HOW TO USE
THE CAGED SYSTEM
TO PLAY A SOLO
This PDF is a summary of this video: https://youtu.be/0Qp26KcDrGw
www.scottpauljohnson.com
THE BASIC SHAPES
C chord NOTES:
E
G
E
C
E
GC
C
E
G
G
All
chords
are
made
A chord NOTES: of individual notes.
A On guitar, the open
EA
E
C# chord shapes are the
E
E result of plotting out
EAC
where those notes
are.
G chord NOTES:
DGB
B
G
DG
G
B
D
E chord NOTES:
E
BE
E
G
BE
E
G#
B
D chord NOTES:
D
F#
E
F A
AD
F
E
A
D
MAPPING OUT CHORDS UP THE NECK
E
G
E
C
C, A, G, E,
C
s
and D
h
E
a
shapes
GC
G p
e
appear in
order
GC E
when you
map out
all the
E
notes in a C
GC E
chord on
s
E
every
h
a
GC
string
p
E
G
E
C
E
E
G
C
E
GC
G
GC E
A
GC
s
h
a
p
e
G
GC E
E
GC
C
E
E
G
s
h
a
p
GC e
E
C
GC
E
C
E
e
E
G
E
GC
D
s
h
G
E a
p
C
e
E
G
E
C
CAGED Pentatonic Scales
On the left are all the notes in a C Major chord as
shown on the previous page. Note names have been
replaced with dots.
( Roots = C ) ( Thirds= E ) ( Fifths = G )
On the right, two notes have been added, converting
a set of C chords into a set of C Major pentatonic
scales. These are the five notes of a C Major pentatonic scale.
(1 = C) (2 = D) (3 = E) (4 = G) (5=A)
Major Pentatonic Root Notes
Major root notes in PURPLE
C shape
A shape
G shape
E shape
D shape
Minor Pentatonic Root Notes
Minor root notes in RED
Major root notes in PURPLE
C shape
A shape
G shape
E shape
D shape
PRACTICE
Print out the included “guitar
note name scratch paper.”
(chord shapes)
(penta shape)
E A D G B E
E A D G B E
E A D G B E
F
F
F
C F
G C F
D G
3. Circle just the root notes
of a scale and try to visualize
where to play the appropriate scale shape associated
with that root note,
G C F
B
D G
5
B
7
B E A D
C F
9
B E
D G C F A D
E A D G B E
5
A D G C E A
5
F
B
7
G C
12
9
B E
E A D G B E
F
B E A
15
12
C F
B
A D G C E A
G C F
7
G C
9
B E
E A D G B E
F
12
C F
B E A
D G
15
B
17
B
D G C F A D
B E A
D G
B E A D
C F
D G C F A D
C F
G C F
3
F
G C
F
D G
G C F
B
A D G C E A
F
C F
3
B E A
B
A D G C E A
B E A D
2. Circle the root notes of a
major or minor key you
would like to practice. Then
write in the appropriate
scale shapes. Play the
scales to confirm they sound
like you might expect.
3
B E A
C F
frets
1.Circle all the names of the
notes in a particular chord
and notice the CAGED
shapes up and down the
neck.
frets
frets
B E A
C F
A D G C E A
D G
15
A D G C E A
17
G C F
B
17