The CAGED chord system is an easy method for remembering
the major chord forms on a guitar using standard tuning. CAGED
is an acronym for the five major chord patterns: C, A, G, E, and
D. These patterns are used for the open chord forms in standard
tuning. These same chord forms can be moved up the neck to play
the same patterns in all of the keys. For example the C pattern
can be moved to the fourth fret and it becomes the E chord. It
is possible to play every major chord in each of the five CAGED
patterns.
The major chord form consists of three notes of the major diatonic
scale, root, 3rd and 5th. The notes of the chord forms are color
coded as follows: the root notes are red, the 3rd notes are blue
and the 5th notes are green.
The diagram below shows all of the occurences on the fretboard,
of the notes of the C chord from the open strings to the 15th
fret. The notes for the C Major chord are C, The five different
patterns for the C chord are outlined in blue and green. A good
point to notice is that as the different patterns for the C chord
move down the neck they are in the CAGED order. First, in the
open position is the C chord form, next at the 3rd fret is the
A chord form, next at the 5th fret is the G chord form, etc.
