Caged exercise
From Bammerwiki
Excercise to Help understand CAGED Guitar system.
Exercise 1.
Here is a representaiont of a guitar neck. (it is upside down just like guitar tablature). I have written in all 12 notes.
| e | f | f# | g | g# | a | a# | b | c | c# | d | d# | e | e# |
| b | c | c# | d | d# | e | f | f# | g | g# | a | a# | b | c |
| g | g# | a | a# | b | c | c# | d | d# | e | f | f# | g | g# |
| d | d# | e | f | f# | g | g# | a | a# | b | c | c# | d | d# |
| a | a# | b | c | c# | d | d# | e | f | f# | g | g# | a | a# |
| e | f | f# | g | g# | a | a# | b | c | c# | d | d# | e | e# |
Print this out and fill in all the notes.
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
Excercise 2.
Here I have taken out all the accidentals (sharps and flats). What are we left with? The "C" scale!
| e | f | _ | g | _ | a | _ | b | c | _ | d | _ | e | |
| b | c | _ | d | _ | e | f | _ | g | _ | a | _ | b | c |
| g | _ | a | _ | b | c | _ | d | _ | e | f | _ | g | |
| d | _ | e | f | _ | g | _ | a | _ | b | c | _ | d | |
| a | _ | b | c | _ | d | _ | e | f | _ | g | _ | a | |
| e | f | _ | g | _ | a | _ | b | c | _ | d | _ | e |
Print this out and fill in the notes of the "C" scale.
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
Excercise 3.
Let's give our lettered notes numbers.
We will call the letter "C" the number one,
the letter "D" will become two, etc.
(these numbers are also called "degrees" of the scale.
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
Print this out and fill in numbers representing the
degrees of the "C" scale.
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
Excercise 4.
Eliminate all degrees except degrees one, three and five. Remember that a major chord is defined as the first, third, and fifth degrees of a given scale. Do you see The "C" shape that forms at the first fret?
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 3 | |
| _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | |
| _ | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | |
| _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | _ | |
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 3 |
Do same as previous exercise, but leave blanks for notes 2,4,
6,and 7
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ | __ |
Excercise 5.
If the numbers aren't helping you see, here I have used an aseterick instead of numbers.
| * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | * | |
| _ | * | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | * |
| * | _ | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | * | |
| _ | _ | * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | |
| _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | |
| * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | * |
Excercise 6.
If you still have probs seeing, here I have written letters in. But keep in mind these letters represent chord SHAPES. not the actual chord sounds.
| C | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | G | _ | _ | _ | D | |
| _ | C | _ | _ | _ | A | _ | _ | G | _ | _ | _ | _ | D |
| C | _ | _ | _ | _ | A | _ | _ | _ | E | _ | _ | D | |
| _ | _ | C | _ | _ | A | _ | _ | _ | _ | E | _ | _ | |
| _ | _ | _ | C | _ | _ | _ | G | _ | _ | E | _ | _ | |
| * | _ | _ | * | _ | _ | _ | _ | G | _ | _ | _ | * |
Can you see why this is called the CAGED system. Any of these 5 shapes will give the "C" chord sound.
Also Note that since everything on the guitar is "moveable", we could, almost as easily, started this exercise with the "E" scale. We would have then ended up with "EDCAGE..."
Optional Excercise .
Here is a figure we got in a previous article:
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
Erasing notes 4 and 7, we now have a 5 note scale: The pentatonics! :
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
Print this out and scratch out numbers 4 and 7
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | 7 | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
Optional Excercise pt 2 .
Here is a figure we got in a previous exercise. Do you see the pentatonics?
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
If you don't see any pentatonics, let me get you started.
look for the letter "G". Note, again this is a shape, not
the actual sound.
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | G | _ | _ | G | _ | 2 | _ | 3 | |
| _ | 1 | _ | 2 | _ | G | _ | _ | G | _ | 6 | _ | _ | 1 |
| 5 | _ | 6 | _ | _ | G | _ | G | _ | 3 | _ | _ | 5 | |
| 2 | _ | 3 | _ | _ | G | _ | G | _ | _ | 1 | _ | 2 | |
| 6 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | G | _ | G | _ | _ | 5 | _ | 6 | |
| 3 | _ | _ | 5 | _ | G | _ | _ | G | _ | 2 | _ | 3 |
More Guitar Links:
Blindboy AKA acousticbluestips
Unplugged Guitar Lesson Videos
Beginning Guitar Links
Blues Guitar Video Lessons
Random Guitar Instruction Videos
The CAGED Guitar Lesson
All BammerWiki Guitar Links
New Blindboy Video
NEW CAGED lesson
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