Guitar caged system

From Bammerwiki

Discussion of CAGED guitar system

The Guitar neck is actually very well organized.

You probably have already used the "CAGED" system without knowing it. Isn't it true that you can play the "C" chord in the following Places? In open position you have the "C" shape. At fret 3, you have a "C" chord if you make an "A" shaped barre chord, at fret 8 you again have a "C" chord if you make an "E" shaped barre chord. finally you have a "C" chord at fret 12 if you make a "C" shaped barre chord.

As it turns out these all are "C" chords:

"C" shaped bar chord in open position "A" shaped barre chord at fret 3. "G" shaped barre chord at fret 5. "E" shaped barre chord at fret 8. "D" shaped barre chrod at fret 10. "C" shaped barre chord at fret 12.
Thus we have "CAGED"
Remember that everything is movable on the guitar.

Thus we could have started with any chord in the open position. For example, look at the Open "G". Isn't it true that there is also a "G" at the third fret? (the "E" shaped barre chord). You may also be aware that there is a "G" chord at fret 10 that is shaped like a barre "A" chord. And of course we start all over again at fret 12 with a barre "G" chord.

So in this case we have GEDCAG and so on.

If you know the scales for each of these shapes, you now have all the tools you need to roam up and down the fretboard!
Here is a paper and pencil excercise:
http://www.bammerwiki.com/wiki/index.php/Caged_exercise

Here are some more descriptions of the caged system http://www.guitarist.com/chasman/mypage_990215.htm http://www.highcountryguitar.com/caged.htm

Here are a couple of videos: