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The CAGED system allowed me to connect the dots in my head with music theory. Also it helped me bridge from a beginner to a solid intermediate player after 10 years of being stuck as a beginner
For starters, the CAGED is only a map of major triads. It doesnt fail you if you are paying attention to the triads and intervals in each shape, if you know where the thirds are, you have your minors. Also, sitting in each shape is a pentatonic AND a Major scale, and if you understand relative minors, you have the minor versions of each scale as well. So you can go the route of learning scales, triads, intervals and note names seperately, or relative to a chord shape is up to you, but seeing the chord shapes changed my life with a guitar. If it bothers people so much, stop calling it CAGED, and instead think of it as chord shapes and triads, and realize it has nothing to do with playing chords up the neck, but rather SEEING chords up the neck.
Glad it's working out for you. I learned barre chords and that they are moveable before even hearing about CAGED and I seriously struggle to see the use of it. By the way it doesn't give you scales like you said because it's only 3 notes. You have to know the formula and build the scale yourself much like you have to know and build the minor chords. Some system this. You're doing what every other guitarist must and calling it CAGED.
@@noodlemans Every exercise you do is useful for learning the fretboard. How are you learning the full fretboard with 3 notes at a time anyway? CAGED reminds me of how the ancient people looked at the stars and saw a bear or a ladle or something and named them such. It's such a retrofit.
@@oktayx189 I’m not sure I followed your question about 3 notes. Caged shows you where the chords are, which is where the triads, arpeggios, and scales are. It’s really helpful.
Professional here (not to sound arrogant lol) but the CAGED system is the one thing that has massively allowed me to improvise freely on the neck. CAGED combined with pentatonics. The fretboard is a non-intuitive layout, therefore you need specific systems to truly conceptualize the fretboard.
I am not professional but I agree with you. I think its much easier to remember the moveable caged shapes( the massive advantage guitar players have) and know the notes of the fretboard than to remember what 3 notes make up each major/minor chord..
Caged and pentas are good for learning intermediate soloing. You'll hit a plateau though. You need a deeper understanding of the chords themselves and not just moving shapes.
The CAGED system should only be used as a rough guide around the fretboard but I has to be mixed with other practices; combined with and understanding of triads it can be an great way to speed up learning how to navigate the fret board. Great vid Brandon!
Yep, I started with CAGED and got all excited thinking it was going to be my everything and have now started to realise that because I have learnt triads, other shapes/patterns and the fretboard notes it is only 1 framework or method, not the 1 and only.
I did not have a tough time figuring out Em shape because I wasn't thinking "highest fret of the previous chord is the lowest position of the next". I was looking for the "next root" note. This, in my opinion, would help beginners 1. Help understand chord formulas 1,3,5 (also minor variations) 2. Root positions 3. Movable neck shapes 4. Triads 5. And then arrive at CAGED so that they know what was going on all this while.
I like CAGED, it works for me. I just don't only think in terms of CAGED shapes, but the triads are helpful for soloing and for coming up with rhythm guitar parts. I also use non CAGED arpeggio shapes where two notes are played on the same string. Maybe it would be limiting if it's your only way of understanding the fretboard, but I also know from experience what potential chords I can play at certain areas of the neck, the different shapes and the names of the chords. I also know the 7th chord shapes which aren't part of CAGED. Thinking of it in terms of CAGED is often the quickest way of finding the chord tones though, at least for me.
And there was me thinking that "if you're an intermediate player relying ion the CAGED system" was going to end with "*THEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY A BEGINNER.*".
Honestly I love the G shape, I never understood why everyone says it's impractical, it's really not too difficult to play once you get the feel, and it definitely sounds better than the alternative you used
Well, i think guthrie govan explains caged system much better. It is much more than this. Look up when guthrie talks about playing in the style of hendrix. I suspect the caged system is still a part of guthrie's musical vocabulary. It probably just means that most of us haven't properly figured it out. And i think it truly shows that the caged system doesn't suck, but we do
I think CAGED has more application when it comes to learning arpeggios, considering the shapes that are less "practical" to play as chords just become viable arpeggios to help you map things out
Actually martin miller was talking about this topic, and he explained the important of caged system, and how underated this system amongst guitarists. And guess what Martin miller is > than this guy.
Shits on the caged system then proceeds to show you how to play an F chord using triads of the same caged shapes from previous. This guy must be on cigarettes.
Brandon fails to relate them to the intervals -- root, third and fifth. From which you can link all across the fretboard. The intervals also allow you construct all the surrounding scales.
I only really use the E shaped and A shaped chords solely by remembering the notes of the frets on the low E and A string, gets me everywhere, easy/similar to play, works perfectly.
As a former violin/violin and current bass player the cage (sic!) system never made much sense to me. Shapes do, though, as I have to play arpeggios. Thanks for confirming. This video is very useful to understand chords - making it easier to find the right arpeggios. Thanks for that too.
Yeah people teach caged along with pentatonics and it’s extremely limiting, come to find out, most of the time they can’t explain anything beyond shapes, they’ll just say oh this is shape 3 over these power chords at this fret… and I’m like… but why? 😅. At least I used to be, I’m still not a musical scholar or anything, but I can move around in key, and learning to target triads, rather than shapes only
I love the CAGED system. It really opened up the fretboard for me. It showed how all of the major chords are laid out. Of course, I also learned how to turn all 5 shapes into minor, major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7b5 and other chords. Some of the shapes are very easy to play, some aren't, but that gave me a massive chord library. And then there's major and minor scales aligned with each shape for lead playing. CAGED is how I think of the fretboard.
@@oktayx189dude, it’s not about just playing those shapes as bare chords which you sure can, its more of visualisation tool. each penta/full scale positions overlaps each shape, shapes are waypoints to navigate through the neck by seeing scales in clusters of triads arpeggios and chord tones. I love Brandon, but his explanation of caged is a tip of an iceberg, but he might simply troll as always😅. It’s just one of the ways to look at freatbord, there are others which are as effective
Is this why as a Jazz musician, coming new to guitar - I see all those other ads and such, you know the ones, on the CAGED system and think all they do is get mad and salty and smoke cigarettes? 😂 My private lesson instructor was shocked when he learned I learned the C-major scale from 8th fret up low E before I did anything 😂 and I didn’t know pentatonics on a guitar, but I know the notes, especially in C-Major. So, I just put them together lol 😂
I never bothered myself with caged bullshit. I drew out every single note of the major scale in every single key onto it's own piece of paper, then shaded in all the roots 3rds and 5ths. That gives me every triad in the major scale. Then i remembered where all the roots and 3rds of each inversion is and by proxy know where the 5ths are. From there you can change your chords to minors and sus and diminished appropriately. Here is also how you remember every note of the chords. A - AC#E (just remember that the C is sharp) B- Big, sharp Dam, sharp Fork C- Could, End ,Good D- Dead, sharp Fucken, Air E- Every, sharp Good, Boy F- Fake, As, Cake G- Good, Boys, Die
I used the different chord shapes from the cage system to learn what the intervals within the shapes are and I manipulate them to give me the different intervals you are talking about. I don’t even think about the notes as I’m playing, I mostly just know the intervals.
Instead of caged I’ve just been using the c major scale to map out the fretboard. Just gotta know C in a few positions and the scale pattern from one octave to the next. Amazing thing about this is you can superimpose this scale over the entire fretboard along with the actual key/scale you want to play.
What you described is not how I learned the CAGED system (something I figured out on my own before I had heard of it) or how I teach it to students. I basically mapped out the best way to play the major scale with 4-frets per position (or close to it) all over the neck and discovered there were 5 different shapes that would repeat and cover the entire fretboard, and then later when I came across the CAGED system I recognized those five shapes I had discovered on my own. It's extremely helpful when improvising because I will listen to the music and then decide where I want to jump in, and as soon as I play the first note, I'll figure out what shape I'm in as quickly as possible (usually it only takes a second or two), and that will orient me on the fretboard. So if I happen to be in the D shape, I know to the left will be the E shape and to the right will be the C shape.
Yes yes yes!!! The caged system is flawless as far as ORIENTATING yourself on the fretboard goes. It instantly and seamlessly puts you in the pentatonic shape of any major or minor chord. This video is a disservice to people learning how to improvise.
Major to Minor in cage system, from my understanding, is just one shape shift backwards in CAGED . E.g., C shape major is overlapped with the G shape minor. But the root note is not at the positions as they are in major chords. But the shape still hold.
The CAGED is excellent information and definitely opened my eyes as a beginner on how to play cords up and down the fretboard. I would think all beginner/intermediate players could definitely use it to get a better understanding of the fretboard
last year i learnt it because they told me it was "magical", yes it helped me understanding other stuff i knew before i actually learned good music theory, but yeah, its really flawed but it kinda works, me learning both the minor and major scales helped me more
I don't use the CAGED system but everybody in this section and Brandon himself don't seem to realize that everybody has a different memory...the CAGED system actually stems from acoustic blues and is perfectly applicable in this context.
I've been playing for 50 years. What they now describe as the CAGED system is something I figured out on my own through exploring the neck and trying to understand it. Movable chord shapes are something I show to a beginner. There's no magic or mystery to it. But a pro level player shouldn't be limited by the restrictions of any system. You should be able to build any chord anywhere on the neck. I learned a lot about that from a friend of mine who I used to study with. His name was Ted Greene.
I was about to comment the same thing. I'm 27 and I've been playing since I was like 11 or something. I googled last year what the caged was and I already kinda knew it. when you learn the B chord and realize it's the good old A chord two frets apart, thats it.
Fingerstyle people seem to discover similar principles of the CAGED system BY ACCIDENT (once you see the shapes from the cowboy chords being moved up with barre chords). I did in my fingerstyle days. For scalar, playing, however, I started using graph paper and created a bunch of intermediate and overlapping shapes that transpose the grid to any key you wish without needing form-fitting puzzle pieces. Then, if you can play 3NPS scales, you've made an additional step towards mastery. THEN play triads vertically across the neck in various string combos and that's the next logical step. Once you've made that step, you realize that CAGED is merely a set of highway signs; not a rulebook. I don't understand the hate of the CAGED system. It's like complaining about learning your NON-cursive alphabet on 3-lined paper because it isn't *immediately* teaching cursive or calligraphy.
