legend
Nov 11, 2019
812
3
3,507
Exactly! If you start with an open C major, that links to an “A shape” C major chord on the 3rd fret. If you start with an open A major, that links to a “G shape” A major chord on the 2nd fret. Let’s keep going. If you play an open G major chord, that links to an “E shape” G major chord on the 3rd fret. If you play an open E major chord, that links to a “D shape” E major chord on the 2nd fret. And if you play an open D major chord, that links to a “C shape” D major chord on the 2nd fret.
Doesn’t matter where you start – C always links to A, which links to G, which links to E, which links to D. The important thing to remember is THESE ARE SHAPES! A “C shape” on the 2nd fret is a D major chord. This is where everybody gets confused.
 

MasonTheWZRD

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
20
0
Thanks Papa Gates! That makes a lot of sense but now one more question. I am trying to make sense of the shapes so I can play in the key of C. so the A shape starts on the third fret, but when you play the arpeggio you have to start on the second fret? Can you help clear this up please? Cause if i was in second postion my middle finger would start on G# and thats not the right not so i have to drop back to second position. Maybe im over complicating it but i cant figure it out.
 

MasonTheWZRD

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
20
0
If I was in third position my middle finger would roll to G# and C# so do I roll with my index then stretch out to hit the E on the second fret? Same with the scales. For the major wouldn’t it it start on the third fret of the 6th string then go to 2nd fret 5th string? Cause if I started everything in the third position everything would be raised a half step ?
 

Filip Tomiša

Campfire Attention Holder
Nov 11, 2019
917
431
26
Croatia
www.youtube.com
6
Arpeggio is just a broken chord. That means that you play each note of a chord one at a time. So if you played the C chord “A shape” you would start on the 3rd fret. Same thing if you played the arpeggio of C chord “A shape”. It also starts on the 3rd fret.
If you were in second position of “C shape” you would be playing D chord. Your middle finger wouldn’t be on G# but it would be on D#. Second position only means where your index finger is on the fretboard. It’s called second because your index finger is on the second fret.
So if you played C chord “A shape” your index finger would be on 3rd fret like we said before. That means that you are playing “A shape” in third position.
Hopefully this clears some things up.
 
Synner Endless Summer Collection

MasonTheWZRD

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
20
0
That definitely does and I know that it would be third position but like in the video where he adds a couple notes wouldn’t the E on the 4th string second fret be added? Kind of like the same for the E shape when we add that extra note on the fifth string? Same with the scales would the A shape for a C chord add the B and E on the second frets of the fifth and fourth string?
 

Filip Tomiša

Campfire Attention Holder
Nov 11, 2019
917
431
26
Croatia
www.youtube.com
6
Which shape are you talking about? If you are talking about the C chord “A shape” then you can’t add E on 4th string second fret cause you are already fretting the 4th string on 5th fret.
He added that extra note because that note is actually within E chord. It’s not necessary to add the extra note while playing E chord “D shape” but you can.
P.S. I made a mistake in the previous post. It wouldn’t be D# but D.
 

MasonTheWZRD

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
20
0
Sorry for making this complicated, but I’m just trying to figure out how to use it in different keys, I try to do it in C because I know the key of C has no sharps or flats so say I start on the third position. If I used the same fingering I would use for the “A shape” key of D I always start the sixth string with finger 2 and 4 and if I did that with the A shape in the key of C and I started with 2 and 4 in third position I would be at G# and A#. But I noticed when I start the key of C “A shape” on the second position it works for me so if I started 2-4 it wold be on G and A followed by one being B on the fifth string.