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Guitar Chord Shapes
There are thousands of different kinds of chords and chord shapes that guitarists use, but nearly all of them can be traced back to just five basic forms. In the open position, the five basic forms are C, A, G, E, and D. This spells “Caged” and creates the so-called CAGED System. With the proper Theory, each one of the CAGED forms can be turned into a barre chord and moved up the neck. Each barre can be played as an arpeggio pattern which includes even more notes. These arpeggio patterns can then be broken up into all sorts of unique shapes, voicings and inversions.
Guitar Arpeggios
Each major chord in the CAGED system is made up of three notes. With each chord, notes can be repeated, stacked in any order, and played anywhere on the fretboard. Just like learning guitar scales, guitarists must learn how to map out chord-tones on the neck. These patterns of chord-tones are called “arpeggios.” Arpeggios are an important piece to the theory puzzle, specifically learning the guitar caged system.
Chord Inversions and Voicings
Guitar arpeggio patterns show you where all the chord notes are located in each position on the neck. By visualizing all the notes of a chord in a position, a guitar player can then can grab the notes in a variety of ways creating unique shapes and fingerings, inversions and voicings. An inversion, in practical music theory terms, is simply a re-arrangement of the notes from one shape to another. For example, a C major includes the notes C-E-G. These notes are available in this order but only in some spots. In other areas you might find them stacked E-G-C or G-C-E. Each combination produces a slightly different sound or “voicing.”
CAGED Guitar System
When players map out all the notes of a chord across the entire fretboard they end up with a big pattern of notes that covers five positions. This giant pattern runs the whole length of the guitar neck and is very hard to follow. But when this pattern is played one position at a time, practical arpeggio patterns emerge. Reduced to a fundamental chord shape, each arpeggio pattern becomes a common open form. One position resembles an open C chord, the next an open A chord, followed by G, E and D. Hence, the CAGED Template Chord System. So, a little bit of good theory really helps to unravel the mystery to building and playing chords on the guitar neck.
Rhythm Guitar Techniques
Great rhythm guitar players don’t necessarily use strange chords, they just spice up common progressions with unique shapes and voicings. Consider the song “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp for example. Each section of this tune sounds different but all sections are variations of the same three chords (A, D and E). By applying a little theory, changing up the inversions and progression, each section has a fresh sound. Understanding this theory and the guitar caged system enables players to learn chords across the whole neck and squeeze new life out of old shapes.
Guitar Chord Shapes
There are thousands of different kinds of chords and chord shapes that guitarists use, but nearly all of them can be traced back to just five basic forms. In the open position, the five basic forms are C, A, G, E, and D. This spells “Caged” and creates the so-called CAGED System. With the proper Theory, each one of the CAGED forms can be turned into a barre chord and moved up the neck. Each barre can be played as an arpeggio pattern which includes even more notes. These arpeggio patterns can then be broken up into all sorts of unique shapes, voicings and inversions.
Guitar Arpeggios
Each major chord in the CAGED system is made up of three notes. With each chord, notes can be repeated, stacked in any order, and played anywhere on the fretboard. Just like learning guitar scales, guitarists must learn how to map out chord-tones on the neck. These patterns of chord-tones are called “arpeggios.” Arpeggios are an important piece to the theory puzzle, specifically learning the guitar caged system.
Chord Inversions and Voicings
Guitar arpeggio patterns show you where all the chord notes are located in each position on the neck. By visualizing all the notes of a chord in a position, a guitar player can then can grab the notes in a variety of ways creating unique shapes and fingerings, inversions and voicings. An inversion, in practical music theory terms, is simply a re-arrangement of the notes from one shape to another. For example, a C major includes the notes C-E-G. These notes are available in this order but only in some spots. In other areas you might find them stacked E-G-C or G-C-E. Each combination produces a slightly different sound or “voicing.”
CAGED Guitar System
When players map out all the notes of a chord across the entire fretboard they end up with a big pattern of notes that covers five positions. This giant pattern runs the whole length of the guitar neck and is very hard to follow. But when this pattern is played one position at a time, practical arpeggio patterns emerge. Reduced to a fundamental chord shape, each arpeggio pattern becomes a common open form. One position resembles an open C chord, the next an open A chord, followed by G, E and D. Hence, the CAGED Template Chord System. So, a little bit of good theory really helps to unravel the mystery to building and playing chords on the guitar neck.
Rhythm Guitar Techniques
Great rhythm guitar players don’t necessarily use strange chords, they just spice up common progressions with unique shapes and voicings. Consider the song “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp for example. Each section of this tune sounds different but all sections are variations of the same three chords (A, D and E). By applying a little theory, changing up the inversions and progression, each section has a fresh sound. Understanding this theory and the guitar caged system enables players to learn chords across the whole neck and squeeze new life out of old shapes.