Uncaging the Monkies

Uncaging the Monkies. How to use the CAGED system to go Ape-Sh*t with Jazz Chords Milton Mermikides

The CAGED system is a well-documented and powerful system for understanding chords and their associated scales over the entire fretboard. I'll look at the basics of it very briefly. The basis of the CAGED system is that a lot of useful material can be gathered from knowing the open position C, A, G, E and D chords and transposing them on the fretboard: Thus:

Concept 1. One chord 5 places Here are the 5 open position major chords, with the focus on roots on string 6-4

C

w 4 & 4 ww

A

G

E

D

#ww w

ww ww

w#w ww

#ww w

Root on 6 o Root on 5 i (means on the nut-side and 3 i of the guitar)

Root on 6 i and 4o

Root on 4 i

Since these all can be made to be movable, it is possible from these to have 5 voicings for one chord

Here are the 5 shapes (CAGED) with roots on C C Shape C

A Shape C

G Shape C

E Shape

D Shape

C

C

5fr 

w & ww

www w

ww ww

8fr 

www ww

10fr 

ww w

There is a huge amount of good material that can be based on this foundation but we'll skip that for now just to look at its implications to jazz chords and some quick but effectve studies.

Copyright © 2011 Milton Mermikides

2

Concept 2. Major 7 CAGED chords and the Cycle C ycle V study

So let's know look at 5 voicings (with some alternatives) for a root inversion Major 7 based on the CAGED shapes from the open position.

C Shape

A Shape CŒ„ Š7 

CŒ„ Š7 

CŒ„ Š7 

G Shape CŒ„ Š7 

E Shape

CŒ„ Š7 

CŒ„ Š7 

5fr 

CŒ„ Š7 

8fr 

or 

˙ & ˙˙

D Shape CŒ„ Š7 

7fr 

10fr 

or 

˙˙ ˙

˙˙

ww w

˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙

ww w

˙˙

By playing a cycle of descending 5ths we can play every major 7 voicing all in close proximity. The shapes will cycle in this order - E -A - D - G - C. This is an excellent exercise, call out the chords as you play them, and try not to make your brain explode. CŒ„ Š7 

FŒ„ Š7 

8fr 

w & ww

E Shape

D¨Œ„ Š7 

E Shape

DŒ„ Š7 

or 

D Shape

G Shape

C Shape

BŒ„ Š7 

EŒ„ Š7 

AŒ„ Š7 

G¨Œ„ Š7 

wbw bw

9fr 

A Shape

GŒ„ Š7 

bb ˙˙˙

9fr 

##n#www CŒ„ Š7 

10fr 

ww w

A Shape

D Shape

AŒ„ Š7  11fr 

9fr 

or 

###˙˙˙

G Shape

FŒ„ Š7 

˙˙

C Shape

B¨Œ„ Š7 

B¨Œ„ Š7  10fr 

10fr 

w#w w

˙˙

9fr 

## www

D Shape

8fr 

8fr 

A Shape

10fr 

E Shape

A¨Œ„ Š7 

A¨Œ„ Š7 

8fr 

ww bw

bbbww bw

b ww & bw

E¨Œ„ Š7 

8fr 

ww w 9fr 

w # & # ww

B¨Œ„ Š7  8fr 

ww w G Shape

Copyright © 2011 Milton Mermikides

12fr 

10fr 

˙˙ b˙

or 

˙˙

C Shape continue till the end of time

Concept 3. Dominant 7 CAGED chords and the Cycle V study

3

So now let's know look at 5 voicings (with some alternatives) for a root inversion C7, followed by a Cycle 5 sequence in which to use them

C Shape C7

A Shape

G Shape

C7  

C7 

C7

E Shape C7 

5fr 

or 

D Shape

C7 

C7 

5fr 

8fr 

10fr 

or 

b ˙˙ b˙˙˙ ˙ ˙

wbw w

& b˙˙˙ ˙˙ C7

&VVVV E Shape

bwww

The B-flat or C may be omitted for fluency

F7

B¨7

b www

E ¨7

A¨ 7

D¨7

 

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V  A Shape

G¨7

B7

&VVVV

D Shape

G Shape

C Shape

E Shape etc.

E7

A7

D7

G7

  etc.

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V  And a similar approach for the minor 7 chords.

