Chapter 1: Learning the Fretboard (phase 1)

A. The Musical Alphabet and the Chromatic Scale

Aex. Tracing the Chromatic Scale on Single Strings

B. Learn and memorize the notes of the open strings of the guitar.

C. Learn and memorize the notes on the dotted frets on the low E and A strings.

Cex. Practicing the Notes on Dotted Frets

D. Spend some time practicing mentally filling in all of the notes on the other frets.

Dex. Practice identifying notes between dotted frets

E. Using Octaves to Map the Rest of the Fretboard

Eex. Mapping the Fretboard w/ Octaves

Chapter 2: The CAGED Roadmap

A. Identify the 5 shapes, and turn them into moveable forms.

B. Learn, and memorize, where the root notes are within the CAGED forms.

ABex. Practicing the 5 moveable shapes & root notes

C. Determine 5 ways to play any major chord, each based on one of these 5 shapes.

Cex. Playing any major chord 5 ways

Cex2. 5 possible major chords in any position

D. Overlap Between the CAGED shapes.

Chapter 3: Expanding CAGED into Pentatonics and Triads

A. Pentatonic scale pattern for each of the 5 CAGED shapes

Aex. Practicing the Pentatonic Patterns

B. Triads: Identify the rest of the chord tones in each CAGED shape/pentatonic

Bex. Practicing triads within the Pentatonic Patterns

C. Observe the non-chord tones within the pentatonic scale fingerings.

Sample Licks within the Major Pentatonic (Key of A)

Sample Licks within the Major Pentatonic (Key of E)

Chapter 4: Applying the CAGED Concept to Minor Keys

A. CAGED and pentatonics for minor keys using the concept of relative major and minor.

B. 5 fingerings for each minor chord (minor equivalent of CAGED).

C. Pentatonic scale patterns for minor CAGED shapes.

D. Triads: The minor chord tones within the CAGES shapes

E. Observe the other notes in the minor pentatonic that are NOT present in the minor triad arpeggio.

Exercises: Minor Triads & Pentatonics

Sample Licks: Key of Gm

Sample Licks: Key of Cm

Chapter 5: The Blue Note

A. The Major Blues Scale, a.k.a. “The Country Scale”

B. The Minor Blues Scale, a.k.a. simply “The Blues Scale”

C. Open position (“cowboy chord”) pentatonic and blues scales:  Country and Bluegrass in a Nutshell

Sample Licks: Am blues scale

Sample Licks: Bb Major blues scale

Sample Licks: G Major blues scale

Sample Licks: Em blues scale

Exercises/Sample Licks: Open Position blues scales

Chapter 6: Horizontal Pentatonics

a. Horizontal Pentatonic (Major)

b. Horizontal Pentatonic (Minor)

c. Making the troublesome “D shape” more useful

Chapter 7: The Major Scale

a. Building out from the CAGED shape and the pentatonic to form the complete major scale

Chapter 8: Useful Chord Voicings with CAGED

a. Chords based on the C shape

b. Chords based on the A shape

c. Chords based on the G shape

d. Chords based on the E shape

e. Chords based on the D shape

Chapter 9: Navigating Chord Progressions with CAGED

a. The I to the IV (and the V to the I)

b. The I - IV - V (1-4-5)

c. I-IV-V (“1-4-5”) progressions (using dominant 7th chords for blues)

d. I to bVII (1 to b7)

e. I-bVII-IV (“1-b7-4”) progressions (I-IV-V in reverse)

f. I to vi - Major to Relative Minor

g. The 50’s progression (I-vi-ii-V and I-vi-IV-V)

h. he “Let It Be” - 1-5-6-4 (I-V-vi-IV)

A. The Musical Alphabet and the Chromatic Scale