It's all I ever use. It's fast, and it cleans up my charts. I didn't learn it as "CAGED" though. Major, Minor, and Dominant. That's where C form, A form, G form, and E form shine. I didn't learn a D form. Oh, and there's E forms types 1 & 2, and don't leave out F form chords. The F form chords are essential when charting out material like Hendrix, Yes, and Steely Dan. There's a bit more to it than spelling out the word "CAGED" though. There are correct fingerings for all of the forms and the scales that go along with them. It's all I'll ever use.
Me personally I use a mixture of many. Go to for me are 3nps shapes, but being able to visualize individual intervals and where they are on the guitar helps massively. Having a good ear also helps a lot, as if you know the note your playing a string below is a major 3rd for example, you can use that knowledge to build scales or whatever from that point. My favorite thing to do is to use this to make up open note voicings for chords and when experimenting with alternate tunings
Also, I agree cage system is great for major cords but basically useless for minor cords. What about seven cords? What about minor seven chords what about ninth chords? What about knife chords ninth 13th chord you just gotta learn your shit man.
I was going to mention that C shaped D chord when you were talking about barre chords, it's the only one that I have trouble switching to quickly. Like when you need it for one of the arpeggios in As Tears Go By.
People who complain about the CAGED system are people who take the CAGED system too rigidly. You’re supposed to be a musician, pal; learn the concept of a “guideline.”
Honestly it helped me understand a lot of stuff about the guitar, it's a good starting point to learn the fretboard, but you have to move on from it pretty fast yeah, and learn actual triads. Also it should be called the CAGE system, because the C and D shapes are the same.
CAGED system always seemed something made for people who for some reason desperately want to avoid learning extremely basic music theory. Props to Joe Pass, but it is much simpler just to learn the 1-3-5 formula for triads. Just apply that to any scale. No weird exceptions for minor chords.
CAGED is amazingly useful for your pentatonic boxes, octaves, and scales when you fill in your whole scales off of the framework. This was a useful video that just scratches the surface. CAGED explains your root positions for each of your F-aulty chords you just played, I can know the notes but the positions are butter it’s how the greats “know” 1000s of songs not based on the notes but being in the slot in position, and knowing every other note position based off the root and the key. Yes do that next video I’ll be having a cigarette while I wait
can you explain? maybe you mean it doesnt allow it to go outside the major scale? thats not true cause the same shapes apply when you borrow from another mode, you just have to know what to change. You can get quick at it with experience.
I’ve been trying the caged system to get better at soloing and improvisation. Would it be more better to learn the arpeggios of a chord across the neck instead of caged positions?
When I started playing guitar about 20 years ago I have no internets so all that "chord shapes" was obvious things when I learned classic chord shapes and just move them up and down the neck and it gives different chords. When seen "that caged system" first thought I got was "...and how you will play Cm with that?"
I’m confused as to how Dm to Cm breaking the rule of the highest fret becoming the lowest fret is any different than D Major to C Major? The exact same rule is broken in both cases.
@@dereklevesque5283 the formula for any scale is the same Eg. The formula for the e minor and g minor scales is the same along with any other minor chord (W-H-W-W-H-W-W , W is 2 semitones, H is 1 semitone Chords are built from the notes of a scale If you were to play a chord the simple way (1-3-5), lets say G minor on the G, B and E strings (e standard tuning) you would play 12 on G, 11 on B, and 10 on E. Now if you were to play that one fret higher (13, 12, 11) you would have a G# minor chord, different notes, same intervals Playing any chord in one shape will give you the same chord, just with a different tonic (1st note of the scale) and therefore different notes to the same type of chord
@@dereklevesque5283It's simply a help for visualization. I would say it's just as difficult or even easier to learn a couple of shapes than to learn all the triads across the fretboard. In fact, as they told you, the CAGED system is basically formed by triads, and it's just as easy to make them minor as it is to think of triad shapes as minor
CAGED is great for minor. It easy to build great minor frameworks to play with but as you noted, you have to clear what note of the chord/scale your playing to get best results.
Any video with you talking to me like I’m an asshole, is PERFECT. 👍 So, yes please. A video using the caged system with solos would be great…. I barely know what that is so…. here we are. 🫡
Am I the only that when he is going up chromatically to D that he says Db instead of C#… # raises pitches a b lowers pitches… yes I know they are enharmonic, and it doesn’t really matter, just I noticed It and I always call a Bb a Bb never a A#..however I know what anyone is talking about when they say a Bb or Db…
Each shape falls perfectly into a pentatonic position (& diatonic) .. so if you can see the shapes you can identify the chord tones that will sound perfect
I play guitar since I was 6 and I discovered only a year ago the existence of the CAGED system (i am serious lol)...To me it's really a problematic approach because people focus on the geometric form of the chord and not on the notes and what them represent in function of the chord.
