I-IV-V progression and the CAGED system

This is very much a music theory question because it relates to how to visualize chord tones on the fretboard.

Originally Posted by: Deanhorneck
To preface my question: If you were to play a I-IV-V progression starting with an E-shaped barre chord with a root on the 6th string as the I chord, the IV and V chord are played using A shaped barre chords with a root on the 5th string.[/quote][p]This is a good premise to start with! And the answer is contained in the question. So, let's start by unpacking the question.

How do you identify a I-IV-V progression? By the root motion of the chords. So if you know the root notes of the chords, then you've got a clue to the answer: find the root notes on the fretboard. Look at their location, build appropriate chords on those notes.

This leads to the next problem: how do we know what the appropriate chord shapes are?

And this is where the CAGED method starts to hinder instead of help understanding the issue. It's better to understand how triads works, than to view all chords as variations on open chords. To be fair, CAGED has advantages when you are just starting to understand how guitar chord shapes work & that they are moveable.

But in my playing & teaching experience it's better to remove that layer of superficial information to reveal the actual, universally applicable chord formula intervals & triads & see how they form patterns on the fretboard.
Originally Posted by: Deanhorneck
So for example if I start with a C chaped barre chord as my I chord, what shape is used to play the IV and V?
[p]If C is the I tonic, then what are the IV & V?

||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|-F-|----|-G-|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|-C-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|

C - I
F - IV
G - V

So the direct answer to your question is use an F chord shape. Like this.

IV chord
||-F-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||-C-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|-A-|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|-F-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|

Move it up 2 frets for the G V chord.
||----|----|-G-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|-D-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|-B-|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|-G-|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|

And this is where CAGED breaks down. There isn't an "open F shape" in the system to rely on. The F chord shape is actually based on the open E shape, which is part of CAGED. But that isn't immediately obvious per the above example.
[quote=Deanhorneck]
Or if I start with a G shaped barre chord? What shaped barre chords go together like how E and A shapes go together?

[p]Because the open C chord is rooted a 4th above the G chord, then you'd use the C chord as the IV chord. And then continue to use it 2 frets higher for the D V chord. This is the same relationship as E (I) to A (IV), then 2 frets higher for B (V).

I chord

||----|----|-G-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]B||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]G||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]D||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|-B-|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|----|-G-|----|----|----|----|----|

IV chord

E ||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||-C-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|

G||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|-E-|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|----|-C-|----|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|

V chord

||----|-F#|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|-D-|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|-A-|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|-F#|----|----|----|----|[br] ||----|----|----|----|-D-|----|----|----|[br]||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|[br][br]

Unfortunately, CAGED doesn't tell you HOW or WHY this works.

A better way to understand chord shapes is to study the triads that are the basis of all major & minor chord shapes, all over the fretboard, in all keys.

I cover this concept in detail in these tutorials.

Introduction to Triads & Chord Inversions

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=824

Chord Inversions: An Introduction

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

I systematically show how to apply this idea to any & all possible major & minor chord triads across the guitar in these tutorials. Each tutorial also has a lot of opportunities to practice the shapes in order to really get used to them!

[br]Practicing Major Triads & Inversions Series 1[br]https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=730

Practicing Major Triads & Inversions Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=731

[br]Practicing Major Triads & Inversions Series 3

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=733

[br]Practicing Major Triads & Inversions Series 4[br]https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=734

[br]Practicing Minor Triads & Inversions Series 1[br]https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2161

[br]Practicing Minor Triads & Inversions Series 2

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2194

Practicing Minor Triads & Inversions Series 3

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2200

Practicing Minor Triads & Inversions Series 4