In this guitar lesson, we'll look at linking octave shapes and how this forms the basis of the CAGED system. Octave shapes can be linked together to form one long chain of every instance of a particular note on the guitar fretboard.

The ability to link the octave shapes forms the backbone of the CAGED system (named as such as it is the order in which the octave shapes link up). These shapes can be used as stepping stones for instantly finding any give note across the guitar fretboard.

There is a sequence to the octave patterns that allows us to move up the fretboard through the different shapes:

When on 2(B) move to 5(A) (5-2 octave) = C-Shape
When on 5(A) move to 3(G) (5-3 octave) = A-Shape
When on 3(G) move to 1(E) (3-1 octave) = G-Shape
When on 1(E) move to 6(E) (6-1 two octave pattern) = G-Shape/E-Shape
When on 6(E), move to 4(D) (6-4 octave) = E-Shape
When on 4(D), move to 2(B) (4-2 octave) = D-Shape

See how (at least for the C note) the sequence of octave shapes spells out CAGED. The word CAGED gives us the order in which the octave shapes link up horizontally.

C-Shape - A-Shape - G-Shape - E-Shape - D-Shape (CAGED)

This sequence will not change, although the starting ‘shape’ will vary according to the particular note that you have chosen to start the sequence. You identify the string upon which the chosen note is closest to the headstock (i.e. the lowest fret) and start the sequence from that given string.

In that way, the “CAGED system” could also have been called the “AGEDC system” or the “EDCAG system”. Not quite as easy to say or remember!

You should, though, be familiar with the order of the octave shapes when we don’t start from the C-shape. We would therefore have another four possibilities:

A-Shape - G-Shape - E-Shape - D-Shape - C-Shape (AGEDC)
G-Shape - E-Shape - D-Shape - C-Shape - A-Shape (GEDCA)
E-Shape - D-Shape - C-Shape - A-Shape - G-Shape (EDCAG)
D-Shape - C-Shape - A-Shape - G-Shape - E-Shape (DCAGE)

You could think of it as a cycle on which you can move in either direction. Moving clockwise would be moving higher up the fretboard (towards the body). Moving counter-clockwise would be moving lower on the fretboard (towards the headstock).

For more on the CAGED system, you can check out my eBook 'CAGED CLARITY' (https://bit.ly/2YQYa9K) or my in-depth course on fretboard fluency using the CAGED system 'GUITAR BLUEPRINT' (https://bit.ly/3Ccpi4z).

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0:00 Intro
0:45 Octaves review
2:36 Why CAGED?
3:00 Example 1 (C notes)
4:00 CAGED Cycle
4:45 Example 2 (F notes)
5:57 Practice Idea 1
6:18 Example 3 (Ab notes)
6:58 Practice Idea 2
7:09 Summary
7:47 Patreon Group
8:02 CAGED Clarity-Guitar Blueprint
8:25 Like-Subscribe
8:37 End Screen

#cagedsystem #guitarlesson #guitarfretboard