Is there a reason you went with Dflat instead of C# etc on the chord naming? Personal choice or is there a theory thought process behind it/ does it even matter? I need to know so i can get off the cigarettes 🚬
CAGED has been the absolute best system for me to learn the fretboard. At least when looking at the majorr chords it allows you to easily map where every 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th is on the fretboard, allowing you to easily fill in whichever scale you want to play and really visualize what you're doing. As long as you apply all these other concepts and only use it as a framework for how you see the fretboard I think it is an amazing tool. If you are only using it for chord voicing then yeah it's pretty weak
This is exactly how I learned it back in my day. Is CAGED a recent teaching method? Someone asked me about it recently, so I had to look up what it is. I personally think the idea of naming the shapes just creates a ton of confusion, but if it works for others, then that’s cool.
The best explaintation of the caged system is: its the order of 5 octaves and any information based around those 5 octaves. Every chord, arpeggio and every scale/mode. Also, its an easy strategy for beginners to understand. Ted Greene wrote a whole encyclopedia for guitar based on the 5 root positions aka CAGED. seriously, you cant finger that E minor chord?
My dude, for our minor chords we can use the relative shapes. I dont need to learn Em shapes cause I know the G shapes and i can see Em throughout them. I agree there are things more important than CAGED but your reason why they suck its not it.
CAGED is also very redundant, just look up the charts the shapes C + A, G + E, D + C, G + A and E + D they all are basically unions from each other the only difference from each triad is a single note lower or higher the only shapes that reallly distinguishs from each other are A, E and D shapes, because they share fewer unison and covers more range on the fretboard
mfw i opened a bunch of caged videos from search in new tabs, happen to watch this one first because it's shortest, and he immediately calls out the other videos i opened as unnecessarily long
The irony is that he bashes the CAGED system here, and then teaches it under a different name elsewhere (the 5 positions). This guy is either a fool or a liar.
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The CAGED system allowed me to connect the dots in my head with music theory. Also it helped me bridge from a beginner to a solid intermediate player after 10 years of being stuck as a beginner
something makes me think brandon is actually secretly a guitar smoking cigarettes
Has he taken up that Davie504 or pewdiepie personality recently or he was always like this?
For starters, the CAGED is only a map of major triads. It doesnt fail you if you are paying attention to the triads and intervals in each shape, if you know where the thirds are, you have your minors. Also, sitting in each shape is a pentatonic AND a Major scale, and if you understand relative minors, you have the minor versions of each scale as well.
So you can go the route of learning scales, triads, intervals and note names seperately, or relative to a chord shape is up to you, but seeing the chord shapes changed my life with a guitar.
If it bothers people so much, stop calling it CAGED, and instead think of it as chord shapes and triads, and realize it has nothing to do with playing chords up the neck, but rather SEEING chords up the neck.
i dunno, never saw the point in caged, just learned chord building lol.
Glad it's working out for you. I learned barre chords and that they are moveable before even hearing about CAGED and I seriously struggle to see the use of it.
By the way it doesn't give you scales like you said because it's only 3 notes. You have to know the formula and build the scale yourself much like you have to know and build the minor chords. Some system this. You're doing what every other guitarist must and calling it CAGED.
Caged is super helpful for learning the fretboard and improvising in key.
@@noodlemans Every exercise you do is useful for learning the fretboard. How are you learning the full fretboard with 3 notes at a time anyway?
CAGED reminds me of how the ancient people looked at the stars and saw a bear or a ladle or something and named them such. It's such a retrofit.
@@oktayx189 I’m not sure I followed your question about 3 notes. Caged shows you where the chords are, which is where the triads, arpeggios, and scales are. It’s really helpful.
Professional here (not to sound arrogant lol) but the CAGED system is the one thing that has massively allowed me to improvise freely on the neck. CAGED combined with pentatonics. The fretboard is a non-intuitive layout, therefore you need specific systems to truly conceptualize the fretboard.
I am not professional but I agree with you. I think its much easier to remember the moveable caged shapes( the massive advantage guitar players have) and know the notes of the fretboard than to remember what 3 notes make up each major/minor chord..
Caged and pentas are good for learning intermediate soloing. You'll hit a plateau though. You need a deeper understanding of the chords themselves and not just moving shapes.
The CAGED system should only be used as a rough guide around the fretboard but I has to be mixed with other practices; combined with and understanding of triads it can be an great way to speed up learning how to navigate the fret board. Great vid Brandon!
Yep, I started with CAGED and got all excited thinking it was going to be my everything and have now started to realise that because I have learnt triads, other shapes/patterns and the fretboard notes it is only 1 framework or method, not the 1 and only.
Thanks Brandon, this shit really PISSES ME OFF
I did not have a tough time figuring out Em shape because I wasn't thinking "highest fret of the previous chord is the lowest position of the next". I was looking for the "next root" note.