Concept 4. Minor 7 CAGED chords and the Cycle V study C Shape

A Shape C‹7 

C‹7 

G Shape C‹7 

C‹7 

E Shape C‹7 

C‹7 

or 

or 

C‹7

&V

E Shape

D¨‹7

&V

bb˙˙ b˙˙˙ ˙ b˙ The B-flat or C may be omitted for fluency

F‹7

V V V

B¨‹7

V

V

V V V V

A Shape

D Shape

V

10fr 

bbww

A¨‹7  

V V V V

V

V

V

E ‹7

V

E Shape etc. Copyright © 2011 Milton Mermikides

V

V V V V  C Shape

G Shape

B‹7

V

bb www

E¨‹7

V V V V

G¨‹7

V

C‹7  8fr 

or 

bb ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

b˙˙

& bb˙˙

C‹7  4fr 

4fr 

D Shape

V

V

 

etc.

V

V

V  

Concept 5. Minor 7(b5) CAGED chords and the Cycle V study

4 C Shape

A Shape C‹7(b5) b5)

C‹7(b5)

G Shape

C‹7(b5 (b5)

C‹7(b5)

E Shape C‹7(b5)

5fr 

C‹7(b5)

&V

A Shape D¨‹7(b5)

&V

bbbwww

B¨‹7(b5)

V V V V

A Shape

B‹7(b5)

V V V V D Shape

V V V V G Shape

D Shape G¨‹7(b5)

V V V

10fr 

7fr 

b˙˙ bbb˙˙˙ b˙

F‹7(b5)

V V V

C‹7(b5)

C‹7(b5)

3fr 

or 

or 

b ˙ b & bb˙˙ ˙˙

D Shape

V V V V G Shape

bbb www

bbbww w E¨‹7(b5)

A¨‹7(b5)

V V V V C Shape E‹7(b5)

V V V V  E Shape A‹7(b5)

V V V V C Shape

V V V V  E Shape

Mastering the above, should allow you to play the harmony of any tune anywhere on the fretboard. Psst... don't tell anyone  but Cmaj7=Am9(no root) Cm7=Abmaj9 (no root) Cm7(b5)=Ab9(no root) this opens up things further. Also these basic forms can be expanded and modified to enrich your harmonic understanding further still. The following exercise consolidates all the material in this lesson in a satisfyingly brain-melting manner. It's a simple diatonic sequence (with some secondary dominants) and by the end of the cycle, you've played everyone of the CAGED shapes of Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7 and Minor 7(b5) at least once. All the voice leading is smooth, and you'll gradually head up the neck, ensuring mastery of  each fretboard position. You can, and should, t ake any piece of your reportoire and play through the progression in position, all over the fingerboard. Attaching solo material based on these shapes, would of course be extremely helpful in soloing. This 'no-place-to-hide' approach to practice, can really engender a comprehensive harmonic literacy on the guitar, and in turn, an authentic creative freedom in performance.

Copyright © 2011 Milton Mermikides

Concept 6. Diatonic Perpetual Cycle: Utter Mastery D‹7 

G7 

&V

V

V

V

V

C Shape

V

V

V

V

V

E Shape

V

V

V

A‹7

V

FŒ„ Š7 

V

V

V

V

A Shape

E7

B‹7(b5)

&V

CŒ„ Š7

V

V

V

5

V

A7 

 

V

V

V

V

V

C Shape

E Shape

(E Shape)

D‹7 

G7 

CŒ„ Š7

FŒ„ Š7 

V

V

V

V

A Shape

V

V

V

V

V

D‹7 

G7 

V

V

V

G Shape

V

V

V

D Shape

V

V

V

V

V

V

E Shape

V

V

V

V

&V

V

A ‹7

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

C Shape

V

V

E Shape

D‹7 

G7 

&V

V

V

V

V

A Shape B‹7(b5)

V V V

E Shape

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

E7

V

V  

V

V  

FŒ„ Š7 

V

V

V

V A7 

 

V

V

A Shape

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V  

V  

A7 

 

V

V

V

G Shape

V

V

V

V

A Shape

(A Shape)

CŒ„ Š7

FŒ„ Š7 

V

V

V

G Shape A‹7

V  

(D Shape)

FŒ„ Š7 

V

D Shape

V

CŒ„ Š7

V

V

A7 

 

D Shape

V

V  

C Shape

(C Shape)

A ‹7

V

V

C Shape

V

E7

V

V

E Shape

A Shape

B‹7(b5)

V

CŒ„ Š7

G7 

&V

V

D Shape

G Shape

D‹7 

&V

V

E7

V

V

G Shape

C Shape

B‹7(b5)

&V

V A ‹7

A Shape

V

V

E7

E Shape

&V

V

D Shape

B‹7(b5)

&V

V

V  

D Shape

G Shape

&V

V

 

V

V

V

V  

V  

C Shape A7 

V V V V

V V V V

V V V V 

A Shape

D Shape

(D Shape)

Copyright © 2011 Milton Mermikides

V

D‹7 

+  C Shape