Chapter 7:

Practical CAGED grips

About CAGED

The CAGED system is a convenient way of thinking about movable chord shapes on guitar. Movable chords are chord grips that can be played in any position up and down the neck, because they don’t have any open strings. Every string is either stopped at a fret, or muted by a convenient positioning of the hand. (Muting strings is the magic trick that makes movable chords possible.)

When looked at in this way, a guitar in standard tuning has only five of these core movable shapes, which in turn form the basis of every chord it is possible to play on guitar.

The shapes are named after the familiar C, A, G, E, and D chord shapes in “open position” (that is, having open strings).

Mind the intervals

When learning and practicing these shapes, it’s important to be mindful of the purpose each note serves in the chord, rather than thoughtlessly memorizing occult chord shapes. We must always be aware of which note is the root, third or minor third, fifth, etc.

This is important for two reasons. First, it allows us to make any chord we need by adjusting a chord shape we already know. (For example, lowering the third of a major chord by one fret makes it a minor chord.)

Second, it leads to almost accidentally learning the most important interval shapes and sounds all over the fretboard, which is extremely useful for improvising and playing by ear.

Of course it’s especially important to know the root notes in each chord shape, since that’s how we know where to place the chord.

Notation

The dots in the following chord diagrams are labeled with the simple interval of each chord tone from the root. R is the root note, 3 is the major third, b3 is the minor third, etc.

Chord fingerings are notated like this: x4312x. The six symbols represent the six strings of the guitar from lowest pitch to highest, left to right, and indicate the number of the finger used to fret each string, or an “x” indicating the string is muted. Finger 1 is the index finger, 2 is the middle finger, 3 is the ring finger, and 4 is the little finger.

The fingering symbols are intuitive if we imagine them placed at the bottom of the chord diagrams, lined up with the strings. For example, imagine the x4312x fingering for the C major shape like this:

C shapes

C major shape

The basic C major shape is a straightforward triad chord. The chord tones are in the order R-3-5, (which is called “root position”), the third and fifth are stacked directly on top of the root with no gaps (which is called a “closed voicing”), and then the root note is repeated again at the octave, so the root is both the highest and lowest note.

Play the chord tones in sequence R-3-5-R, and notice how it sounds just like walking up the stairs, with all the tones packed together into a single octave. That’s the sound of a closed voicing. This kind of closed-voice root-position triad sounds strong and clear.

The basic chord grip for this shape is x4312x. It’s a surprisingly comfortable and convenient grip, once it becomes familiar. The 1st string can be comfortably muted with the side of the fretting hand, and the 6th string can be muted by either the tip of the little finger or the thumb.

The bass note for this chord is played with the little finger on the 5th string. It’s common to reach the little finger over to the 6th string, to play an alternating bass line between the root and fifth.

Sometimes it sounds good to add the major third on the highest string, which can be done by flattening the first finger: x43121

Another variation is to play just the “treble triad” on the top three (“treble”) strings xxx121, with the root on the 2nd string, optionally adding the bass note with the little finger: x4x121.

To get a feel for the C major chord shape, first play it in open position, with the little finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string (the note C, which makes it a C chord). Then move it up the neck so the root is on the 8th fret (note F, an F chord). Then move the root up to the 10th fret (G). Finish by moving the root up to the 15th fret (aka the 3rd fret above the octave), another C chord.

Play around with these three “primary” chords for awhile to get familiar with the shape at different parts of the neck.

Practice the C shape with primary chords in the key of C major:

C minor shape

The C minor shape is just the C major shape with the third lowered by one fret. But what a difference that small change makes for playability.

The C minor shape can seem impractical, unsuited to human hands. But when we realize that we can leave out some of the notes, it becomes more useful.

One common grip for this shape is x421xx, a minimalist, three-note closed-voice triad. The first finger mutes the top two strings.

Sometimes it’s nice to have the root note repeated on top of the chord as the highest pitch. In that case, pull the first finger down to the 2nd string, using the tip of it to mute the 3rd string: x42x1x.

In this grip, we’re no longer playing the fifth of the chord. But having the bass in the root, the minor third (making it a minor chord), and then repeating the root at the top, we often don’t notice the missing fifth.