This, in my opinion, would help beginners
1. Help understand chord formulas 1,3,5 (also minor variations)
2. Root positions
3. Movable neck shapes
4. Triads
5. And then arrive at CAGED so that they know what was going on all this while.
what do you mean by movable neck shapes
100
I like CAGED, it works for me. I just don't only think in terms of CAGED shapes, but the triads are helpful for soloing and for coming up with rhythm guitar parts. I also use non CAGED arpeggio shapes where two notes are played on the same string. Maybe it would be limiting if it's your only way of understanding the fretboard, but I also know from experience what potential chords I can play at certain areas of the neck, the different shapes and the names of the chords. I also know the 7th chord shapes which aren't part of CAGED. Thinking of it in terms of CAGED is often the quickest way of finding the chord tones though, at least for me.
I agree--Caged and triads are basically two ways of thinking about the same things. Almost all triads are part of a caged chord shape....
Idk whats wrong with me the CAGED system makes almost no sense to me but learning triads just clicked instantly
The triads are in each CAGED shape for any chord lol
@@brandonnewyork11 Sure they are in there, but so much more powerful to practice them directly
And there was me thinking that "if you're an intermediate player relying ion the CAGED system" was going to end with "*THEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY A BEGINNER.*".
This beats all those 32 min videos 😂😂💯
Turns out I already knew the caged system from just learning chords...
I always considered this system a starting point, for someone who is afraid to start learning music theory.
Dude where the hell were you 30 years ago? This was awesome and made me feel really stupid! Thank you for that!
This is why I like tomo's videos on learning triads.
Honestly I love the G shape, I never understood why everyone says it's impractical, it's really not too difficult to play once you get the feel, and it definitely sounds better than the alternative you used
In my early days of learning guitar, my friend showed me this system and despite knowing nothing I thought that was the stupidest shit ever
Yes everyone is wrong except you. Lolol
@@davidferrara1105 No I’m wrong about things. CAGED is just stupid for what I want out of guitar.
@@davidferrara1105 You realize the creator of the video we are all commenting on agrees with this, so that's one.
Well, i think guthrie govan explains caged system much better. It is much more than this. Look up when guthrie talks about playing in the style of hendrix. I suspect the caged system is still a part of guthrie's musical vocabulary. It probably just means that most of us haven't properly figured it out. And i think it truly shows that the caged system doesn't suck, but we do
I think CAGED has more application when it comes to learning arpeggios, considering the shapes that are less "practical" to play as chords just become viable arpeggios to help you map things out
Actually martin miller was talking about this topic, and he explained the important of caged system, and how underated this system amongst guitarists. And guess what Martin miller is > than this guy.
the caged system never clicked with me, id rather brute force chords and scales until i can do them in my sleep
Great content love everything especially the yelling
but its funny lol
@@9OUNCEBeats not
Shits on the caged system then proceeds to show you how to play an F chord using triads of the same caged shapes from previous. This guy must be on cigarettes.
Caged system sucks, learn your triads!
Caged: literally a system for learning your triads.
🤦♂️
great explanations as always, Brandon
Is it? He doesn’t seem to actually understand what the CAGED system is for.
Brandon fails to relate them to the intervals -- root, third and fifth. From which you can link all across the fretboard. The intervals also allow you construct all the surrounding scales.
I only really use the E shaped and A shaped chords solely by remembering the notes of the frets on the low E and A string, gets me everywhere, easy/similar to play, works perfectly.
Enjoying the longer-form content, keep up the good work
As a former violin/violin and current bass player the cage (sic!) system never made much sense to me. Shapes do, though, as I have to play arpeggios.
Thanks for confirming. This video is very useful to understand chords - making it easier to find the right arpeggios. Thanks for that too.
Yeah people teach caged along with pentatonics and it’s extremely limiting, come to find out, most of the time they can’t explain anything beyond shapes, they’ll just say oh this is shape 3 over these power chords at this fret… and I’m like… but why? 😅. At least I used to be, I’m still not a musical scholar or anything, but I can move around in key, and learning to target triads, rather than shapes only
bruh the 30 to 1hr videos on this IS HILARIOUS
I love the CAGED system. It really opened up the fretboard for me. It showed how all of the major chords are laid out. Of course, I also learned how to turn all 5 shapes into minor, major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7b5 and other chords. Some of the shapes are very easy to play, some aren't, but that gave me a massive chord library. And then there's major and minor scales aligned with each shape for lead playing. CAGED is how I think of the fretboard.
And the triads and arpeggios are all inside those caged shapes.
That's awesome but that's just barre chords. And they are moveable. That's the totality of the "system".
@@oktayx189dude, it’s not about just playing those shapes as bare chords which you sure can, its more of visualisation tool. each penta/full scale positions overlaps each shape, shapes are waypoints to navigate through the neck by seeing scales in clusters of triads arpeggios and chord tones. I love Brandon, but his explanation of caged is a tip of an iceberg, but he might simply troll as always😅. It’s just one of the ways to look at freatbord, there are others which are as effective
I do the same. It was a massive revelation for me.
