CAGED the key I've been searching for...

Sadly, admittedly, I have been playing guitar since a teen and I don't know my way around the fret board very well. I do...by ear and naturally, by knowing the positions of many songs, pentatonic scales, blues riffs and so on. But if I was thrown into a situation where I had to come up with stuff on the fly, I would be limited and stuck even. I could probably get through but done with the same 'ole sound. Nothing fresh.

I still consider myself a pretty good player but I hit my wall because of my lack of knowledge of where all the notes are, just by looking. This is a huge drawback when it comes to soloing, breaking a string live, or adding creativity. Learning where every note is, every pattern and combination, seemed like a daunting task which would require years of schooling in theory and practice. Methods and techniques without an instructor would be almost impossible to discover merely on your own. I've looked at music theory before, ugh, I would rather learn calculus. Then I discovered the CAGED system.

The first CAGED video I watched on YT seemed really dry and only seemed to exacerbate my phobia of learning 'the hard way' but i knew once I sifted through the unknowns, there would be a secret in the rough to be found. So I gave it another chance. The concept is rather simple. More simple than I had ever thought. If you know how to make your basic open chords, C-A-G-E-D, all you need to do is move the same finger pattern up the neck 3 frets. The 3 fret thing I've known for a long time, the notes always seem to go well with what you're playing, so it makes sense now. If you play a C chord, move up the neck, change it to a "A" chord position, you'll have the major C chord. Then move up to G position and repeat until you finish D. Then it starts all over again at C. By this time you'll be somewhere near the 12th fret. You do this for all the notes the same way following the CAGED method and you'll see the patterns appear on the fret board for every single note. I had my 'ah-ha' moment.

Here's the first video I watched. idk, perhaps it's the guy's voice that made me feel I was listening to Ben Stein that put me off but I got it now. Feel like I'm learning guitar again for the first time though but damn, this is what I've been searching for, for 20 years.


Anyone else just learn this system?

a reply to: FlySolo


I found Pebber Brown's lessons a while back. They took me to the next level, for sure. He has a ton of free instruction out there. This CAGED lesson is fairly recent.

Hey thats pretty cool. I have been playing for 12 years and didnt know that trick. My wifes been begging for a few songs so next time I break out the guitar I will give it a shot. Its funny too because I didnt have to watch the video but as I read your post I was like....ohhhhh that makes sense.

CAGED method is great, but dont limit yourself to it, as I did for many years..

For example you may wanna check out the "3 notes per string method" which can help to rip scales faster, if thats what your into..

To all: This is a way of playing major sounding Syknyrd or Allman Bros leads in minor positions over a major chord progression.

Record a simple C progression...play along with a AM blues riff (of course they are off of a C major scale to begin with)...and get back to me.

Remember: The Relative MAJOR key (Any one-any progression....)then UP 4 frets and play the blues riff we all know and love and over the major chords.

***Note! NOT C-blues over say C7th or Cm....but Am blues OVER Cmajor chords.

Relative Major-Minors: A-F#m, B-Abm, C-Am, D-Bm, E-C#m, F-Dm, G-Em....and of course all flat and sharp keys as well

Ive been teaching that since 1972