From: "janeedles" Date: Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:39 am Subject: Re:Introducing the C-A-G-E-D method - correction and answers to questions janeedles Randy, if you can post this in the courier font (or any proportional font) it will look much better. Thanx. I made a few mistakes in my original posting due to a copy and paste error. In many of the barre chords, I indicated that you use finger 1 to bar across the fret and also use finger 1 elsewhere. This is impossible of course. Here is a corrected version of my original posting. As far as a practice regimen, Bill Edwards recommends choosing any of the open chord forms and playing them in a barre form starting on the first fret and moving up 1 fret at a time. The chord will move up by 1/2 step each time. As you play the chord, look at your fingers and say the chord out loud. Do this with each chord form. Saying it the chord name and looking at your fingers is important. Practice, practice, practice. Introducing the C-A-G-E-D method Ladies and Gentlemen, I've read many posted comment streams on chords but haven't seen anything discussing the CAGED method. CAGED has been around for a long time, but I think the best explanation with examples and exercises may be found in Bill Edward's excellent "Fretboard Logic". Here's the link on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Fretboard-Logic-SE-Reasoning-Arpeggios/dp/0962477060/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2024928-8645703?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174660013&sr=1-1 CAGED is an easy way to remember open chord progressions played as barre chords up and down the fretboard. The method is not only good for playing chords, but can also be adapted to note and lead picking Here's a primer on CAGED. For those of us who play barre chords, we are most familiar with the E and A forms. For those who don't play barre chords yet, play open E and A chords. Notice that in each of these open chords, 3 of the 6 strings are vibrating open from the bridge to the nut. Open E Chord 1 2 E|-----|-----| B|-----|-----| G|--1--|-----| D|-----|--2--| A|-----|--3--| E|-----|-----| Now re-finger the open E chord using fingers 2-3-4 instead of 1-2- 3. Slide the E chord up to the 6th fret (finger 2 on the 6th fret and fingers 3 and 4 on the 7th fret) and use finger 1 to bar across the entire 5th fret. You have just moved the open E up 5 frets. Your first finger barred across all strings becomes the new nut so the same 3 strings are still vibrating open from the bridge to the nut, it's just that the new nut is your 1st finger barred across all strings. A major barre chord – open E form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|--2--|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--4--| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| You will be playing an A major chord. As a matter of fact, as we make this open E form barre chord and move it up 1 fret at a time, the progression is as follows: 1st fret – F major 2nd fret – F# major 3rd fret – G major 4th fret – G# major 5th fret – A major Notice that that the referenced fret is the one we are barring (5th fret barre chord). You can do the same thing with an open A chord. It's easiest if you re-finger the open A by making your third finger very flat and playing it across strings 2-3-4 at the same time instead of using 3 fingers. Notice that in the case of the E form barre chord, you play 1 note in the fret directly above the barred fret, but in the case of the A form barre chord, you must skip a fret and finger all 3 strings 2 frets above the barred fret. If you play this chord at the 5th fret, it is a D major chord. D major barre chord – open A form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----| The progression in this form is as follows: 1st fret – Bb major 2nd fret – B major 3rd fret – C major 4th fret – C# major 5th fret – D major That's the simple part, now for the harder CAGED part. The E and A form barre chords are the easiest because of the fingering, but there's no reason that we can't play barre chords using the open chord forms of C, D and G as well, they are just rather hard to finger. E major barre chord – open C form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|--2--|-----|-----| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|-----| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----|-----| The open C form barre chord progression would be as follows: 1st fret – open C major 2nd fret – C# major 3rd fret – D major 4th fret – D# major 5th fret – E major G major barre chord – open D form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--4--|-----| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--3--| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----|-----| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----|-----| The open D form barre chord is very hard given that you must skip a fret after you barre across. Here's the chord progression: 1st fret – D# major 2nd fret – E major 3rd fret – F major 4th fret – F# major 5th fret – G major C major barre chord – open G form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-----| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--3--| The open G form barre chord is very hard given that you must skip a fret after you barre across. Here's the chord progression: 1st fret – G# major 2nd fret – A major 3rd fret – Bb major 4th fret – B major 5th fret – C major Hope I haven't lost you yet because here's the important part. Moving up the fretboard, there is a logical progression from C to A to G to E to D. Here we go. Start with an open C major chord. This is the C in CAGED. C major open chord 1 2 3 E|-----|-----|-----| B|--1--|-----|-----| G|-----|-----|-----| D|-----|--2--|-----| A|-----|-----|--3--| E|-----|-----|-----| Now, barre your 1st finger across the highest fret in this chord. In this case, you would barre across the 3rd fret. Now play the barre form of the open A chord. This is the A in CAGED which amazingly enough is also a C major chord C major barre chord – open A form 1 2 3 4 5 E|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| B|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| G|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| D|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--3--| A|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| E|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----| Again, move your barre up to the highest fret played, the 5th fret in this case, barre it and play the open G form barre chord (we've already discussed this one). C major barre chord – open G form 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-----| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--3--| This is also a C major chord. Continue by barring the 8th fret and playing the open E form. You guessed it. This is a C major chord also. Finally, move the barre up to the 10th fret and play the open D form C major barre chord – open D form 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--4--|-----| B|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--3--| G|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-----| D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----| A|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----|-----| E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--x--|-----|-----|-----| What we have done is play a C major chord in 5 different places using 5 different fingers, but each time we've played the same 3 notes (major chords are comprised of only 3 notes known as a triad, but on the guitar, some of these notes repeat in different octaves which enriches the sound). The significance is that patterns on the guitar become apparent. If you are playing an E or A form barre chord any place on the fretboard, you now know how to play the same chord in a different form of barre chord directly above or below. For instance, if you are playing an A major barre chord in the open E form on the 5th fret (refer to my first diagram), you now know that you can play the same A major in the open D form by barring the 7th fret (D follows E in CAGED). Also, you can slide down and play the open G form while barring the 2nd fret to also play A major (G is before E in CAGED). It works everywhere and every time because of the unique setup of the guitar fretboard. Enjoy Jonathan