Is this why as a Jazz musician, coming new to guitar - I see all those other ads and such, you know the ones, on the CAGED system and think all they do is get mad and salty and smoke cigarettes? 😂
My private lesson instructor was shocked when he learned I learned the C-major scale from 8th fret up low E before I did anything 😂 and I didn’t know pentatonics on a guitar, but I know the notes, especially in C-Major. So, I just put them together lol 😂
I never bothered myself with caged bullshit. I drew out every single note of the major scale in every single key onto it's own piece of paper, then shaded in all the roots 3rds and 5ths. That gives me every triad in the major scale. Then i remembered where all the roots and 3rds of each inversion is and by proxy know where the 5ths are. From there you can change your chords to minors and sus and diminished appropriately.
Here is also how you remember every note of the chords.
A - AC#E (just remember that the C is sharp)
B- Big, sharp Dam, sharp Fork
C- Could, End ,Good
D- Dead, sharp Fucken, Air
E- Every, sharp Good, Boy
F- Fake, As, Cake
G- Good, Boys, Die
I used the different chord shapes from the cage system to learn what the intervals within the shapes are and I manipulate them to give me the different intervals you are talking about. I don’t even think about the notes as I’m playing, I mostly just know the intervals.
So thats CAGED system, im practically doing it without knowing this CAGED system.
I don’t use it. Been playing for 30 years.
Instead of caged I’ve just been using the c major scale to map out the fretboard. Just gotta know C in a few positions and the scale pattern from one octave to the next. Amazing thing about this is you can superimpose this scale over the entire fretboard along with the actual key/scale you want to play.
What you described is not how I learned the CAGED system (something I figured out on my own before I had heard of it) or how I teach it to students. I basically mapped out the best way to play the major scale with 4-frets per position (or close to it) all over the neck and discovered there were 5 different shapes that would repeat and cover the entire fretboard, and then later when I came across the CAGED system I recognized those five shapes I had discovered on my own. It's extremely helpful when improvising because I will listen to the music and then decide where I want to jump in, and as soon as I play the first note, I'll figure out what shape I'm in as quickly as possible (usually it only takes a second or two), and that will orient me on the fretboard. So if I happen to be in the D shape, I know to the left will be the E shape and to the right will be the C shape.
Yes yes yes!!! The caged system is flawless as far as ORIENTATING yourself on the fretboard goes. It instantly and seamlessly puts you in the pentatonic shape of any major or minor chord. This video is a disservice to people learning how to improvise.
Major to Minor in cage system, from my understanding, is just one shape shift backwards in CAGED . E.g., C shape major is overlapped with the G shape minor. But the root note is not at the positions as they are in major chords. But the shape still hold.
The CAGED is excellent information and definitely opened my eyes as a beginner on how to play cords up and down the fretboard. I would think all beginner/intermediate players could definitely use it to get a better understanding of the fretboard
I think the Best way to understand chords is by learning scales, once You get the minor and major scale playing chords becomes second nature
last year i learnt it because they told me it was "magical", yes it helped me understanding other stuff i knew before i actually learned good music theory, but yeah, its really flawed but it kinda works, me learning both the minor and major scales helped me more
I really hate bullshit in all aspects of life, so a no bullshit lesson in my favorite thing is really helpful.
I don't use the CAGED system but everybody in this section and Brandon himself don't seem to realize that everybody has a different memory...the CAGED system actually stems from acoustic blues and is perfectly applicable in this context.
The only thing I’ve found useful about CAGED is teaching E and A shapes so that my students can learn bar chords. Otherwise it’s trash.
Zombie Guitar’s video is actually quite good… as is that other chick’s video.
Brian Kelly is awesome
I've been playing for 50 years. What they now describe as the CAGED system is something I figured out on my own through exploring the neck and trying to understand it. Movable chord shapes are something I show to a beginner. There's no magic or mystery to it. But a pro level player shouldn't be limited by the restrictions of any system. You should be able to build any chord anywhere on the neck. I learned a lot about that from a friend of mine who I used to study with. His name was Ted Greene.
I was about to comment the same thing. I'm 27 and I've been playing since I was like 11 or something. I googled last year what the caged was and I already kinda knew it. when you learn the B chord and realize it's the good old A chord two frets apart, thats it.
Fingerstyle people seem to discover similar principles of the CAGED system BY ACCIDENT (once you see the shapes from the cowboy chords being moved up with barre chords). I did in my fingerstyle days. For scalar, playing, however, I started using graph paper and created a bunch of intermediate and overlapping shapes that transpose the grid to any key you wish without needing form-fitting puzzle pieces. Then, if you can play 3NPS scales, you've made an additional step towards mastery. THEN play triads vertically across the neck in various string combos and that's the next logical step. Once you've made that step, you realize that CAGED is merely a set of highway signs; not a rulebook.
I don't understand the hate of the CAGED system. It's like complaining about learning your NON-cursive alphabet on 3-lined paper because it isn't *immediately* teaching cursive or calligraphy.
