CAGED: the easy way

Confused by the CAGED system? I was too, but the method I settled on here in this video is the quickest way to get the idea, and more importantly, the CAGED system on the fretboard and out of your head!

00:00 Introduction
01:50 Lesson
12:27 Wrap Up

🎸 Study with me in The Studio—my online guitar academy!
▶️ Explore Free Courses
▶️ Access Exclusive Lessons
▶️ Register for Live Workshops
▶️ Join a Supportive Community

📚 Want TABs & More?
Support the channel and get access to TABs for all videos, plus an exclusive monthly video on my Patreon page.

🎹 Struggling with Music Theory?
Grab my free “Fretboard Harmony Primer” to get music theory directly on the fretboard.

🙏 Show Your Support
If you enjoy the content and want to support the channel, here’s the best way to do that:

📱 Let’s Connect!
Follow me on social media:

Thanks for watching!
Chris

[erikl]

I can't wait to watch when I get home from work. Chris, your pacing is excellent. I learn more from you than any other online teacher. Thank you so much for doing this!

[joycegrove]

Solid!
The main take-away I got from this was changing the finger positions to play the chords up the neck :) Thanks Chris!

[johnharreld]

Thanks, Chris! I just wanted to highlight the best part about knowing the sometimes awkward bar chord shapes (and their associated roots!) is that they remind you where all the triad components are. Then you can just fret and play the parts you need, making it easier and potentially less muddy sounding. This is how/why I apply the CAGED system anyway. I mean it's cool to see how all the same chords connect down the neck, but not as important to me as knowing where the roots are in each shape. ...then getting the 3's and 5's (and 7's) locations makes chord alterations much easier, but that's another story. 🙃

[jonmyers]

Dude...best caged teaching I've seen. By far! I'm gonna actually learn it now...thanks so much!

[stanmanmedia]

Finally, I believe this is the most straight forward and complete way of understanding it. Now I need to do the work. Thanks very very much!!

[tomeasley]

ive been using the caged chords for some time and never realized that the c is followed by the a-g-e-d shapes and so on for the following chords im positive that one tidbit of knowledge will help with choices as I use the alternate shapes further up the board, as always you are the root of a lot of AHHa moments

[joeurbanowski]

Oooo-kay.. I’ll learn the CAGED system.. lol.. It really does have a lot of value.. Thanks Chris..!

[stevebeatty]

Thanks Chris! This is the method I really needed to visualize and use better use CAGED in my lead playing. Once again your logical approach cleared some blind spots for me. Thanks for always shining the spotlight where it needs to be!

[alastairgordon]

I've watched/read/listened to enough about the CAGED system to know I'll never get it. Oh wait...there's the nugget I've been missing all this time...focus on the root notes! Finally a glimmer of understanding appears. Thanks Chris!

[InsolentMusicalPeasant]

It's really so simple once I see it on the fretboard. I need to stop trying to learn theory without a guitar in my hands. Great lesson. Much appreciated!

[robt]

Thanks for breaking it down! Clear explanation of how the chord shapes progress, how to refinger each and to remember the roots of each one. Great reference to help me step up from practicing open chords for the millionth time.

[kdavis]

What an awesome lesson. Always the best Chris!!!

[CalvinLimSH-ldle]

Thanks for showing the movable caged chord system that we can move around the guitar fretboard with ease and some level of difficulties for a beginner guitarist.

[dlmyrs]

Thank you, Chris! This lesson really helps with understanding the shapes and moving them. Made it much easier to see how it’s moving on the fretboard. Appreciate it.

[Pat-nlwk]

Thanks Chris! You were showing us CAGED not teaching. Your methods work for me!

[capbubba]

Love seeing the caged system explained on the airplane guitar, great lesson, thanks Chris.😎 P.S. loving the new Studio 👍👍👍

[masterbuilder]

Chris. All these lessons have really helped my progress over the past couple years and I highly recommend anyone to follow your channel if they’re serious about making marketable progress. Thanks for all you do 💯💪

[donniefisk]

Awesome deep dive into this to make it make sense to new players . Also, the next chord ALWAYS starts off on the prior chords root note .

[musicaleltd]

This awesome; i was using these chords in my regular song learning with respect to inversions, not realizing what i was doing was actually CAGED inversions; i hadn't connected the idea the way you've just laid it out. very useful knowledge!

[scubatrooper]

Great lesson! Albeit, I’ve been taking formal lessons for a while now, I keep reviewing information I’ve taken in from many different sources. The CAGED system really gave me the “isms” in the beginning… Your video gave me a few tips I hadn’t heard before, and it offers a fresh approach!