Another variation is to play the treble triad on the upper-middle three strings, with the root on the second string: xx213x.

Try playing the chord tones in order, R-b3-5-R, starting with the fingers in x421xx, and then rotating into xx213x.

To get comfortable with the C minor shape in different places on the neck, use it to play the secondary chords in the key of C major up and down the fretboard.

Practice the C minor shape with secondary chords in the key of C major:

When both the C major and C minor shapes are familiar, practice them together by playing all the triads in the key of C major, as shown.

Practice C shapes with harmonized triads in the key of C major:

C diminished shape

All the triad chords in a major key are either major or minor chords, except one: the vii chord is a diminished triad. See Chapter 8. Major key harmony for details.

In the key of C, the vii chord is actually Bdim, a B diminished triad. We got away with playing Bm(no 5) earlier, because Bdim and Bm are the same chord except for the fifth.

One common grip for this shape is x421xx, and another is to play the root at the top with the treble triad xx213x. Sometimes it’s also useful to grip it with xx2134 or even xx1x23.

To practice this shape, play the harmonized triads from C major again, but play Bdim instead of Bm(no 5).

C seventh shapes

See Chapter 11. Seventh chords and drop voicings for a detailed discussion of seventh chords.

A shapes

A major shape

The A major shape is one of the first barre chords learned by beginning guitarists.

Unlike the C major shape, the A major shape is an “open voicing”. The third is an octave above the root. Play the chord tones in order to hear the difference: R-3-5-R (strings 5-2-4-3).

The main triad in this chord shape is the mini-barre on the upper-middle strings, with chord tones ordered 5-R-3. This ordering is called the “second inversion” of the chord, which sounds noticeably different than the root position voicing. The root note is somewhat overpowered by the other chord tones, because it’s at neither the top nor bottom of the voicing.

The bass note for this chord is played with the first finger on the 5th string. As with the C shape, it’s common to reach the first finger over to the 6th string, to play the perfect fifth in an alternating bass line.

Played as a barre chord, the fingering for this shape is x13331, or x13341. As when playing any barre chord, never try to clamp down the first finger across the whole fretboard like a vice, which will lead to pain. Instead, the first finger should be slightly curved, pressing down only at the tip (on the 5th string) and the side of the base of the finger (on the first string).

More comfortably, we often don’t need the extra fifth on the top string, so we can just play it like this: x1333x or x1444x or x1334x, muting the 1st string with the side of the third (or fourth) finger.

Even more comfortably, the upper root note isn’t particularly important, and can be left out, removing the need for a barre at all: x13x4x.

Perhaps the best grip of all is the comfortable, lazy, and flexible approach that starts as x13x4x, without the barre. A half-hearted effort is then made to also lay the third finger over onto the 3rd string, x13(3)4x, either stopping it to play the “R” or muting it, however it happens to work out. The base of the first finger can comfortably be laid across the 1st string as needed, x13(3)4(1).

We can also just play the treble triads by themselves: xx333x and xxx341.

To get familiar with this shape up and down the neck, use it to play the primary chords in the key of C major.

Practice the A shape with primary chords in the key of C major:

A minor shape

The A minor shape is another common barre chord learned by beginners. Played as a barre, the fingering is x13421.

There are other grips that can be more comfortable than the barre chord.

One comfortable grip is x1342x, like the barre chord without the top string.

An interesting grip for this shape is x1x432. This voicing focuses on the treble triad on the top-3 strings, which is a root-position closed-voice triad. It then adds the root note in the bass.

The treble triads can also be played by themselves: xxx321 and xx231x.

Practice the A minor shape with secondary chords in the key of C major:

A diminished shape

This shape is typically fingered as x1243x.

Practice A shapes with harmonized triads in the key of C major:

A seventh shapes

See Chapter 11. Seventh chords and drop voicings for a detailed discussion of seventh chords.

G shapes

G major shape

The G major shape uses the same treble triad as the A major shape, the 5-R-3 on the upper middle strings, but it builds out the chords below the treble triad, while the A shape builds chords above it.