I would think anyone that doesn't know it might be a beginner or inexperienced...so I would take that comment with a grain of salt
It's all I ever use. It's fast, and it cleans up my charts. I didn't learn it as "CAGED" though. Major, Minor, and Dominant. That's where C form, A form, G form, and E form shine. I didn't learn a D form. Oh, and there's E forms types 1 & 2, and don't leave out F form chords. The F form chords are essential when charting out material like Hendrix, Yes, and Steely Dan. There's a bit more to it than spelling out the word "CAGED" though. There are correct fingerings for all of the forms and the scales that go along with them. It's all I'll ever use.
Me personally I use a mixture of many. Go to for me are 3nps shapes, but being able to visualize individual intervals and where they are on the guitar helps massively. Having a good ear also helps a lot, as if you know the note your playing a string below is a major 3rd for example, you can use that knowledge to build scales or whatever from that point. My favorite thing to do is to use this to make up open note voicings for chords and when experimenting with alternate tunings
Using the clues Brandon left in this video, i have determined B is OVER 24 years old
He's clearly in his mid to late 20s, I don't know why he makes a big deal out of an age reveal. He's a generic ass young adult white dude.
Joe pass invented the CAGED system. I think he knows a thing or two about the guitar
Nah. Since the guitar was invented good players knew about this.
Brandon
the gojo satorou of guitar
Unmatched chad energy
Also, I agree cage system is great for major cords but basically useless for minor cords. What about seven cords? What about minor seven chords what about ninth chords? What about knife chords ninth 13th chord you just gotta learn your shit man.
I was going to mention that C shaped D chord when you were talking about barre chords, it's the only one that I have trouble switching to quickly. Like when you need it for one of the arpeggios in As Tears Go By.
Brandon, que buen invento es la música, que sin saber inglés , me entero de lo que dices. Eres un crack, muchas gracias desde España!!
People who complain about the CAGED system are people who take the CAGED system too rigidly. You’re supposed to be a musician, pal; learn the concept of a “guideline.”
Its easier to just learn it all with raw memory, takes a while but it cements to you better,
yeah waiting for the video on soloing using bitch CAGED system
And yes id like to know how to apply the cage system to soloing because getting good at playing chord changes is the bane of my existence
Honestly it helped me understand a lot of stuff about the guitar, it's a good starting point to learn the fretboard, but you have to move on from it pretty fast yeah, and learn actual triads. Also it should be called the CAGE system, because the C and D shapes are the same.
Also memorize all the notes.on the fretboard 👍
CAGED system always seemed something made for people who for some reason desperately want to avoid learning extremely basic music theory. Props to Joe Pass, but it is much simpler just to learn the 1-3-5 formula for triads. Just apply that to any scale. No weird exceptions for minor chords.
Bro, that’s what’s caged is all about lol
Finally explained properly
saying the caged system sucks proves you don't understand it
It’s so much more useless than just learning how chords are made and applying it with the fretboard.
@@reexo1x147 That's what Caged does
CAGED is amazingly useful for your pentatonic boxes, octaves, and scales when you fill in your whole scales off of the framework. This was a useful video that just scratches the surface. CAGED explains your root positions for each of your F-aulty chords you just played, I can know the notes but the positions are butter it’s how the greats “know” 1000s of songs not based on the notes but being in the slot in position, and knowing every other note position based off the root and the key. Yes do that next video I’ll be having a cigarette while I wait
The problem with the caged system it leaves out all sharps and flats and that’s the bread and butter
wtf are you talking about that's not even true lmao
can you explain? maybe you mean it doesnt allow it to go outside the major scale? thats not true cause the same shapes apply when you borrow from another mode, you just have to know what to change. You can get quick at it with experience.
WRONG!
you mean the intervals dawg
@@corneliusrawness it depends on the key of course, I see a guitar teacher in person and they told me the caged system is bs
I’ve been trying the caged system to get better at soloing and improvisation. Would it be more better to learn the arpeggios of a chord across the neck instead of caged positions?
No.
Learn caged my friend.
Bro the arpeggios are sitting in each CAGED shape for any chord lol
bro my brain isn't brainin ngl
Sure! I'd like to see a vid on how to use CAGED for solos along with your better idea for that.
When I started playing guitar about 20 years ago I have no internets so all that "chord shapes" was obvious things when I learned classic chord shapes and just move them up and down the neck and it gives different chords. When seen "that caged system" first thought I got was "...and how you will play Cm with that?"
I’m confused as to how Dm to Cm breaking the rule of the highest fret becoming the lowest fret is any different than D Major to C Major? The exact same rule is broken in both cases.
About time someone said it. Learn your triads.
And ditch the cigarettes! 🚬
Should have had an example in G MINOR.
@TopoIl12not the minor triads tho
@@dereklevesque5283 i mean, a minor chord will be minor anywhere on the fretboard (on the same strings)
@@dereklevesque5283 the formula for any scale is the same
Eg. The formula for the e minor and g minor scales is the same along with any other minor chord (W-H-W-W-H-W-W , W is 2 semitones, H is 1 semitone
Chords are built from the notes of a scale
If you were to play a chord the simple way (1-3-5), lets say G minor on the G, B and E strings (e standard tuning) you would play 12 on G, 11 on B, and 10 on E.
