Stop Using Only Your First Frets!

👉 Video Chapters
00:00 Moving Easy Chord Shapes
01:22 Exploring the C Shape
08:38 Exploring the A Shape
14:24 Exploring the G Shape
15:42 Exploring the E Shape
20:48 Exploring the D Shape
24:19 Practice Sessions Tips
25:08 Exploring Minor Shapes
29:21 Extra Info & Fingering

[Jamison_IO]

This is why lessons are important. I've been screwing around for 20 years and never stumbled on to this. I understood the caged system, but this is a real eye-opener. Thank you.

[ronlight]

This is going to sound really weird, but I got a very big hit of dopamine watching this lesson (and only made it through C and A before I had to stop and take a break). I've seen literally hundreds (if not thousands) of YouTube guitar instructionals, and generally I find them either too mechanistic for my taste or too challenging for my ability. This one hit at the right performance level for me, and beyond that, Justin seems focused on the sheer joy and ingenuity of trying and applying different chord voicings over the more common and conventional choices. This lessons resides somewhere beyond the rigors of learning to play guitar and the lofty aspiration to make beautiful music.

[Invisible_Hermit]

WOW! 60 year old here who has been playing guitar for about a year and a half; Grade 2 Module 9 with JustinGuitar. This video just opens the gate WIDE for exploring SO MUCH OF THE GUITAR! Justin, you are such a great teacher, full of passion and enthusiasm. Thank you so much for this incredibly cool video; it really taps deeply into the well of one's musicality!

[paultaylor]

Justin's a genius. All these years of boring chords for my songwriting and he sorts it in 30 minutes!

[xaviduch]

One of the best "explore and try yourself" lessons for guitar I have ever seen on Youtube! Bravo Justin!

[skibum]

This is the first CAGED lesson that really makes sense to me. Thank you. A lot of new things to try out.

[richhistory]

Had to stop 6 minutes in and pick up the guitar with excitement, what a great lesson !

[MakatiMazz]

I was blown away by this video! I’ve been playing for over 50 years, and I rarely thought to try moving the open chords. What a great idea. It just goes to show you can always learn something new with the guitar.

[alkrayev]

Justin, thank you so much. I got a lot to say because for over three months i have learned so much from you. You are super motivating because you show things on guitar and freedom around it. This lesson turned my vision of chords in a wonderful way. I tried all the progressions you offered. It gave me really a lot of fun and amazement. In the process of learning each scale i tried the songs i know in a different way and most of them DO work in other mood. Some don't but that's music and art as it is. This lesson took me about a week, now i got a chord book based on your lesson. I got interested in CAGED and listened to many people, read some "manuals"... disappointment - too complicated, giving no practical usage, and most of them boring without examples. You are truly great. I could stop and play some 3-4 chords around for 15 more minutes, with diiferent replacements and strumming. It's definitely so much fun. Spending time with you is fun. Thank you again.

[exquisiteoath]

This may be one of the most inspiring guitar videos I've watched in a long time. A large part of this is that I used to do this all the time and then various teaching approaches reinforcing the idea that these are "not the grips you are looking for" got under my skin. Thank you so much for normalizing this kind of exploration.

[scarecrowscarecrow]

One of the songs you may have been thinkin' of that uses the "D" all over is, "End of the Line" -Traveling Wilburys. Always great

[sandro_the_guy]

Man I even felt guilty that I watched this lesson for free, packed with so many valuable eye-opener information for someone who’s stucked with cowboy chords for years like me. Thank you for making and sharing content like this. It really makes me just wanna get home right away and pick my guitar up to practise.

[nickdegiglio]

Awesome lesson! I just found you here. I'm a disabled Army veteran. I just started taking guitar lessons with Guitars for Vets. They help veterans heal through the power of music. I love your channel. I'm always looking to learn more than just basic chords.

[paulymullo]

Heya justin, paul here, im 46 and a newbie, always wanted to learn and 4 mths ago got a steel string acoustic, and at first i fel silly, coz i never held a guitar before, didnt even know how many strings, nothing, but 4mts on thanks to you justin, iv now got a couple of songs and a lot of intros, like ye know the intros and bits and pieces, i can play wonderwall by oasis, and lola by the kinks, and a mish mash od whiskey in the jar pat thin lizzy unplugged, but lots of bits and pieces, and i started from my first chord Eminor and G, then just snowballed, but its chords that if i know the chords in a song, il look and i would have to know it by ear too, then i pick up the strumming pattern easy, justin on the songs i know by ear 1, then chords 2, then i can get the strumming rythem easy just by start playing like trial and error, then when i think its alright, ish, i then look at the strumming pattern and 9 times out of 10 its just a bit of tweeking, the odd up when i went down, like ive noticed ii seem to start dwn dwn up dwn up dwn, or ther abouts, im prob wrong, but ah sorry justin im rambling, i get excited even lookin at my guitar, i dont feel silly, i feel like im on a journey, and the few times a day practicing takes me away, thanks to you and you tutorials, oh my guitar is a Jumbo model, so i go out to the shed coz it bellows out loud, or just use my thumb for the quite practess, alright thanks justin for all the help, sorry for rambling on🎸🎸🎸👌👌👌

[blacksunshine]

I taught myself to play geetar back in the 90s. ( by watching others play- didn't learn the notes very much...i just played) I created my own songs and ultimately performed on the regular. I've paused playing for years and even forgot my own songs. So, I'm looking for a great channel to actually learn to notes and this channel speaks the learning skills language I understand. Thank you.

[captianazerith]

I think this video just convinced me to get a journal and write out not only these but document the sounds I like in general. I’ve struggled with bar chords, got an electric a few days ago and though I was doomed to use a capo to play what I can play on acoustic. This unlocks sooo much more.

And yea I know I should learn bar chords anyway… I will…

[joeyhandeland]

Wow, so happy I stumbled on this. Great instructional video. Thanks for posting 🙏
I definitely subscribed.

[frankbosley]

Thanks! What a super way to change the sound of regular open chords!

[DavidS]

Thanks, this just opened my eyes..never know, I can't barr, I use to. I played in my teens to 25 years old. I'm 68 and picked it back up about 5 years ago. My hands don't do what they use to do. I believe if I never had put it down, would never had lost my finger strength. Great video!!

[danluther]

Excellent! I've written countless songs using cowboy chords. I've learned some of this through trial & error but I will watch THIS vid over & over & will write countless more songs from what I learn!! Thanks!!!!