The G shape is most usefully thought of as two separate shapes: a bass shape on the lower strings, and a treble shape on the upper strings. The two shapes are never gripped at the same time, but it’s easy to switch between them. (And sometimes it sounds great to switch back and forth between them, like a big Beethoven finale.)

The treble shape is normally gripped as xx1114. If this grip seems difficult, move the elbow in toward the body to increase the reach of the fourth finger.

The typical bass shape fingering is 43111x or 4311xx (lifting the first finger slightly to mute the 2nd string).

In the bass shape, the chord is a root-position closed-voiced triad, very similar to the C major shape. (In fact, it’s common to switch between C and G shapes rooted on the same fret.)

Practice the G shape with primary chords in the key of C major:

G minor shape

Like most G shape chords, the G minor shape is best thought of as two separate shapes.

The bass shape grip is 4211xx, a closed-voice root-position triad.

More common, however, is this oddly comfortable grip that barres the treble strings while easily muting others: 3xx444 or 2xx333.

Practice the G minor shape with secondary chords in the key of C major:

G diminished shape

The G diminished shape can be gripped as 1xx324 or 2xx314.

Practice G shapes with harmonized triads in the key of C major:

G seventh shapes

See Chapter 11. Seventh chords and drop voicings for a detailed discussion of seventh chords.

E shapes

E major shape

The E major shape is normally the first barre chord learned by beginning guitarists, in order to play an F major chord. Unfortunately, it often causes pain and difficulty due to an improper grip. The typical barre chord grip is 134211. Like all first-finger barres, the first finger should curve and touch only at the tip and base.

But there are other grips for this shape that are more comfortable.

The first adjustment that can be made is to lift the base of the finger so it mutes the top two strings instead of barring them: 1342xx.

If we want to hear the root note at the top of the chord, we can temporarily press down the barre again, 1342x1.

Another option is to barre just the top two strings with the first segment of the first finger, and play the bass note with the second finger. Like this: 2xx311. From this basic grip, the little finger can optionally alternate between the root on the 4th string and the perfect fifth on the 5th string.

Another interesting grip is 1x432x. To occasionally add the root note on top of this shape, use the base of the first finger to make a temporary barre, 1x4321, or move the second finger to the 1st string, muting the 2nd string, as 1x43x2.

Practice the E shape with primary chords in the key of C major:

E minor shape

The E minor shape is essentially the same as the G minor shape, except gripped from below rather than above.

This shape is commonly played as a barre chord, 134111. But like the E major shape, there are more comfortable choices.

The easiest grip is 2xx111. The little finger can then optionally play root and fifth bass notes on the 4th and 5th strings.

If we want the first finger to play the bass note, it’s also possible to grip with 1xx444.

Practice the E minor shape with secondary chords in the key of C major:

E diminished shape

The E diminished shape can be gripped with 1342xx.

Roll into the G diminished shape treble triad xxx213 to arpeggiate the rest of the chord.

Practice E shapes with harmonized triads in the key of C major:

E seventh shapes

See Chapter 11. Seventh chords and drop voicings for a detailed discussion of seventh chords.

D shapes

D major shape

The D major shape tends to sound weaker and thinner than the other chord shapes, because the lowest reachable root note is on the 4th string. It’s a good effort, but it’s never going to resonate like a chord with a root on the 5th or 6th strings. So the D major shape is often not a chord we want to land on or linger on. But as the only chord shape with a 4th-string root, it’s often in a convenient place for transitioning between other chords.

The conventional grip for this shape is xx1243, but in practice this grip is rarely comfortable, and the sound is so thin it’s scarcely worth the effort anyway.

One common way to grip this shape is as a treble triad, leaving out the awkward bass note: xxx121 or xxx132.

To keep the root note in the bass, there are two comfortable grips, depending on which note we want on top.

The grip xx134x has the root note at the top and bottom. This is really just a power chord, with the root and fifth but no third, which sounds a bit “vague” because it’s neither major nor minor. But for use in passing, on the way to another chord shape, this grip is often perfect.

The grip xx13x4 is a full triad chord with the third at the top and the root in the bass.

One interesting voicing for this chord, favored by guitar virtuoso Joe Pass, is 2x134x. It’s a little unusual, with the third in the bass, and sometimes it just does not sound right. But sometimes it sounds amazing, especially when leading to another chord with a nearby bass note, as when playing a D shape V chord leading to a G shape I chord.