Now if you were to play that one fret higher (13, 12, 11) you would have a G# minor chord, different notes, same intervals
Playing any chord in one shape will give you the same chord, just with a different tonic (1st note of the scale) and therefore different notes to the same type of chord
@@dereklevesque5283It's simply a help for visualization. I would say it's just as difficult or even easier to learn a couple of shapes than to learn all the triads across the fretboard. In fact, as they told you, the CAGED system is basically formed by triads, and it's just as easy to make them minor as it is to think of triad shapes as minor
Triads are so simple tho I don’t know how people are too lazy to learn them it just takes time ig
CAGED is great for minor. It easy to build great minor frameworks to play with but as you noted, you have to clear what note of the chord/scale your playing to get best results.
Any video with you talking to me like I’m an asshole, is PERFECT. 👍 So, yes please. A video using the caged system with solos would be great…. I barely know what that is so…. here we are. 🫡
Three notes per string is by far the better system and much more fluid
finally someone's there who didn't ruin caged with a 30 min video 😂
Ya make a video of doing the thing you said at the end
I agree with this, do it or YOU'RE ON CIGARETTES
Am I the only that when he is going up chromatically to D that he says Db instead of C#… # raises pitches a b lowers pitches… yes I know they are enharmonic, and it doesn’t really matter, just I noticed
It and I always call a Bb a Bb never a A#..however I know what anyone is talking about when they say a Bb or Db…
haha you crack me up dude subbed
I've also been trying to figure out how the CAGED system is useful for soloing and improvisation so your take would be very helpful
Each shape falls perfectly into a pentatonic position (& diatonic) .. so if you can see the shapes you can identify the chord tones that will sound perfect
Check out Zombie Guitars video on the CAGED system. Brian kelly has many years of experience and is a great teacher
I play guitar since I was 6 and I discovered only a year ago the existence of the CAGED system (i am serious lol)...To me it's really a problematic approach because people focus on the geometric form of the chord and not on the notes and what them represent in function of the chord.
Is there a reason you went with Dflat instead of C# etc on the chord naming? Personal choice or is there a theory thought process behind it/ does it even matter? I need to know so i can get off the cigarettes 🚬
The caged system doesn’t work for minors. Ok, but you can think about them as the relative major of whatever minor key you are
It's only meant for open chords
CAGED has been the absolute best system for me to learn the fretboard. At least when looking at the majorr chords it allows you to easily map where every 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th is on the fretboard, allowing you to easily fill in whichever scale you want to play and really visualize what you're doing. As long as you apply all these other concepts and only use it as a framework for how you see the fretboard I think it is an amazing tool. If you are only using it for chord voicing then yeah it's pretty weak
It is a useful acronym for telling you the *order* of the chord shape inversions going up the neck in a given key. That's about it.
This is exactly how I learned it back in my day. Is CAGED a recent teaching method? Someone asked me about it recently, so I had to look up what it is. I personally think the idea of naming the shapes just creates a ton of confusion, but if it works for others, then that’s cool.
CAGED was first mention in 1975
@@redglove7748 Wow! That’s wild. I have no idea why I never heard of it when I was learning. Thanks for responding with that info.
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So instead of the CAGED system, is it better to focus on triads?
The best explaintation of the caged system is: its the order of 5 octaves and any information based around those 5 octaves. Every chord, arpeggio and every scale/mode.
Also, its an easy strategy for beginners to understand.
Ted Greene wrote a whole encyclopedia for guitar based on the 5 root positions aka CAGED.
seriously, you cant finger that E minor chord?
My dude, for our minor chords we can use the relative shapes. I dont need to learn Em shapes cause I know the G shapes and i can see Em throughout them. I agree there are things more important than CAGED but your reason why they suck its not it.
CAGED is also very redundant, just look up the charts
the shapes C + A, G + E, D + C, G + A and E + D they all are basically unions from each other
the only difference from each triad is a single note lower or higher
the only shapes that reallly distinguishs from each other are A, E and D shapes, because they share fewer unison and covers more range on the fretboard
Day 5 of asking Brandon to explain relative minor theory
ua-cam.com/video/OHrEeohuOCc/v-deo.html
give the solo knowledge
I did not even know this existed before this video😅
Can you make a video on how to learn the triad shapes? Or just a triad video in general?
so you basically said why caged system doesn't suck because thats what it is
mfw i opened a bunch of caged videos from search in new tabs, happen to watch this one first because it's shortest, and he immediately calls out the other videos i opened as unnecessarily long
The irony is that he bashes the CAGED system here, and then teaches it under a different name elsewhere (the 5 positions). This guy is either a fool or a liar.
Watching your video in a sleepyhead mood...🥱😔
Than SUDDENLY...
YOU SHOUTING...🗣️
And me : 😳
Fully opened eyes and mind ....🤣
Jokes on you, i know how to make minor chords work caged.
The fact that you're such a fookin good instructor and that these longer form videos are so helpful really PISSES ME OFF