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ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,834
ChristopherSchlegel
Full Access
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,834
02/03/2025 9:02 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: tomcobb1965

Hi all, I'm doing caged for rhythm guitar, I'm in the C shape chords section. I am having trouble getting good tone from the C shape barre chords, ie muted strings, usually from the index bar finger. My question is do I need to have these chords spot on before moving to the next lesson, or should I just move forward.

That's my tutorial, so I hope you are learning from it & enjoying it.


Short answer: no, keep going.  The primary thing to get from it the first time through is the ability to see the shapes as you move them around the fretboard.  To get used to calling out the root notes as you change positions, seeing where the chord tones are in each shape, seeing the same shape is a different chord because you are playing a different root note as you move up and down the fretboard.  This is all also great motivation to learn the musical alphabet across the fretboard.


Longer answer: no!  :)  Because in the end the vast majority of how we use these chords is just as visual guides, but we typically only play part of each overall shape; for example, just a 3 note triad inside any given shape.


Longest answer: not now, maybe later.  Learning guitar is constant process of learning, practicing, reviewing, refinement, practicing, etc.  So, you might eventually want to get that shape (or another CAGED pattern) practiced to point at which you can play it cleanly every time.  But that only depends on if you encounter a musical situation in which you need or want to use it.


So why did I play them all the way through the tutorial?  I wanted the student to see and hear how the whole shape functions; and also to see and hear that it was possible to do.  But I make it clear in the context of the tutorial that ultimately each entire shape is more of a visual reference to see all the notes that are available in any position.  And to get used to moving all the CAGED shapes around the fretboard & seeing them as different chords.


Hope that helps.  Please ask more if you have more questions.  Best of success with it.


Christopher Schlegel
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