The “C-A-G-E-D system” was first codified by Bill Edwards in the series of books entitled Fretboard Logic. The series goes into incredible detail, but the concept behind it is actually quite simple–it is based on the very familiar chord shapes of C, A, G, E, and D.

Check out the tutorial below to learn how the CAGED system works.  It’s quick, and best of all, it’s free.

CAGED #1: Roadmap in any key.
Using CAGED, we can create a roadmap of the neck of the guitar for any key by creating moveable forms of the C, A, G, E, and D chords.

CAGED #2: Finding the 5 CAGED fingerings for any key
For any major chord, there are 5 possible fingerings based on the CAGED shapes.

CAGED #3: Applying CAGED to minor keys
Using the concepts of “relative major” and “relative minor” to apply CAGED to minor keys.

CAGED #4: Useful chord voicings based on the CAGED shapes.
Some of the CAGED shapes are more useful than others, but useful things can be found within all of them.

CAGED #5: The CAGED shapes and pentatonic scales
How to use CAGED to help you find the appropriate pentatonic scale fingering for a given key or chord.