Practice the D shape with primary chords in the key of C major:

D minor shape

Compared to the D major shape, the D minor shape is refreshingly comfortable to play, typically gripped as xx1342.

Practice the D minor shape with secondary chords in the key of C major:

D diminished shape

The D diminished shape can be gripped with xx1242.

Practice D shapes with harmonized triads in the key of C major:

D seventh shapes

See Chapter 11. Seventh chords and drop voicings for a detailed discussion of seventh chords.

Treble triads

Treble triads are minimalist triad chords on the upper, “treble” strings, derived from core shared triads within the CAGED shapes.

Treble triads are useful for quick changes, chord improvisation, and harmonizing melody lines.

Shapes are included for the most commonly used chords: major, minor, and dominant seventh.

(Though of course seventh chords are not actually “treble triads”, a better term has proven elusive.)

First-string root

The treble triad with its root on the first string is derived from the E CAGED shape.

Second-string root

The treble triad with its root on the second string is derived from the C and D CAGED shapes.

Third-string root

The treble triad with its root on the third string is derived from the A and G CAGED shapes.

Major chords on the entire fretboard

The following figures illustrate how CAGED shapes fit together on the fretboard, and point the way toward playing all the chords in a given key in one position (that is, without moving the fretting hand up or down the neck). Though only primary chords are shown here, all chords in the key can be played in position using one of the different CAGED shapes.

For each CAGED position, practice changing between different shapes for C, F, and G chords in the same position on the fretboard. For example, play C major in a G shape, F major in a C shape, and G major in a D shape.

For more on position playing in a major key, see Chapter 8. Major key harmony.

Ergonomics

Some of the CAGED chord shapes are awkward or even impossible to play completely. Some CAGED grips, notably barre chords, can lead to significant pain if done improperly.

Pain is a signal from our bodies that we are doing something wrong. If we ignore the pain and don’t change what we are doing, the injury will get worse and take longer to heal. Eventually, our bodies will force us to stop doing it.

Far better to listen to our bodies from the beginning. If something hurts, stop doing it right away, and figure out a painless way to do it before the painful way becomes habit.

Aside from this general advice, a few observations can be particularly helpful.

Notice the elbow

The fretting hand’s reach and range of motion changes dramatically depending on the position of the elbow.

Move the elbow in toward the body to allow the 3rd and 4th fingers to reach down the neck and the first finger to reach back up the neck more easily, or move it out to the side of the body to allow the first finger to reach down the neck. Move the elbow out in front of the body to improve the fingers’ reach of the low strings, or pull it back to better reach the high strings.

Often when we are struggling to place our fingers into a challenging chord grip, the problem can be solved almost magically by simply adjusting the elbow until the position is more comfortable.

Neutral fretting wrist

The fretting wrist should be kept at a neutral angle, with the hand curved slightly forward so there is no bend where the tendons cross the wrist. In addition to improving dexterity and speed, this prevents tendons from rubbing, which can cause inflammation and injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Keeping the wrist at a neutral angle can be made easier by adjusting the elbow, as already described, and by tilting the guitar neck upward. A strap with a suede backing can help hold the guitar tilted in a comfortable fretting position.

Hands are not crowbars

While it is possible to use the thumb as a fulcrum to lever the fingers onto the fretboard with considerable force, our hands are full of joints that need to be held rigidly in place in order to do so. But joints are made to move, not to hold rigid, especially not against forces applied in the joint’s weakest direction. This technique may seem powerful at first, but over time it is likely to lead to injury, possibly including basal joint arthritis.

Instead, the thumb should be pressed lightly against the neck, if at all. The fretting thumb’s main use should be to keep the hand gently in contact with the neck, so it stays in one place instead of floating around in space when the fingers are off the fretboard.

If the perfect intonation can’t be achieved without the thumb, bring it into play by gently pinching the back of the neck directly behind the fingers, just hard enough that the frets don’t buzz.

More on guitar ergonomics

Christopher Berg’s excellent Mastering Guitar Technique: Process and Essence (1997) has a great deal more about optimal positioning of the body for playing guitar.