# CAGED — five doors up the neck

> Interactive page: [`caged.html`](caged.html)

**v2 deepen:** this page is full CAGED depth. The lite doors live in the [Scales shape lab](scales.md). Also: [Scales](scales.md) · [Modes](modes.md) · [Jazz](jazz.html)

CAGED names five open major chord shapes — **C, A, G, E, D** — and treats them as movable doors. Slide a shape, keep the same intervals, and you can find the same major chord (and its scale tones) anywhere on the neck. This is v2 depth; the technique gym on Exercises still teaches the lite doors only.

**Sources (two-check):** conventional CAGED pedagogy as taught in modern guitar methods (Hal Leonard / Berklee-adjacent position thinking) · classical open-position chord spelling as the five seed shapes. Not a copyrighted course copy — named forms and practice habits only.

## What CAGED is / is not

**It is:** a memory system linking five open chord forms to five overlapping scale / arpeggio neighbourhoods. Learn open C, A, G, E, D first ([Open chords](chords.md)), then move each form so a chosen root sits under the same finger geometry.

**It is not:** a claim that every song uses only these voicings; not a substitute for reading or ear training; not the only neck system (3NPS and five-position majors live on [Scales · shapes](scales.md#scale-shape-systems)). Jazz harmony depth will expand on [Jazz](jazz.html).

**v1 note:** Exercises keeps *CAGED-lite* — enough named doors to move. This page is the v2 course.

## Five major chord forms

Open seed shapes (diagrams + clickable strums on the HTML page):

| Letter | Open seed | Typical root string |
|--------|-----------|---------------------|
| C | open C | A / B area when moved |
| A | open A | A string |
| G | open G | low E (wide) |
| E | open E | low E (barre door) |
| D | open D | D string / treble |

**Order of the acronym:** C–A–G–E–D cycles as you climb the neck for a fixed major chord. In the lab, shapes are listed E–A–G–C–D to match the open-form doors in `GuitarScales`.

## Connecting scale shapes through CAGED

Each chord form sits inside a major-scale neighbourhood. Practice:

1. Play chord tones (1–3–5) inside one CAGED letter.
2. Fill the same box with the full major scale.
3. Slide to the next letter for the same root and repeat.

Parent maps: [Scales](scales.md). Mode colour inside a door: [Modes · shapes](modes.md#mode-shapes).

## Finding any major chord up the neck

Pick a root (say F). Find that pitch on the low E or A string, then drop the matching open form so its root lands there:

- **E form** — root on low E (barre the open-E geometry).
- **A form** — root on A string.
- **C / G / D forms** — roots on their characteristic strings; use the lab highlight (squares = roots) until the geometry is automatic.

Barre habits for movable E and A forms also live on [Barre chords](barre.md).

## Minor via relative / Em & Am forms

**Relative minor:** take a major CAGED door and treat degree 6 as home (C major neighbourhood → A Aeolian colour). Same frets, new tonic — same idea as [Modes · relative](modes.md#relative-vs-parallel).

**Parallel minor doors:** Em and Am open forms (plus Dm / Gm / Cm neighbours) are the CAGED-lite minor set. On the HTML lab, switch Quality to minor to load `cagedMin`.

## CAGED lab

On [`caged.html`](caged.html): root + CAGED letter + quality. **Play chord tones** (1–3–5) or **Play scale in that shape**, plus a tour of all letters. Uses `GuitarScales` systems `cagedMaj` / `cagedMin`.

## Suggested order

1. Clean open C A G E D on [Open chords](chords.md).
2. Move the **E form** and **A form** for one root (lab + barre).
3. Add C, G, D forms for the same root — tour all letters.
4. Chord tones, then full scale inside one door.
5. Minor via Em / Am; optional relative view with [Modes](modes.md).

### Three tracks

- **Beginner** — open five forms · E-form major at fret 3 or 5. Near 60.
- **Intermediate** — E + A forms for two roots · chord tones then scale.
- **Advanced** — all five letters · minor doors · connect to [modes](modes.md) / [jazz](jazz.html).

## A 10-minute CAGED routine

1. **2 min** — strum the five open forms.
2. **3 min** — one root, E form then A form (chord tones).
3. **3 min** — full scale in one letter; next letter up.
4. **2 min** — Em or Am door, or a mode lean on [Modes](modes.md).

Lite gym stays on [Scales · scale shapes](scales.md) (CAGED-lite).

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Interactive: [`caged.html`](caged.html) · Lite: [Scales](scales.md)