CAGED Chords

The CAGED guitar architecture provides a template for learning all of the possible fingerings for any type of chord. In this lesson, we will look at the linear cycle of chord forms for the C Major chord.

We have dropped some tones in some forms to make the fingerings easier.

CAGED Guitar Forms for C Major

C begins is own cycle, and we can see its fretted version 12 frets higher on the first fretboard layout above.

R, 3, and 5 are indicated on the edge of each form above. You will want to memorize the chord components, so when we modify new types of chords (formulas) to these, we know where the Root, the 3rd, and the 5th are located.

It is also good to notice the shared borders. Take a look at the G and A forms. We can clearly see that they share a 3 string bar on strings 4, 3, and 2. Like pentatonics, borders are where forms share common tones.

Whichever form originates the system at the nut begins the cycle...since C begins the cycle for C, the next form will be A, then, G, etc. The linear cycle always goes in word order C-A-G-E-D. We can compare this to a loaf of bread, where one of the forms is the heel of the loaf. Once the heel is recognized, the other slices (forms) always go in the same word order.

The Heels

Cycle Starting Points

CAGED Form	The Heel for...
C	C, Db
A	A, Bb, B
G	G, Ab
E	E, F, F#
D	D, Eb

CAGED chords with MODS