UNLOCKING MAJOR CAGED
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Before tackling this course, you should be comfortable with all the material from The G CAGED Shape

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In our final unit, we draw all the shapes together to allow us to play in just one area of the fretboard. This will allow us to have total freedom over what we play, without having to jump around the fretboard to find the same chord shape. Let’s dive in!

Lesson 21: All The Chords

First up, let’s get the chord shapes into one position. We will be using the same backing track as we have used for the rest of the course, so we should know the chords by now! For this unit, we will work around the 5th - 8th fret position of the neck. This gives us the following chord shapes:

Lesson 22: Adding The Layers

We will now take those chords, in those positions, and add the layers. This means adding the arpeggio, diatonic and the pentatonic scale! This is going to be quite intense if you’ve never done it before, so go over it a fair few times before moving on from this lesson! Here are those layers for each chord in the positions from the previous lesson: (try selecting the Chord, arpeggio, and both scales from the same key to see them all at the same time!)

Chords

Arpeggios

Diatonic Scales

Major Pentatonic Scales

Lesson 23: Melodic Playing

For this lesson we take all of the chord and scale shapes from the previous lesson and try to use them melodically. This is the real underlying truth behind the CAGED system, being able to use it as your base for soloing! Use the chord shapes to put you in position, and then start trying to play into the shapes. Here are a few tips for you:

    Top Tips

  • 1. Use the arpeggios to target the key tones of the chord as you change to a new key.
  • 2. Visualise the chord box to find the key, but don’t necessarily play it!
  • 3. Play simple melodies using the scales provided. No need to overcomplicate this!
  • 4. Take your time, and accept that there will be many mistakes! This is a creative process, and therefore you will have good days and bad days with it. Keep working at it and you’ll gradually reduce those bad days!

Lesson 24: The Future

Finally, in our last lesson, Dan walks you through just how far you can take this concept.

Thank you so much for taking this course! We can’t wait to hear how you got in with it. Remember that this is the start of your journey. Be sure to take the time everyday to out these ideas into practice and you’ll get there! Have fun.

Materials: Backing Track

Here's the track Dan plays along with in the videos. Once you're comfortable with the concept try it yourself!

All done?

Congratulations

You've now completed Guitar Gym: Unlocking Major CAGED and taken a huge step forwards in your guitar playing journey.

Feel free to bask in glory for a while, or go ahead and try another course if you're hungry for more.