CAGED — five doors up the neck

Also in this track: Scales · Modes · Jazz · Scales shape lab

CAGED is not five random chords. It is five finger patterns you already know from open chords — C, A, G, E, D — used as a map. Slide a pattern up the neck and the chord name changes, but the shape name stays the same. Follow one chord (we use C major) in order C → A → G → E → D and the whole neck starts to look connected instead of endless frets.

Read top to bottom once, then use Next shape in the lesson card and the lab for practice. Lesson synthesis from seven published CAGED guides (listed at the bottom).

Shape name vs chord name

This is the #1 confusion. Community Guitar and Premier Guitar both stress: the letter in CAGED names a layout, not the chord you are necessarily playing.

What you do Shape (pattern) Chord (sound)
Play open E major E form E major
Same E pattern, barre at fret 1 Still E form F major
Open A pattern, barre so root is C on A string (fret 3) A form C major

Justin Guitar teaches the same idea with a capo: mentally replace your barre finger with a capo on the open shape. The shape does not rename itself when you move it.

Root notes = landmarks

Every shape has a main root location (Premier Guitar / National Guitar Academy). Find the root, name the chord. Neighbour shapes share at least one root note (Premier Guitar calls these the “glue” between puzzle pieces).

Step 1 · The five open shapes

Memorize these on Open chords. Click to strum. You will move these same layouts up the neck.

C form

A form

G form

E form

D form

Moveable (Acoustic Life / AGT): same pattern, new root — C form +2 frets → D chord; A form +2 → B; E form +2 → F♯ (your first barre). Full barre habits: Barre chords.

Step 2 · One chord, five places (C major)

This is the core lesson every guide agrees on: keep the chord name fixed (C major) and walk the shape order C → A → G → E → D up the neck. National Guitar Academy students often memorize the fret landmarks open · 3 · 5 · 8 · 10 for C.

Step 1 of 5

Chord box

Square = root C · filled dots = other notes in this grip. G and D forms are often awkward to fret fully (Guitar World) — learn the map anyway; play the notes you can reach cleanly.

All five shapes on one neck

Each tinted band is one shape’s fret window (Premier Guitar puzzle pieces). Bands overlap where shapes share glue frets — e.g. C and A both cover fret 3. Notes inside a band come from that shape’s C major grip only. Click C A G E D below to glow that shape’s box; its notes stay bright and the rest stay visible (softened).

Step 3 · Grow the shape (triads → pentatonics → scales)

Pick a CAGED letter here (independent of the ladder above). First row: major triad, pentatonic, major. Second row: minor triad (E → Eb), min pent, natural minor (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). Same shapes on C, A, G, E, and D.

Shape

Free exploration: CAGED lab · Scales · Modes.

Finding any major chord

After the C ladder makes sense, use roots as GPS (NGA / Premier Guitar):

  1. Pick a note (say F).
  2. Find F on the low E or A string.
  3. Place an E form or A form so its root lands on that fret (barre = moveable nut).
  4. Add C / G / D forms once E and A feel automatic — the lab squares show roots.

Barre drills: Barre chords.

CAGED lab

Every layer from Step 3, in any key: pick a root, a CAGED letter and a quality, and the lab slides that exact shape up the neck from C. Play its chord tones (1–3–5 or 1–♭3–5) or every note in the shape.


        

        

      

    


    

      
Suggested order

      

        
    
          
  1. Read shape vs chord until the wording feels natural.
    2. 
          
  2. Memorize root landmarks + open C A G E D.
    3. 
          
  3. Walk the C major ladder with Next shape until frets 0-3-5-8-10 stick.
    4. 
          
  4. Lab: E + A forms for a new root, then tour all letters.
    5. 
          
  5. Step 3’s minor row, then the lab in natural minor, then Modes.
    6. 
        

      

    


    

      
A 10-minute CAGED routine

      

        
    
          
  1. 2 min — strum open C A G E D.
    2. 
          
  2. 4 min — C major ladder: say the shape name aloud each click of Next.
    3. 
          
  3. 2 min — lab: chord tones in E form, then A form, new root.
    4. 
          
  4. 2 min — Step 3 on one letter: major scale, then natural minor.
    5. 
        

        
Lite drills: Scales · scale shapes.

      

    


    

      
Sources we synthesized