The CAGED System Explained in 10 Minutes
- Nate Savage
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
If you've ever seen a CAGED diagram and thought "I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking at", you're in good company. It's one of the most talked about concepts in guitar and also one of the most poorly explained.
In this week's video we fix that. Let's break down exactly what the CAGED system is, why it matters, and how you can start applying it to your playing right away, without burning out or taking on too much at once.
Here's the short version. The CAGED system is built on the five open major chord shapes you already know (C, A, G, E, and D). Each of those shapes can be made into a movable chord, just like the E and A bar chords you may have already learned. The CAGED system simply extends that idea to all five shapes and connects them across the entire neck.
That means instead of being stuck playing chord progressions in the same one or two positions, you can play any chord anywhere. And instead of relying on a single pentatonic scale to solo, you start to see the important notes over every chord change, everywhere on the neck.
The key to making it work is not taking it all on at once. Start with what you already know, your E and A bar chord shapes, and add one new shape at a time from there.
Want to put this into practice right away?
The free CAGED Jumpstart gives you a hands-on first step with the system. The free video and PDF get you moving in the right direction immediately.
Grab the free CAGED Jumpstart here: https://www.guitarfam.com/caged-jumpstart
Happy playing,
Nate & Chelsea
Excellent explanation of the concept