Originally Posted by: markpettenCan someone explain the debate over the CAGED system?

CAGED is essentially a way of visualizing chord shapes on the fretboard.

The trick to using CAGED is to realize that it consists of moveable shapes that can be any chord depending upon where you put the root note. The letters C-A-G-E-D refer to the open chord shapes. For example, this is the C major open chord shape. The numbers are scale degrees.

3||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||-1-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-3-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|-1-|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

With this in mind you can use that shape as a movable chord shape algorithm (similar to barre chords) & play any given major chord. The chord would then be named by the location of the root note, the 1.

So, this is a D major chord.

||---|-3-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|-1-|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-5-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Next the A, G, E, & D major chords can all be used as moveable shapes & they interlock across the fretboard. Further, you can use these moveable chord shapes as references for major scales as well.

This is the essence of the CAGED system.

Some people find it a helpful way to visualize and, or conceptualize scale & chord patterns on the fretboard. Some people don't. That's where most of the differences of opinion come into play.

We have material on CAGED if you are interested.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=772
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=773
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=775

I prefer this approach.

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=148

Learn how to visualize all 3 possible triad shapes (root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion) on all 4 sets of 3 adjacent strings (E-A-D, A-D-G, D-G-B, G-B-E). And then you are done. They all integrate seamlessly.

Like this:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=730
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=731
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=733
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=734

It also works for minor chords.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2161

I'm working on publishing the rest later this year. :)

If CAGED works for you, that's great. But two aspects of it always bothered me.

1. It can be confusing because it expects you to visualize, memorize and recall an open C major chord shape as any possible chord. In other words, what is the value in naming these shapes as concrete, static chords (C, A, G, E, D) when in fact they are movable, and therefore potentially any given chord, like an algebra variable?

I think it is better to simply memorize the chords tones as 1, 3, 5s in their general movable shapes. It means one less piece of superficial info that has to be understood, memorized and then stripped away in order to eventually be useful.

2. The D at the end is really redundant. And why start on C? And why use open chord shapes as standard measurement guides? I mean they are so inconsistent from each other. And I think CAGED suffers a bit from being slightly contrived. As if someone thought, "Well, we have to make an easy to memorize mnemonic device, so ...". So, since that sequence of letters happens to make a word, that is why the C shapes starts it; but not for any helpful musical or visual reason.

But, it's not as if CAGED contradicts my triad approach. They are simply two different ways of visualizing the same object: chord tones on the guitar fretboard. I personally find it more useful to look at the fundamental unit, the triad chord. If CAGED helps you (like it does many other guitarists), then use it as the helpful tool it can be.

Have fun with it & let me know how it goes for you!